Hiya and welcome to my blog!
Spring is in the air! To celebrate this lovely season, I am sharing some of my favorite thrifted spring decor ideas with you all. My 4 affordable ideas to brighten your home, are sure to inspire you and fill you with the joys of spring.
In this post, I will share with you how to bring the great outdoors in. By using a thrifted goblet to act as a plant pot, by utilizing crystal candlesticks, by making homemade candles from thrifted glassware, and by using silver candlesticks to add elegance to a home space.
Please join me and my children as we seek out ways to celebrate spring and the beauty of God’s creation. Let’s get started, shall we?
~Spring: A Season Where Great Beauty Abounds~
Ahh spring, such a lovely time of the year. A verdant season of beauty and growth. A season that reminds us to slow down, savor, and be thankful for God’s beautiful world.
I don’t know about you, but my spirits are always lifted when I open the front door, and my senses seem to explode all at once. The sound of sweet birds singing, the smell of the fresh, green earth, the sight of the sun’s rays beaming down, and the feeling of warmth shining down on my face. What a wonderful way to wake up!
Of course, these sweet spring sensations encourage us to spend plenty of time outdoors, but it also inspires us to go thrifting for spring decor. Allowing us to bring the beauty of spring into our home.
~Spring Thrifting~
In the springtime (like any other time of the year), the children and I go browsing for treasures at our favorite thrift stores. Here we are drawn to beautiful things that symbolize, or celebrate, spring in some way, shape, or form.
This week we celebrated springtime in our home with some lovely thrift store finds. As I have said in a previous post, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will share photographs with you that will help to illustrate how we used-or displayed- those secondhand items in our home. But first, let me explain how my time in England inspires some of my spring decor ideas.
~The English Cottage Decorating Style~
My time in England taught me to appreciate beauty in many things. Simply walking down the ancient streets and admiring the beauty of an English cottage was enough to fill my mind with charming inspiration.
It was my observation that English cottages often had many knick knacks, antiques, and bits and bobs that had been collected over many years. Creating a cozy feeling and a storied atmosphere. These quaint cottages seemed to represent a considered environment-where nothing matched exactly, but instead, complimented the other perfectly. This style gave the cottages an overall cozy feel and appeal.
~How to Shop at a Thrift Store with a Cottage Vision in Mind~
Having gained an appreciation for collected treasures, I am always on the lookout for bits and bobs that remind me of English Cottages. Naturally, you can find some of these decorative items in an antique store, but I prefer to uncover these treasures in a thrift store.
Lovely secondhand items such as baskets, candlesticks, flowerpots, and antique books are all excellent cottagecore thrift finds to be on the lookout for. Do not be afraid of a little dust, instead look past the potential flaws to see the beauty that can be brought forth.
My spring thrifting sprees produced some lovely home decor treasures. These items are not English to my knowledge, but the cozy English cottages are my inspiration.
I hope you enjoy and feel inspired to go secondhand shopping for your own spring decorating treasures.
~How to Transform a Thrift Store Purchase~
Allow me to share photographs of how I use thrifted items in my home. First, I will describe the secondhand items I purchased while giving a few thrifting tips along the way.
One of my favorite spring inspired thrift store finds was a thrifted goblet. The underside of the goblet was marked “c 992.” Now this brings me to an important tip: always inspect a thrift store item thoroughly- checking for any obvious flaws along with any unique markings.
If markings are found, do a quick Google search to see what you can learn. In this particular case, I could not find much information on the goblet, but I believed it to be vintage. I came to this conclusion by looking at its construction- as well as the fine lines on the inside walls of the goblet.
This unique goblet was not necessarily something that would typically grab my attention. However, appreciating its unique flare- I thought it was a worthy purchase. My initial thought was to use it as a flowerpot. (Which I did- as you will see in the photographs below).
~#1 A Thrifted Goblet Receives a Makeover~
By adding some soil, an aloe plant from Aldi, and a gifted succulent plant, I was able to use my thrifted goblet as a flowerpot.
Using live plants in a home brightens interior spaces while also improving air quality. Therefore, this Spring Goblet planter was worth its weight in gold.
By simply adding the planter to a bathroom window- or by placing it on a sunny countertop- I was able to add a touch of warmth and simple elegance. This look was accomplished for just a few dollars. *If you enjoy this planter, check out my autumn inspired planter here.
~#2 Thrifted Crystal Candlesticks: The Perfect Spring Decor~
Candlesticks are always on my radar when visiting a thrift store. I like to use candlesticks in my home year-round. Therefore, when I stumbled across some beautiful crystal candlestick holders- I immediately knew I could put these beauties to good use.
These particular candlesticks reminded me of spring because of the beautiful flower bases. Equally, the thin, dainty aesthetic exuded a certain springtime elegance.
Seeing as they were an identical pair-I thought they were worth having. And this brings me to another thrifting tip: Single items are great, but items in a pair are better!
~ #3 How to Transform Thrifted Glass into Homemade Candles~
When thrifting, remember to look past what is right in front of you. What do I mean by this? Sometimes, an item is lovely and functional as it comes. However, with just a bit of imagination, many items can be transformed into something exciting and new.
Earlier in the year, I found two blue glass pieces… each sourced at different times.
Initially, I was drawn to the glass due to its vibrant color. Naturally the blue hue reminded me of a stunning spring sky. What a perfect way to bring the colors of spring into my home!
I was not sure what I would do with the glass pieces at the time. In the end, I decided to make soy candles out of them both.
By adding a bit of white tea and strawberry oils to the wax, I was able create an English-inspired, spring scented candle. Perfect for warming a home space. *To see other candle making ideas, see my post here and to see a thrifted bowl transformed into a candle click here.
~#4 Thrifted Silver Candlestick Holders~
In addition to my crystal candlesticks, I also stumbled across a lovely pair of silver candlesticks. Now, this thrift store find was not necessarily spring-inspired, but you can’t always help what items “find” you.
It is worth noting that I actually have a very similar pair of silver candlestick holders. While sharing some similarities the candlestick details are ever so slightly different. Simply put, these vintage silver candlesticks were too good of a bargain to pass by.
As it would be, I did not know I would find four spring inspired candlestick holders this week, but I am so glad I did.
The fact that that each candlestick can fit into any seasonal décor- makes them very useful indeed. The color of candles available is limitless- and these candlestick holders would be beautiful for a spring tablescape or even a Christmas tablescape.
Generally, I like to use my thrifted candlesticks on a mantel, as part of a table centerpiece, or on the top of a dresser. Thus, adding a bit of elegant glamour.
~Cleaning Thrifted Silver Pieces~
Notably, the silver candlestick holders were very tarnished, but a bit of baking soda and silver polish did a good job of bringing their sparkle back.
*A side note, before trying out any commercial polish, baking soda mixture, etc., I recommend trying the product out on an inconspicuous area first- just to be sure no damage occurs. Some products can be too harsh for certain vintage items and do more damage to their overall finish than good.
Truly, it is amazing what a bit of elbow grease and silver polish can do. Indeed, a worthwhile transformation!
~How Old and New Merge to Create the Look of Springtime~
Using some of my previously thrifted glassware, alongside the new-old candlestick holders and plant pot, I was able to create some sweet spring moments in my home. Also, the addition of the hand poured candles with the sweet spring scent- helped to fill our home with a delightful warmth.
Never underestimate the value of mixing old and new, handmade with homemade, and creativity and love. For this is a recipe sure to fill a home with coziness and comfort.
Each unique item helped us to celebrate this beautiful season of growth by adding a touch of charm to our inside/outside spaces. Every piece collected helps to tell a story…our story.
What does your “home’s story” tell?
~Until Next Time~
In conclusion to my thrifted spring decor post, I will bid you ado with a well wish for a happy spring! I hope you enjoy and revel in the simple, beautiful moments that surround our word during the lovely season of spring. I would love for you to join me again soon as I seek to make ordinary things lovely.
Please subscribe to my blog- so you stay up to date on any new happenings. Also, if you have not checked out my Facebook and Pinterest pages- do! These pages are filled with more ideas and inspirations.
I hope to see you all again soon.
Until then…
~Elizabeth~
