Fall Items to Look For When Thrifting or Estate Sale Shopping

Believe it or not, fall is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to start looking for items to incorporate into your autumnal decorating scheme when you’re out thrift shopping or visiting estate sales. You certainly don’t need to spend much to pick up amazing items that you can use to decorate for the season or while hosting (Thanksgiving will be here before you know it!). Here are some of our top picks.

Woven and Wicker Baskets

Woven and wicker baskets are great to keep an eye out for all year long, but we find that they’re especially fitting to display in the home come autumn. Use them for anything and everything: Place one on the kitchen countertop, line it with a decorative cloth, and use it to house fresh fruit; place another on the front porch and display pine cones inside as simple decor (this would make for a nice centerpiece idea, too!), or simply style one on the coffee table alongside other fall accessories, such as your favorite seasonal candle. 

Woven and wicker baskets are great to keep an eye out for all year long, but we find that they’re especially fitting to display in the home come autumn. Easily source them here.

Plaid Textiles

Fall and plaid just go hand in hand. So if you spot a plaid throw pillow, blanket, or tablecloth, know that you'll definitely be able to put it to use this season. If you’re feeling crafty, keep your eyes peeled for plaid fabric remnants, too, which you can easily transform into beautiful napkins, placemats, or table runners to elevate your tablescapes. 

Candlesticks

In the fall months, there’s nothing more fitting than a collection of mismatched brass candlesticks lining the mantel top. The look is moody yet elegant and will be extra fitting as Halloween approaches (you can achieve a haunted house vibe by weaving some faux spiderwebs around the candlesticks). Plus, as the days get shorter, you’ll enjoy being able to come home and light as many candles as you please while cozying up with your favorite scary movie. 

In the fall months, there’s nothing more fitting than a collection of mismatched brass candlesticks lining the mantel top. Click here to start browsing them.

Faux Leafy Branches

Purchasing real greenery can certainly add up and isn’t a permanent fix. However, if you come across promising faux branches featuring fall colors, you can turn your home into a fall wonderland without having to worry about leaves drying up and falling off. Place these branches into a pretty vase or vessel (another item you can look out for while thrifting!) and you have an instant piece of mantel, coffee table, or dining room decor. 

If you come across promising faux branches featuring fall colors, you can turn your home into a fall wonderland without having to worry about leaves drying up and falling off.

Bakeware

Everyone has a favorite fall recipe that they just can’t wait to whip up. Whether you mark the start of the season by making your nana’s signature pumpkin bread or plan to decorate Halloween cupcakes with the kids, it’s never too early to make sure you have the materials you’ll need on hand. Many preloved cupcake tins, loaf pans, and the like still have plenty of life left in them, and they'll often only run you a couple of dollars secondhand. 

Whether you mark the start of the season by making your nana’s signature pumpkin bread or plan to decorate Halloween cupcakes with the kids, it’s never too early to make sure you have the materials you’ll need on hand. One click away to bid on them here.

Costume Supplies

Maybe you’re an adult who still dresses up every Halloween or are a parent to little ones who are already brainstorming costume ideas. Either way, be sure to see what thrift stores and estate sales have to offer by way of costume supplies. And keep looking beyond the traditional costume section—if your daughter dreams of dressing up as her favorite American Girl doll, for example, you’ll want to search the general clothing section for the perfect skirt, dress, or pair of shoes.

Written by:

Sarah Lyon

August 26, 2024     

Sarah Lyon is a Washington, DC, native living in New York City. As a freelancer, she frequently covers pieces pertaining to interior design, travel, and other lifestyle topics. Her pieces have appeared in outlets including Apartment Therapy, Architectural Digest, MyDomaine, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and more. When she isn't writing, Sarah works with designers to help them style spaces for photo shoots (and can't stop rearranging and redecorating her own apartment, either!). She has a penchant for shopping secondhand and loves giving preloved pieces new life. Sarah’s own spaces have appeared on Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, Houzz, and Washingtonian.com. Her Dupont Circle apartment was featured in both the spring 2019 print edition of Small Space Decorating and the January 2019 print edition of Washingtonian Magazine.

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