50 Trash to Treasure Makeovers That Will Inspire Your Thrifty Heart (before and afters)

Inspire your thrifty creative ideas with the before and after makeovers of these salvaged finds. Trash to Treasure Makeovers for your DIY Thrifty Heart

When you’re a creative do-it-yourselfer, it sometimes feels like you’re not really getting anything accomplished. Life feels like an endless hamster wheel of creative projects, one after the other. Whether you’re working on your home, furniture pieces, or smaller projects, it’s good to look back and see what you’ve gotten done. Today in 50 Trash to Treasure Makeovers That Will Inspire Your Thrifty Heart (before and afters), I’m sharing where a couple years of junk landed, and how I revived it!

50 Trash to Treasure Makeovers That Will Inspire Your Thrifty Heart (before and afters)

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What is Curbside Junking?

In my area, several cities have special curbside waste disposal days. They’re usually a weekend in April or May. It’s an opportunity for residents to place unwanted items on their front curb. A couple cities do this each year, some have switched to every other year. Check city websites for curbside waste removal days if you want to find out more.

I have been treasure hunting like this for 20+ years. I find so many fun vintage items I can revive and repurpose (for free). I always have a stash of “potential” waiting for a creative touch. If you want in-real-life action, check out my “Junk Hunt” highlights bubble on my Instagram, HERE. Or read the curbside junking blog posts I’ve written over the years.

Let’s look at some “loot shoot” pics and see where the junk landed, and how it got revived!

Loot Shoot: Junk Before and After Makeovers

April 2024 was a good junk season. I went out several days to treasure hunt. They assign different neighborhoods pick up days when the trucks come. I hunt the day before when people are pulling the piles out of their garages. It’s all about timing. Other pickers are driving the streets, too. Metal scrappers have huge long trailers where they quickly scoop up anything metal and throw it onto the towering piles. I do bring cash just in case they’ve got a vintage score on top that I can’t bear losing.

• Antique wooden chair got it’s spindles glued and clamped back together. Chair seat got a new vintage coffee bean bulap look. It sits in our back entry.
• Yellow and green metal cabinet got scrubbed and polyed. It’s in my office/studio and is filled with off season vintage pottery and fabric trims.
• Military yard longs have been used in several seasonal displays. Love using them for the Patriotic holidays and also in the Fall, with their sepia tones.
• Divided caddy was polyed and used with blue ball jars on the porch table for garden flowers.
• Divided crate was polyed and has been used in several seasonal kitchen displays. Love putting smalls in all those cubbies.
• Spice jars were also displayed in the crate for Fall.
• Milk glass is a classic collection that I use all over the house for many seasons.
• The curved glass piece is still waiting in the garage for it’s home. Hoping Happy Girl may have a spot for it in her “new” home. It needs a little revival including shelves and maybe wallpaper on the back.

Trash to Treasure

Some junking days are better than others. Sometimes I find great stuff right away. Other days I look for hours and just pick up a couple items. Then I’ll come across something wonderful and huge and have to re-pack my whole load.

This was definitely a red-finding day!

• The red chrome cart got scrubbed up and is fun to have on the porch in the summer and at Christmas.
• The red bread box got scrubbed and polyed and was used in my summer farm theme kitchen.
• The girl statue fountain that doesn’t work got popped in to the garden.
• The wicker chair is also used as garden art, since it’s pretty rotten. Great chippy paint, though.
• The vintage tree stand will join the rest of my collection.
• The old shutters with red gingham check fabric were used in my summer living room as a backdrop.
• The old foot locker is still waiting for it’s revival in the garage.
• The huge rolls of wool fabrics and clothing were sorted. Happy girl got several cute vintage skirts to wear. The rest of the beautiful old fabrics are in bins in the basement for future projects.
• The skis are used as winter porch decor.
• The mish mosh croquet pieces are upcycled for wreaths and other projects.

Garden Art and Reclaimed Furniture

I find many items that can be plunked in the garden as art, easily and quickly. My favorite finds are always forlorn furniture pieces waiting for a makeover. Seasonal pieces that folks are tired of storing in the Spring are a usual, too.

• This button tufted velvet settee was the perfect find for my daughter’s wedding. I deconstructed some of it and gave it a good cleaning and refresh. It’s been used for two happy brides and grooms so far. I still may sell it, but it’s extra seating in the living room for now.
• The heavy wooden red crate was scrubbed and polyed. I popped a Christmas tree in it last year in our bedroom. The red crate top makes a great photo backdrop. I used it behind my Valentine spool art.
• The vintage patchwork quilt was washed and is one of my favorites to cuddle into; love the old fabrics.
• The pretty cream painted table just went to Happy Girls new house.
• The cream suitcase joined my collection. It got gutted and is waiting to get it’s insides decoupaged.
• The old shopping cart got it’s cool wheels taken off to join my vintage wheel collection. They are used throughout the year in creative displays.
• The dresser drawers and dresser have amazingly cool hardware. It’s still waiting for it’s makeover in the garage.
• Santa gets used on the porch at Christmas.

• This amazing buffet got completely sanded and polyed and got new hardware. It’s at Big Boy’s apartment and I haven’t gotten a pretty “after” shot of it yet. It looks so much better!
• Garden containers went to Happy Girl. The metal chairs got plunked in the garden right away.
• The cute metal/wood ladder is still awaiting it’s new look. It would be fun for plants. The red trimmed suitcase joins another. Love using them for the red themed holidays.
• One of the curbside baskets got tied onto my vintage bike for lavendar.

Favorite Curbside Find

Probably my best curbside find of all time was this pair of mission style oak built ins. I also picked up the red benches and used them as outside seating for the wedding.

The cabinets fit absolutely perfectly on either side of our fireplace. They look like they were built with the house. I sanded and refinished the cabinet bodies and painted the inside white. We left off the glass, so we can enjoy the seasonal displays better.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this trip down curbside junking memory lane! I’m excited to see what I will find this Spring:) I always have a stash of projects waiting for me, but it’s nice to see that I did get some done. Looking back at what you’ve accomplished is always encouraging. Keep creating and bringing new life to old things!

Thanks for reading 50 Trash to Treasure Makeovers That Will Inspire Your Thrifty Heart. If you enjoyed your visit, be sure to Become an Insider so I can send the ideas right to you! You can Sign Up HERE.

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Thrifting with the Gals

My Thrifting with the Gals friends are joining me today. See how Ann, Rachel and Robyn are decorating with their thrifted finds!

Robyn, Robyn’s French Nest, “38 Decor Ideas to Fill Awkward Spaces in a Living Room”

Rachel, The Ponds Farmhouse, “Thrifty Tips for a Story Filled Home: Mix and Match Like a Pro”

Ann, Dabbling and Decorating, “How to Shop Estate Sales for Antiques: Finding Budget Wins in a Luxury Home”

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