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Brilliant Finds: Thrifting Minneapolis for the Best Budget Summer Decor

By Rachel

published 06/26/2025

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Score stylish and brilliant finds for any space! Join me on an adventure thrifting Minneapolis for the best budget summer decor.

Imagine your home bathed in a dreamy, warm summer light while, at the same time, effortlessly styled with one-of-a-kind decor pieces that tell a story. I’m here to tell you that, through the use of thrifted finds, your home can totally feel like a magical storybook but on a budget. That’s the magic of thrifting Minneapolis for the best thrifty summer decor! This in-depth guide will dive into how to score beautiful summer finds from thrift stores and give tips on styling it all with ease.

Thrifted Home Decor for Summertime

I’ve lived in the beautiful state of Minnesota my entire life…that’s 38 years! Over time, I’ve gotten to know, and explore, the vibrant secondhand scene in and around the Minneapolis metro area.

Table of Contents

No matter the season, Minneapolis is a treasure trove for sustainable and stylish decor finds. This post will show you how to unearth them as well as give some advice on why to thrift locally, what to look for, expert thrifting tips, and inspiration for summer home styling .

So, if you’re ready, grab a water and some re-useable shopping bags and let’s go on a thrifting adventure in Minneapolis!

Thrifted Goodies Volume 36- Brilliant Finds: Thrifting Minneapolis for the Best Budget Summer Decor

Hello, guys!

Welcome, or welcome back, to the blog and to the next installment in the ‘Thrifted Goodies’ series! If you are new around here, welcome!

This is a monthly series where my friend MaryJo from the blog Master’pieces’ of my Life and I share thrift hauls, thrifting tips, and general thrift shopping advice. Sometimes we invite other blogger friends to join us for triple the thrifting! This month, we are so excited to have Carol from Bluesky at Home get in on the thrifty fun.

MasterPieces of My Life

My partner in this series, MaryJo, is sharing a super neat up-cycle project. She found old cookie tins and turned them into a faux cake!! How fun is that?!

After you are done here, head over to her post and say hello! You may find just the thing you are looking for.

MasterPieces of My Life Social Channels:

Carol from Bluesky at Home

As I mentioned, Carol is our guest this month. She is sharing yet another super fun up-cycle project on how to update a vintage stool! So elegant looking! Be sure to hop over to read her post once you are done here.

Bluesky at Home Social Channels:

Shop Favorite Vintage Summer Decor

What is Thrifting, Anyways?

In my eyes, thrifting is the act of sourcing, or purchasing, used goods from places such as thrift shops or antique stores. This method of shopping also helps one to stay on budget because items bought secondhand are priced much lower than brand new items.

Thrifting has, in recent years, become a popular way to shop due to its sustainable and budget-friendly ideals.

What are thrifted items?

Thrifted items are goods that are found secondhand including, but not limited to, home decor, clothing, household products, art and craft supplies, or furniture.

What does it mean if something is thrifted?

If something is thrifted, it means that it was purchased used from someplace like a thrift store, antique shop, garage sale, estate sale, or flea market.

Brilliant Finds: Thrifting Minneapolis for the Best Budget Summer Decor

How to find the good stuff while thrifting? Stuck on how to best navigate all of the options in a new city or town? Confused on when and where to go? No fear…I’ve got you!

Tips for a Successful Thrifting Adventure in Minneapolis (or any city!)

Before we dive in, let’s quickly chat about some helpful tips for having success while thrifting. These will hopefully enable you to find the things you are looking for!

Best Days & Times to Thrift
- Generally, and speaking from experience, weekdays or early mornings are the best times to thrift after new stock has just been put out. I try not to go on the weekends simply because it’s too busy.
What to Look For (Quality Check)
- When thrifting, inspect each item for chips, cracks, wobbles, or any strong odors. Then, make a decision accordingly.
- With furniture especially, always check for structural integrity. Be sure that the piece you are buying is functional or, if it’s not functional for it’s intended purpose, see if there is a different way that it can be used.
Cleaning Your Finds
- Upon arriving home after thrifting, always be sure to wash and sanitize your finds thoroughly. You don’t know where those things have been before you!
Transportation Tips
- On days when you are going to multiple stores, I recommend bringing a handful of re-useable shopping bags to keep all of your finds safe.

Why Thrifting Minneapolis is Your Summer Decor Secret Weapon

Never been up here to the Northland before? Well, what are you waiting for?!

Minnesota gets a bad rap much of the time and I’m not sure why…it truly is the land of 10,000 lakes with miles of beautiful wooded landscapes, sandy shores, and some of the best antiquing and/or thrifting that I know of. Summer and fall are my favorite times of the year here so, if you are considering a long weekend away, I highly recommend that window. And, if you do find yourself in my beloved state, let me know…I’d LOVE to show you around and bring you to my favorite thrifty haunts.

Here are a few reasons as to why I love thrifting in my state:

Unique Finds

My local thrift stores, unlike chain retailers, offer one-of-a-kind decor items that contain so much character. It’s a true joy to discover a special thing that no one else has. This thrill of the hunt is what keeps me coming back again and again!

Affordable Summer Style

Did I ever mention that thrifting is affordable?! The cost savings that come with buying items secondhand is crazy. These cheap prices, on quality pieces, allow us all to refresh our homes for so much less!

And, trust me when I say that having a tight budget doesn’t mean compromising on style…most of the time I feel that my home looks better when decorated with thrifted finds over new!

Sustainable Shopping

When shopping secondhand, these eco-friendly decor choices help to reduce waste and supports a circular economy. Thrifting is a conscious and responsible method for anything, but especially when it comes to decorating.

Supporting Local

When shopping at local thrift stores and vintage shops, you are not only supporting small businesses, but charities and your community, as well. That’s something to be proud of! You can find a list of some of my favorite thrift stores and vintage shops in this post.

BUY MY THRIFTING T-SHIRT HERE!

Thrift Haul: What I Thrifted and How I Styled My Finds for Vintage Summer Decorating

Okay! With all that knowledge in your back pocket, let’s get into this month’s thrift haul!

I’ve found some super adorable vintage decor that I am using for summer. And, because vintage decor is so versatile, a few of the finds I’ll be able to use year round!

1. Vintage Strawberry Hanky

First up is the most adorable hanky I’ve ever seen. I found this for just $2.00 at one of my favorite antique shops and knew it would be perfect to use for summer. Just look at the cute little hand-stitched strawberries!

I styled the hanky inside my hutch for the season, alongside a handful of other vintage finds including enamelware, blue and white china, and some ironstone.

2. Milk Glass Bowl

You guys. I’ve NEVER, in all my years of thrifting, come across a milk glass bowl like this one!! I found it at my local thrift store for only $3.00, just sitting on a shelf waiting for me 🙂

It is incredibly heavy and has a diamond pattern around the outside.

For the summer season, I styled it into a vignette in the hall bath using a vintage book and a few vintage vessels. I truly adore the little pedestal feet on the bottom!

Do any of you know what the little indents around the rim are for? Did this once have a lid or is it used to hold something? If you know, leave me a comment…I would love to learn!

3. Yellow Floral Linens

Next up is this adorable pair of yellow floral linens. I eyed these from across the store, hanging by the towels. I can’t even with the yellow gingham around the edges…aren’t they just darling?! And, they were only .99 cents each!

These linens helped inspire my mantel display this season, too, which is where I have them styled. The adorable embroidered flowers help to tie the yellow theme together.

It makes me giddy each and every time I find decor for such an inexpensive price, bring it home, and figure out what to do with it. It’s like a game…I try and push myself to style thrifted items in different ways each season. Decorating in this way has taught me a ton!

4. Milk Glass Vase

What do we have here? More milk glass? Why yes, yes we do 🙂

This is the third real milk glass vase I’ve found at my local thrift store in the past three months and I’m not mad about it. The shape around the base of this one really caught my eye…I believe it’s called a ‘bee hive’ vase made by the Randall company.

For just $2.00, this pretty vase makes a lovely addition to the shelf in my living room.

For summer, I love pairing yellow with my milk glass collection, whether it be yellow florals, yellow ribbon, or vintage yellow thread. That color combination is so cheery and brings all the summer vibes to my small house!

5. Vintage Ironstone Tureen

And, finally, the last find for this haul is an amazing ironstone tureen(sans lid). I found this at my favorite thrift shop a few weeks ago for just $4.00!

Would I prefer my tureen’s to have lids? Well, yes, because whole vintage ironstone tureens are just gorgeous. BUT! I’m totally okay buying them without lids too, especially when they have pretty handles like this one does.

For the summer season, I styled my newly found tureen on a wall shelf that we have in our shared office. These two shelves are a conglomeration of my thrift finds and some of hubby’s nostalgic wares.

I thought that a string of wooden beads looked pleasing inside the tureen. To complete the look, and to tie this shelf in with the living room, I tied a lace ribbon on the handle.

Closing Tidbits on Brilliant Finds: Thrifting Minneapolis for the Best Budget Summer Decor

With that, this wraps up this month’s Thrifted Goodies and my most recent haul. It’s so fun for me to be able to share my finds with you and I truly hope that you find inspiration for infusing your home with unique, thrifted character.

Thrifting Minneapolis offers exciting, budget-friendly, and sustainable ways to decorate any space for the summer season. The thrill of the hunt is what it’s all about and this city has much to provide when it comes to thrift shopping. If you’ve ever been to any thrift stores or antique shops in the Minneapolis area, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Be encouraged to create a summer home that reflects your own special style, embracing sustainable living along the way.

Leave me a comment! Do you like to style your home with thrifted finds for summer? I love hearing from you!

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If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!