How to Shop at a Thrift Store: Shopping for Crafts

Hi everyone! I'm finishing out my "How to Shop at a Thrift Store" with some tips on shopping with the ideas of re-purposing and crafting in mind! Enjoy!

One of my favorite crafting mediums to use are BOOKS. I love using books. The possibilities are endless. I like to use them with origami to make bracelets such as these - 

I also use maps. They come out looking really cool either way.

The thing to keep in mind is to ONLY BUY THE BOOKS THAT ARE IN BAD CONDITION. Bookworms everywhere cringe at the thought of destroying a book. I only use the books that are, torn, water damaged, have pages missing, or are otherwise worthless. I also sometimes use sheet music but under the same conditions. We musicians frown on destroying precious sheet music.

Maps. Again, same conditions as books and sheet music. They're a lot of fun because usually they're really cheap and there's a lot of paper for the price. Sometimes you can even find really cool places. I was really excited when I found two maps of France. (one pictured above)

Thrift stores never have a shortage of glassware. I love etching glass, the product always comes out looking amazing. I always buy my glasses/mugs at the thrift store. That way if it doesn't turn out looking *just right* you won't be out more than about $1.

You may not necessarily think to look for fabric at the thrift store. I actually really like buying it there. The prices are a FRACTION of the cost at the fabric store. I always wash the fabric when I get it home, sometimes it's dusty or has a musty odor.

As a knitter, I'm always on the lookout for new knitting needles. I've found some cool vintage needles at the thrift store. I like the vintage metal needles. I've also seen crochet hooks for all you crocheters out there.

And this wraps up my "How to Shop at the Thrift Store" series! I had a ton of fun sharing these tips with you and I hope it helped you a lot. One of my favorite things to do is shop at the thrift store, and maybe I inspired some of you to try your hand at thrifting as well. If YOU ever find something cool at the thrift store, tell us about it in the comments! We'd love to hear about it and be jealous of your awesome finds. Have a great weekend!
-Caitlin