Category: Shop

Here are two really great gifts you can make from Goodwill® finds. The candy dish is a sweet and easy project that can be assembled in a few minutes. The book gift is a little more involved, but is a nice, romantic surprise for a special sweetheart. Either way, that special someone will love these thoughtful Valentine's presents, and your purchases will help Goodwill create jobs for people in your local community -- a doubly sweet deal!

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Vintage clothing can be an excellent way to express your creativity and individuality -- even within the confines of your 9-to-5 job. Goodwill® is and always will be an excellent source to get these items inexpensively, due in part to their entrepreneurial business model of collecting and selling donated goods in its more than 2,800 stores and its auction site, shopgoodwill.com. To add a little vintage spice to your workplace wardrobe, consider these tips.

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Goodwill®, a leading social service enterprise and one of the nation’s most valuable and recognized nonprofit brands, has a huge selection of vinyl for you to choose from. There are a lot of really cheesy ballads out there so consider the following projects to give your records a bit of an upgrade.

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With the coming of the new year many of us like to reflect upon the previous year and resolve to do better in the next: lose some weight, quit smoking, save more, and do more for those less fortunate. How about considering Goodwill® in your New Year's resolutions? Goodwill generates opportunities for people to achieve economic stability and build strong families and vibrant communities by offering job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others who face challenges to finding employmen

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It’s hard to live in DC right now without constantly noticing all of the inaugural preparations going on. The city is buzzing with an influx of political tourists, the streets are lined with patriotically decorated store windows, and of course tons of temporary stores and booths are popping up to sell us all kitschy political souvenirs. Now I don’t like to mix pleasure and politics, but since my city is DC and my pleasure is thrift stores, I couldn’t help myself. Seeing all of these t-shirts and bobbleheads being plucked up brought back a flood of memories of all the political swag that I saw in thrift stores across the country during the great RV trip in 2011.

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It’s hard to live in DC right now without constantly noticing all of the inaugural preparations going on. The city is buzzing with an influx of political tourists, the streets are lined with patriotically decorated store windows, and of course tons of temporary stores and booths are popping up to sell us all kitschy political souvenirs. Now I don’t like to mix pleasure and politics, but since my city is DC and my pleasure is thrift stores, I couldn’t help myself. Seeing all of these t-shirts and bobbleheads being plucked up brought back a flood of memories of all the political swag that I saw in thrift stores across the country during the great RV trip in 2011.

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When I started thrifting, I was immediately drawn to the coats. The Goodwill® store that I frequented had a massive coat display, with everything from fur to leather to wool. The modern coats being sold in department stores really had lacked in quality, at least the ones I could afford, but here the coats were actually warm, made with real wool (not some synthetic fiber), and had all the style and originality -- maybe even a little more elevated! -- than what I was finding elsewhere.

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My Melmac plates and bowls get plenty of use, but I have stacks of adorable teacups that we constantly pass up in favor of sturdy mugs. It’s about time to start thinking creatively about how to put them to work, but my imagination wasn’t jump-started until I went over to my friend’s house and saw a holiday project she had been working on - turning teacups into candles!

READ MORE from DIY: Three Easy Craft Projects for Old Teacups

As you’ve probably learned by now, Christmas can get pricey – and quick. I’d be lying if I said I got everything under my tree this year at thrift stores, but I definitely tried hard to get as much as I could there. And while it’s easy to rush to the biggest box store and mindlessly fill a cart with stuff shipped here from thousands of miles away, thrifting for loved ones involves a little more patience, a little more time – but definitely not as much money or waste. When you buy a perfect something for someone special at a Goodwill, you’re really doing a world of good. Soon we’ll all watch loved ones unwrap their treasures. And when they hold it up and gush about how much they love it, tell them proudly where you got it!

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If there is one type of garment that thrift stores like Goodwill® have an abundance of, it would have to be the sweater. Chunky knit sweaters are a playful way to keep warm in the winter, and thrift stores have everything from designer versions to handmade looks from grandma’s knitting needle. Re-fashioning a thrifted knit sweater takes a little creativity, but the result can be a unique look with a nod to the whimsy.

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It's the time of the year when holiday sweaters start coming out! Goodwill® is the best place to find these fabulous personalities, whether you're going to a sweater party or you're just brave enough to don a highly decorated pullover as everyday wear. But here's something else you could do with a holiday sweater - make yourself a stocking!

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Because we have already created buzz around Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, why not fill in the only day after Thanksgiving that’s been sadly overlooked in the moniker department? That’s why right here, today, before all of my blogosphere witnesses, I propose Second Chance Sunday--when everyone goes to Goodwill and finds the most awesome gifts ever.

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