Tag: upcycling

Gemma’s DIY Christmas Ideas.

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Gemma, our branch manager from Cheadle vintage is on hand with some upcycling and DIY Christmas decoration ideas. Keep scrolling for more!

With the festive season just around the corner, you’ll already see that the high street is sparkling with Christmas lights and decorations. The festive cheer seems to get earlier each year. Soon we’ll be following the lead of high street stores and bringing the Christmas sparkle into our homes.

Decorating your home for Christmas doesn’t need to be expensive. To prove it, I’m going to show you a couple of quick and easy decorations that you can make at home by recycling items you have already.

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Home Is Where The Heart Is by Martina

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So, 2016 has seen me take the biggest step of my adult life so far – buying my own place. After what seemed like a lifetime of searching and stressing, I finally stumbled across my perfect pad. It was love at first sight – through the empty, bland, magnolia rooms; I could envisage my ‘New York City’ style apartment taking over the lower level, and my ‘fit for a princess’ girly haven, taking shape upstairs.

So that all seemed well and good, until my bank account emptied itself almost overnight with deposits, solicitors fees, stamp duty, insurance… I won’t bore you with the never ending list.

The realisation sunk in that I wasn’t about to become Oliver Bonas’s best customer, however after a near diva strop, I soon realised that I could still make it look like I had envisioned.

Charity shops don’t just have hidden clothing treasures, they also have a heap of fabulous home bargains, that I guarantee will give any room that magic sparkle without spending a fortune!

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Fashion DIY by Paloma in Disguise

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With the Pumpkin Spice Latte available again, and frosty mornings well on the way, I thought it was time to recreate one of my favourite summer tops into something a little more autumnal. I have been fully on board with the off-the-shoulder trend all throughout summer so when I spotted this check blue and grey shirt in my local Barnardo’s for £2 I thought it would be the perfect way (after a little fashion DIY) to ensure my cold shoulder obsession can continue when leather jackets, heavy denim and woolly socks are a necessity.

This is a simple fashion DIY which can be completed for less than a fiver which, at a fraction of the cold-shoulder high-street price, is a bloomin’ bargain.

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That 70’s Trend by Thriftstore Apocalypse

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Peace, love and freedom, that my lovelies is the 70s in a nutshell…but what about the fashion?

Now this certainly isn’t a revolution to any of us…that 70s trend has been around for a few seasons now, but my prediction, by glancing through fashion magazines, is it’s not going anywhere, anytime soon! Yay!

Want to know why this is so exciting for us charity shop lovers?!

Barnardo’s is a colloquial treasure chest of 70’s jewels, just waiting to be found.

If there is one way to get a truly vintage outfit, it’s at a place like Barnardo’s. Think of all those forgotten gems just waiting to be found at your local Barnardo’s store!

So what exactly am I looking for when I think 70’s fashion?

In list form…. (Because I’m handy like that!)

Jumpsuits and overalls – Any kind of all-in-one will work a treat, although if you really want to get this trend on point, go for a flared style or look for a large floral print. Even a more plain style of dungaree can be matched with a seventies style turtleneck or floaty blouse to get your retro vibe on!

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Upcycling – From Drab to Fab by Lucy

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Sometimes you find a vintage gem in a charity shop that fits you like a glove, and sometimes you see something that has a lovely pattern, collar, buttons… but it makes you look like a sack of spuds! Don’t despair, here are a few quick fixes to bring a frock up to date.

One of my favourite things to do while away at lunch-time is rummaging through vintage shops to find clothes that might need a little TLC but have the potential to be something really great (warning: this can get addictive!) Buying vintage and second hand clothing is a brilliant way to keep your style unique, but it’s even better if you can take those threads and truly make them your own.

To give you some inspiration, I’ve taken a vintage dress that I picked up in Barnardo’s Macclesfield shop for £8 to show how a few minor changes can make a big difference.

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The Crisis of Stuff

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A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to nab last minute tickets to the first in a series of talks called ‘Eco Sessions’, which were held by retailer, Beyond Retro in conjunction with Magnifeco, the hottest digital source for eco-fashion and sustainable living!

So we headed over to the very cool surroundings of Beyond Retro’s Dalston store to find out just what is going on with shoppers today.

The panel of speakers consisted of the industry’s finest ethical figures, such as Fashion Revolution founder Orsola Castro, Steven Bethell CEO of Beyond Retro and Rebecca Early, design researcher and academic.

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Jade’s Favourite Spring/Summer Trends

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I’m back again writing on The Thrift!!!

Hi guys, it’s Jade here (known as @charitysh0pqueen on Instagram) and I’m here to run you through my favourite Spring/Summer trends of 2016. With crazes such as the nautical trend, the undergarment obsession and 60s fever, I am here to talk about it all…

This blog post includes, how it is possible to stay on trend when on a budget, through the use of charity shops like Barnardo’s, car boots, kilo sales, vintage stores or buying (second-hand) online. You name it; there are many ways of buying cheap, yet ethical clothing, while still retaining quality.

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5 tips for creating a retro brooch collection

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My name’s Susie and I’m so happy to be writing for The Thrift today!  I’ve been writing Second hand susieabout eco-living, making stuff and charity shopping for over 7 years at my blog Second Hand Susie.  I love vegan food, gardening and I’m working on single-handedly bringing home the contents of my local charity shops.

One of my favourite things to collect from charity shops are brooches, here are some top tips to help you create your own collection of lovely thrifted brooches.

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