Here’s one of my favorite finds and what I did with it. I’m also sharing simple ideas for decorating with yard sale finds.

This past week I found something that I didn’t even know I was looking for.

Isn’t that the best thing about yard saling?

You leave the house with your dreams and hopes and expectations and a $10 bill.

And truth? Sometimes it’s lame.

Sometimes all those hand-lettered poster board signs lead to nowhere.

But sometimes on a Saturday when the sun is shining and you discover a treasure trove of giant $1 baskets and stacks of vintage books and the cutest herb planters and something so amazing and incredible that it makes you want to pull out dance moves from a Go-go’s song.

Something like this.

Can you guess what it is?

Can you guess it was used for?

But more importantly?

WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE WHAT I DID WITH IT.

(Total aside? I filmed my entire yard sale haul here if you want to see the rest of what I found.)

Here’s the entire piece so you can see it better.

It’s a vintage planter.

I think it probably hung from a hook in the ceiling in someone’s front porch and spent years listening to gossip and sipping sweet tea.

It’s chippy and vintage and worn with the cutest little white rope loop at the top.

Some people might buy this and bring it home and hang it on their back porch.

Nope.

Not here at Thistlewood.

I had other ideas.

Here it is in my home.

Can you see it back in the corner?

It’s on the wall in the craft room/office.

I found this hook at Hobby Lobby and spray painted it white and hung the basket organizer from the wall.

And then?

I organized it.

I put markers in one side.

I put pencils in the other.

And scissors in the other side.

And then I hung it on the wall from the hook.

Isn’t it so cute?

It looks like it was meant for scissors and pens and markers all along. Doesn’t it look so happy hanging there? I went to reach for a pair of scissors yesterday and I promise that the planter and I smiled at each other.

I love coming up with projects for yard sale finds. If you have one of these lying around your garage or find something similar at a yard sale?

I came up with a few other ideas for you:

  • you could hang it in the kitchen and fill it with vintage silverplate
  • you could hang it in the bathroom and fill it with bath supplies
  • you could hang it in the pantry and fill it with dishtowels
  • you could hang it in the game room and fill it with cards and small games and dice

The possibilities are literally endless.

It all starts with that hook.

That’s the thing about yard sales.

You NEVER know what’s around the next bend.

Sometimes it’s two Journey t-shirts and a broken down washer and dryer.

And sometimes?

$10 can buy you amazing.

PS If you like this find here are a few others:

My favorite yard sale finds in my kitchen

Wait until you see this yard sale find

My yard sale watch list

What I did with this yard sale find

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Posted On: April 23, 2021

Written By: KariAnne Wood

Comments

  2. Image for Julie Julie

    Can't say I've seen this in all my years of 'garage sailing' and yet, if I do, will think of you! ;) Since I regard myself as the 'spray paint Queen" I know I would have sprayed it some vibrant color........ just this past week there were two small rectangular framed mirrors, sitting on bookcases just waiting for a new look, and they got it viia spray paint. Love the new look and the shelves are smiling back at me too! ha Keep sharing the finds!

    Reply
  4. Image for Robin plummer Robin plummer

    KariAnne, I like your yard sale find and you have great ideas for it's uses! I use to work with a sweet lady that went to weekend yard sales. I told her that working with her was like working with Santa, every Monday morning there would be great and unexpected gifts on our desks that she would find at yard sales for a quarter or fifty cents. Have a lovely week., Robin

    Reply
  7. Image for Dee Dee

    When you buy something at a yard sale, KariAnne do you already know what you are going to do with it, or where you are going to put it? I think the repurposing of this hanging planter was such a clever idea! You always come up with brilliant ideas, I'm amazed always!

    Reply
  9. Image for Kim Kim

    Oh! That's ingenious! I've seen these before and always passed, since I do not have a green thumb. Now you've got me thinking outside the box...and on the yard sale hunt! ;)

    Reply
  12. Image for Kris Kris

    Perfect project in the perfect space! You way outperform me. I recently inherited a basket that you use with a casserole pan and I repurposed it to hold magazines and remotes on my coffee table. Nothing to brag about but I do love how much more tidy everything looks.

    Reply
  14. Image for Terri Terri

    I read that you collect vintage frogs! I love them as place card holders! So dang cute! I hope that you are feeling better today. I remember when our son went away to college and I felt the same way that you do! But then it came home and it was wonderful! Every visit home was sweeter than the one before! And you get to go visit which is so special! Now my son is a daddy and has been transferred across the country from us talk about heartbreak! But he's still my boy and when we are together it's really special!

    Reply
  18. Image for Lori Lori

    The painted hook makes all the difference. Making it blend into the room but you get that texture from the baskets..score!! You have the most awesome yard sales there. Most we get around my neck of the woods are baby clothes and toys:0( Love kids just want some wicker or some cool artwork.

    Reply
  20. Image for Michele M. Michele M.

    Bravo!!! What a great practical use of that neat basket. Think it'd be pretty cool on a picnic table with tableware too!

    Reply
  25. Image for Jayne Jayne

    I loved this as soon as you showed it to us after you picked it up at the yard sale. I knew you would do something amazing with it! It looks gorgeous in your craft room!

    Reply

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