The Second Hand Home Challenge – Christmas Edition

Posted in Home, Second Hand Shopping.

Earlier this year, I set myself a challenge. I’d just moved house and decided to furnish my new place with second hand pieces wherever possible. I did quite well, picking up all manner of thrifted treasures on my car boot and charity shop jaunts – you can see my updates here, here, here, here and here.

Unfortunately, the once-empty house is now rather full of stuff and so the challenge has been on hold for the last few months. Well, it was on hold… until Christmas called for a spot of second hand shopping!

Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

My tree decorations are a mix of charity shop and eBay finds. The hand painted baubles and birds came all the way from India – 15 pieces snapped up for £15 after a frenzied bidding session last year. And just the other week, I found four handmade baubles in a charity shop for 25p each. I’ve never been one for minimalism and love the slightly mismatched, haphazard nature of a mix of decorations.

Photobucket Photobucket

I love Christmas traditions, and collecting decorations is one of my favourites. Last Christmas I went to London with the girls and picked up this spangly Harrods bauble, then in November Rob and I were in the city, so I bought Angus the moose from Liberty. Hopefully I can continue to build my collection over the years!

Photobucket Photobucket

This gorgeous Holly wreath is from The Perfumed Garden in Chapel Allerton. The shop only opened a few weeks ago but I’m already a regular customer – I love their fresh flowers and pretty arrangements.

Photobucket

I’m a bit rubbish at wrapping presents – I always plan to buy brown parcel paper and decorate it with my own handmade stamps, stick it with patterned tape and tie it up with home-dyed string, but the reality is a roll of M&S paper, sellotape (and one year, duct tape) and a cheap plastic bow. This year I’m a little more organised – I bought these brown luggage tags on eBay to use as gift tags and think they add a nice ‘home made’ touch to presents.

Photobucket

I’m not particularly good at Christmas crafts. I won’t be making my own Christmas pudding or cooking a dinner for 10. I’m hopeless with cards and always spend more than the requisite £5 on my Secret Santa gift. But I do have an eye for a second hand bargain, and I’m pretty pleased with the Christmas edition of the Second Hand Home Challenge.

Have you bought any second hand bits for your Christmas celebrations? What does your tree look like?

20 Comments

Dinx

A lot of my Christmas tree’s decoration and bobbly bits are second hand and still just a lovely =D I love your wreath AND the colour of your door! You live at number 16? muahaha let the stalking begin…(i kid)

Dinx @ Lovely in Random xoxo

Reply
Harriet

Your handmade decorations and gifttags are gorgeous! I am totally unhandmade this year – everything is courtesy amazon, and in a particularly bad show I haven’t even gotten around to sending any christmas cards yet!

Reply
Polly

I love the baubles and birds! So unique and interesting. I like to have handmade decorations or ones with a bit of a story to them.

Reply
Sophie

I always think mix-matched traditional trees always look the best. I love the liberty decoration.
I don’t have my own home yet but I have picked up some cute little vintage wooden decorations for my tree for when I do move out! Only £1.50 for about 30, bargain!
Sophie
x

Reply
confusedbrit

Everything looks so lovely! I have to say that I am much more a fan of trees that are full of mis-matched but well loved decorations….but then I grew up having a very put-together family tree and other such decorations, so maybe that explains my love for the ecletic crimbo decs!

I adore that moose…so cute!

Reply
taffetaramblings

love your ornaments especially the hand painted baubles. I love Christmas & like to collect ornaments from places that I visit before Christmas so that there is always a tale to every decoration. xxx

Reply
English-Exile

Hey,

I just started following – blogging novice! What a great idea.. I’ve only just ventured into second hand clothes but maybe I will go forward to home decorating in time!
Look forward to following you…

H x

Reply
amazon discount codes

One Word Awesome! Each and Every Thing is Superb for Christmas Eve! It Does Not Matter That accessories are brand new or second hand! The Thing matter is how did you utilize this resource for batter decorations!

Reply
Alice

Oh Jen! I love this Christmas edition, you know if I could I would so steal some of your decorations! The hand painted and handmade baubles are a real treat for the eye. I don’t think I’ve ever stumbled upon any second-hand tree decorations, I guess it’s quite a sought after affair but I sure bet boot sales are a good place to start, especially in the summer months when everybody is wanting sunhats not Santa! I may just have to make it my mission to track some down next year xxx

Reply
Chloe Likes To Talk

Our tree is a bit of an eclectic mix because everything, excepting a set of 12 ancient tiny wooden figures, is a collected piece from places we’ve visited or things we’ve done. It’s our only concession to Christmas decor, and I like that it’s personal.

With wrapping- I didn’t have time to decorate brown parcel paper, but I did buy the fair standard ribbons in gold and maroon to use with it, and I think it’s just as pretty as if I’d stamped or decorated the paper itself. I used luggage tags too, really like the simplicity of it all.

Reply

Leave a comment