15 Trash To Treasure Free Decor Finds: Dumpster Diving For Chic Style

Discover how to achieve stunningly chic home decor without spending a dime! These 15 incredible trash-to-treasure finds prove that resourceful sourcing – from roadside finds and a little dumpster diving to digging through old trash piles – can truly pay off. Get ready to see 15 of my very own free decor finds and how I’ve incorporated them into my farmhouse style. Let’s get started!

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Roadside Finds

Trash day can be a treasure hunt if you are willing to go. When we are at the beach, we walk most days and occasionally find goodies left for the trash collector. One day I saw this wooden ice cream churn by the roadside and quickly grabbed it. It was lightweight enough to carry home, skipping all the way. A little dry brush of white paint was all it needed to turn it into a unique vessel for seasonal flowers and plants.

Another day of walking resulted in these free large planters. With a quick DIY technique, they were transformed into faux concrete planters. See Amazing DIY Concrete Planters from Upcycled Freebies for all the details.

We also found a stack of concrete pavers along the roadside for free. A quick trip back for the car, and we had enough pavers to lay a pad for our outdoor storage container at the beach cottage.

Our pantry door was originally an old screen door left on the roadside for the taking. A friend transformed it with a chalkboard and tin, and our builder installed it in our new home for a unique pantry door. It still has it’s original chippy layers of paint colors and is a focal point of our kitchen.

Free Thrift Store Finds

It’s rare, but I had the good luck of finding a free table at our Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The best deal was this adorable free vintage chandelier. It was missing some crystals, but fortunately, I had a few to replace them with. The rustic charm is just what the greenhouse corner desk needed.

And although not 100% free, this lamp was also at the ReStore on an everything-only $1.00 table. With just a little time and a few napkins, it was transformed into a treasured lamp. To see the full transformation, go to How To Make A Distressed Napkin Decoupage Lamp and read the tutorial.

Trash Pile Finds

We live in the woods and have stumbled across several old trash piles when we hike. One day, I noticed this bluish tint in the woods and, upon investigation, found this rusted-out galvanized tub. To my husband’s horror, I carried it home with me. As you can see, it fits perfectly around the wooden post that holds an old bell (or, as I like to call it, my doorbell). Once it was filled with flowers, you could not tell the bottom was missing.

Old Bottles From Trash Piles

It all began many years ago. My father-in-law was a land surveyor, and on his ventures into wooded areas, he would run across old trash piles. Invariably, those trash piles would have old bottles, which he would bring home. My husband still loves to rummage through piles we sometimes find while hiking the wooded areas around our home.

Free Amber and Green Bottles

Many of my amber bottles were inherited from my father-in-law. However, we have added to the collection with our own digging. Almost all the green bottles are ones we have found locally. They make great decorations by grouping several on shelves and other vignettes. I use several of the green bottles year-round in the greenhouse. See more inspiration at 15 Rustic Decor Ideas With Amber Bottles.

Vintage Soda Bottles

We have found many old soda bottles, as well as amber and green bottles. I have a vintage Coca-Cola crate filled with the bottles, and I have used it several times to create a centerpiece on our outdoor bar. These more valuable antique bottles are displayed in a vintage grain scoop, where I also add seasonal flowers.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Sometimes it pays to ask. When I saw this old bed frame rusting away in the woods and two old galvanized tubs sitting next to it, I asked if I could have them. “Sure, but I don’t know why you’d want them, the bed is rusted and the tubs have holes in the bottom”. Oh, that’s no problem, I said, and home with me they came.

I painted the bedframe and created a raised bed to plant flowers. I call it my flower bed. LOL.

The two tubs hold pots of flowers or greenery that I change out seasonally on my front porch. The rusted bottom is no problem, because I leave the flowers in the pot to move them easily.

Free Antique Appliances

Before we married, Brad and I told my aunt that we loved antiques and would love to have an old wood cookstove for our new country-style home. She said she still had her first stove in an old shed, and we could have it. We dragged it out, painted it, and enjoyed decorating with it in our first home. Years later, and many moves, it resides in our outdoor kitchen.

After we created the outdoor kitchen, Brad mentioned to some family members that we’d like an old refrigerator for airtight storage in the outdoor space. A few weeks later, we were offered this refrigerator for free if we came and took it away. The rusted white exterior was updated with a vintage green paint color, and we plugged it in. It was a pleasant surprise that after 70-some years, it still works like a charm.

To see more details about the outdoor kitchen, read DIY Outdoor Kitchen – Incredible Before & After Transformation.

Another lucky find was this large 8-foot work table. It was in my dad’s old shop, and after seeing the damaged top, no one wanted it. However, upon further inspection, the old top hid a solid wood undamaged top underneath. Fortunately, the family agreed I could have it, and it was the perfect addition to our new greenhouse.

Free Antique Doors

Probably one of the most amazing free offers was these antique doors. While we were building our farmhouse, I mentioned to our grading contractor that we were using some old doors inside the house. He said, “I have several that you can have. I saved them from an 1800s old house being demolished, and have never found a use for them”. My building contractor loaded up his truck and installed them in our new home.

Dumpster Diving

We’re not too proud to occasionally pull wood pallets and other scrap wood from construction dumpsters. Last year, we found this unusual-shaped pallet in one such dumpster and carried it home. After discussing many options for transformation, we decided to turn it into a wall storage shelf in our guest cottage. By adding a few scrap lumber shelves, the wall shelf can hold hair products, makeup, toothpaste, and other bathroom necessities.

Be sure to click each link before seeing what everyone has been up to this month.

Ann – Thrift Store Finds Vintage Styling / Lora – Brilliant Ways To Decorate With Divided Crates

Robyn – 15 Ways To Get Out Of A Decorating Rut / Anna – Collecting Vintage French Cafe Bowls