Celebrating Our Fourth Anniversary at Thriftworks!

In case you haven’t heard yet, IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY! ThriftWorks! is turning four years old this month. To celebrate our anniversary, we’re reflecting on how ThriftWorks! contributes to the community.

Employment Opportunities

ThriftWorks! works with our parent company, WACOSA, to fill staffing needs. WACOSA’s mission is to provide adults with disabilities the opportunity to work and live in their community, but they go far beyond this. WACOSA provides employment services, training opportunities for social skills, and resources to encourage an independent lifestyle for people with disabilities. We wholeheartedly believe in this service and incorporate members of the WACOSA program into our staff. They do amazing work and always bring smiles to the workplace.

Promoting Creativity

Thrifting is all about seeing the potential of an item, not it’s current state of being. We believe in promoting the creative spirit of DIYers who take on crafting projects or thrifting fashion. We encourage this creativity by providing the materials at affordable prices, as well as ideas to get you started. From our Pinterest Boards to our Blogs, creativity is always in the works.

Reducing Landfill Waste

We are proud to offer the opportunity for people to recycle gently used clothes or household items. By doing so we hope to reduce the amount of waste that sits in our landfills and provide another individual the chance to reuse an item. This means that when you buy an item from our store, you are shopping green. We continually strive to make a positive impact on our environment!

Volunteering Opportunities

In addition to our employees, we also have many volunteers that make our work possible. Volunteers at ThriftWorks! assist staff members and clients with sorting and pricing merchandise, store stocking, and donation drop-off. They also contribute to pleasant customer experiences. If you would like to become a volunteer, find out more by checking out the volunteer page on our website.

Thank you to our loyal donors and shoppers for supporting ThriftWorks! Our work would not be possible without our community. With your support we have had over 30 individuals with disabilities go through our retail training program at ThriftWorks!

To continue our birthday celebration, we will be having an in-store drawing for a $100.00 Visa gift card. Stop in daily throughout the month of May to enter for your chance to win.

Using the Concept of “Hygge” to Combat Minnesota Weather

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish concept that has become all the rage in the U.S. in the last year.

According to The New Yorker, the Danish define the word as “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” Some Danish doctors even recommend “tea and hygge” as a cure for the common cold.

Many blogs and recent books have taken up the craze. One author, Louisa Thomsen Brits, describes Hygge as, “a practical way of creating sanctuary in the middle of very real life … a cure for SAD in book form.”

Minnesotans are all-too familiar with seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) which seems to hit us harder towards the end of winter. Hygge is often imagined as a combatant to a raging snowstorm; a way to hunker down indoors with your loved ones, cozy, dry, and comfortable while the weather whips and whirls outdoors. As we begin to drift from the frigid months of January and February to the chilly-wet month of March, keep in mind that the idea of Hygge can be used to combat sloppy spring days as well.

How To Promote Hygge in Your Home

Gather These Items:

• Candles
• Cozy blankets
• A few good books
• Fuzzy slippers
• Hot drinks and pastries
• Big scarves
• Comfortable clothes
• Friends and loved ones

Hyggehouse.com defines Hygge as a feeling, not a task. A moment that is “cozy, charming, or special.” It’s about creating an atmosphere that is intimate and comfortable and sharing it with friends.

This is where many Americans misunderstand the concept. Celebrating the idea of Hygge doesn’t involve becoming a hermit and never leaving the house. Scandinavians put tremendus value on staying active all year round. The winters of the famously frigid area teach that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Hygge is not binge-watching Netflix in your favorite slippers. It’s not staying indoors all day in your pajamas. Although you can Hygge alone from time to time, it is meant to be shared with loved ones and celebrated as a way to stay connected even in the dreariest times of the season.

Celebrating Hygge means making your home more inviting and comfortable. Add a few cozy blankets or oversized pillows. Light a few candles. Invite some friends over to chat, enjoy a hot beverage, and relax. Hygge is a feeling of warmth and welcome more than an act. A few small changes to your living space may help you get into the idea, but executing it is all up to you.

To help make your home more Hygge-friendly, check ThriftWorks! in Waite Park for supplies; you never know what you’ll find!

Dorm DIY's - Create Your Dream Dorm Room

Decorating your dorm room can be difficult and expensive. After paying for books, tuition, and food, you may not have the money to create your dream dorm room. Want to save big and deck out your dorm with cute decor items? Look no further, here are 5 super cute dorm room DIY projects to spruce up your space.

Vintage Suitcase Nightstand

Go back in time with a DIY vintage suitcase nightstand. It will add class and a bit of nostalgia to your room. Plop it on top of a nightstand with antique legs, or stack a few on top of each other for added storage.

Shoebox Charging Station

Sick of tangled, un-organized cords? Create your own DIY shoebox charging station to organize your cell phone and laptop chargers. Pick out or even decorate a shoebox to your liking. Hide your power strip inside the box and punch holes in the side of the box to thread your power cords through. Label each outlet on the outside with decorative tags or lettering.

Jewelry Holder

Create a shadow box jewelry holder to organize all of your precious jewelry. Add a cute design to the background as well as vintage hooks and you have yourself a beautiful DIY piece for your dorm. (There are tons of DIY jewelry ideas on Pinterest for inspiration!)

Tape Frames

Decorate your wall with some adorable and creative tape picture frames. This is an inexpensive and unique way to frame your photos or add designs to your walls. It also allows for you to get creative and personalize your wall without causing damage that can lose you big bucks off your damage deposit.

Flower Power

Strings of lights are a great way to make your dorm stand out from the rest. For a simple, creative solution, all that is needed are some Christmas lights and cupcake papers. (View the full tutorial here.)

So DIY your dorm with a few of these super cute ideas. You will create your dream dorm and save money doing so! If you are needing supplies to complete these projects, make sure to stop into ThriftWorks! We have all that you are looking for!

Creative Ways to Repurpose Picture Frames

Repurposed picture frames can make for some pretty awesome DIY items and projects. Frames come in different shapes, sizes, and colors to mix and match any potential idea. Many vintage frames have unique textures and carvings on them, which make great decorative pieces that cannot be replicated in any store or found in someone else's decor, making them perfect for a one-of-a-kind piece. Here are 4 creative and inspiring ways you can repurpose a thrifted picture frame!

Frame & Wire Reminder Board

Try this awesome DIY frame and wire reminder board. It is great for hanging inspirational sayings, photos or Post-it reminders on. All you will need is some old picture frames, clothespins, thumbtacks, and wire! You can use individual strands of wire threaded in a pattern (shown in the image) or attach chicken wire to the back of the frame. View the full tutorial here.

Outdoor Decoration

Frames make great outdoor decorative pieces too. Check out this cool tutorial from Better Homes and Gardens about creating a living succulent picture. You can also choose to hang empty frames in trees in your yard; paint them decorative colors or hang around bird feeders for added flair to your yard!

Pincushions

These DIY pincushions are adorable, and would make an awesome addition to your sewing kit! They are easy to make: all you need is a frame, some batting, and a piece of cloth. Keep them in your kit for easy accessibility, or hang them on the wall near your crafting table.

Chalkboard Serving Tray

This serving tray made out of a picture frame from My So Called Green Life would make a great addition to any kitchen. It has a clean, classic look to it, and you can write the name of the dish (or any personalized message) near the food on the board! This would be a great gift for a family member or addition to a surprise breakfast in bed.

As you can see, there are lots of cool things you can do with picture frames, so give some of these tutorials a try! Stop into ThriftWorks! and pick up some vintage picture frames. We have a large selection to choose from that is constantly changing!

Silverware: It's Not Just for Mealtime

When you think of silverware, you traditionally see it as a tool used to cut, lift, sip and eat your food. Well, think again! As it turns out silverware has many other uses. You can make jewelry, towel holders, yard ornaments and more! Silverware makes for a great crafting project because of its stability and bendability. Here are some fantastic ways on how to turn your old silverware into a awe-inspiring piece of artwork:

Silverware Stamping

Did you know that you could stamp silverware? Stamping silverware is a really great way to engrave little sayings into vintage spoons. When finished stamping, the spoons can be bended and made into custom key chains- just be sure you chose real silver, because stainless steel cutlery is too hard and will not give way to the letter stamps.

Custom Jewelry

Remember back in grade school, when you got to make your own custom jewelry out of plastic beads and rope? With a few cutlery materials, (and perhaps the help of Pinterest) take custom jewelry making to a whole other level. Rings, bangles and other silverware inspired jewelry look cute hanging in the shop window, but why pay inflated prices when you can make your own?

Wind Chimes

Another popular cutlery craft is wind chimes. This craft has nearly endless variations; you can add beading, use an old tea pot or other silver object to hang the silverware from, engrave the silverware before hanging them, or bend and shape your silverware before hanging them- let your imagination run free!

There are many, many more DIY creation options (like a vintage spoon ring) for you to try out.  Be sure to stop into ThriftWorks! and we will help you find the perfect materials for your next DIY adventure.