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See the potential

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Today’s message – look past the dirt and junkiness and find the potential.

I love yard sales and all the treasures they hold.  But as I’m sure you know, most of the treasures start out looking like…well, just a bunch of junk.

Yard sales are the perfect place to really fuel your creativity.  When I see something at a yard sale, I immediately begin thinking about what it could become.

Perhaps it just needs a fresh coat of paint or a good cleaning.  But my favorite finds often end up becoming something totally different from what they were originally intended to be.  The trick is to not just see what something is but what it can become.

 

shop yard sales like a pro see the potential

Here are some of my own favorite transformations.

Retro clocks turned glam mirrors
Vintage hardware turned jewelry
Vintage earring turned hardware
Silver tray turned magnetic chalkboard
Vanity turned nightstands
Broken birdbath turned pedestal table

This is the final week of my yard sale series. I hope you have enjoyed it because I have.  Starting next week, instead of sharing tips I will be sharing all of the fabulousness I have been finding at yard sales myself. (Hopefully!)

So what are your favorite yard sale transformations? Is it easy for you to see the potential in a piece of junk or does it take lots of effort and pinterest searching to come up with a great idea?

Be sure you don’t miss the rest of the series:
Shop Yard Sales Like a Pro
Have a Plan
What I Buy
The Nice Girl’s Guide to Haggling

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8 Comments

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Comments

  1. Our Pinteresting Family says

    May 7, 2012 at 7:26 am

    You have a lot of fantastic ideas!! I love the vanity into nightstands. :) Megan

    Reply
  2. Nelly @ Brown Girl Decorating says

    May 7, 2012 at 11:20 am

    Hi Carrie,

    Thank you for this series. I really enjoyed it. I love to see thrifty and yard sale tranformations. Yours are always inspiring. Too bad we don’t have yard sales or barn sales like in the US. I know I would be bringing lots home with me if I visit there. :)

    Reply
  3. Charlotte says

    May 7, 2012 at 6:13 pm

    I too love to go to yard sales. Check out my finds on my blog.

    Reply
  4. Audrey says

    May 10, 2012 at 8:01 am

    Hi Carrie … Love yard sales too and fun to find stuff to re-purpose. You do a really fine job of that.
    Blessings,
    Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures

    Reply
  5. Jessi @ Practically Functional says

    August 5, 2014 at 12:51 am

    This was a really awesome series, thank you so much for putting it out there! We just bought our first house out in the suburbs, and I am so excited to start yard-saleing! We moved out of a super tiny apartment into a reasonably sized house, so now we need some furniture to fill the place up!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 5, 2014 at 1:58 pm

      Jessi, how exciting to have a new house to make your own! I understand needing furniture for sure. When we bought our first house, we had a bed and dresser and that was pretty much it. Have fun hitting up yard sales – just remember to be patient. Sometimes it takes a little while to find something really great!

      Reply
  6. Jaime says

    May 24, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    One of my recent finds was a black metal plant stand, about 3’ tall, with 4 tiered sections that swing out from each other – brand new for $5! It will make a perfect buffet serving piece with bowls set in the stand in place of plants!

    If you cater or regularly host large gatherings, yard sales are the BEST place to find unique serving items, platters, you name it for CHEAP!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      May 27, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      What a great find and I love your idea for using it! You are so right – yard sales are a fabulous place for finding great serving pieces.

      Reply

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