13 Thrift Store Finds That'll Make You The Ultimate Host — Without Spending A Fortune

Hosting can be shockingly expensive. Whether you're weighing different outdoor party ideas, planning a nice dinner with some friends, or going all out with a massive event celebrating a family milestone, costs quickly add up. Food, favors, drinks, and decorations can easily leave you with a price tag in the hundreds for even the smallest of celebrations, and that's before you even consider the more permanent items you should have on hand to accommodate guests. Thankfully, that's where thrifting can be a lifesaver.

Unless you're already used to hosting regularly, it's unlikely that you'll have enough of a collection of dishware, glasses, tablecloths, towels, and silverware to pull together a big gathering. Then there are the specialty items that might be necessary for the theme you have in mind. While thrift store items might not be as easy to source as pieces bought new from a store, this is an area where you can massively cut down your expenses. Kitchenware, plates, and hosting gadgets are some of the most common thrift store finds, and if you take the time to slowly build a budget-friendly collection of essential items, you won't be left in the lurch when the next celebration rolls around.

While most people have a handful of wine glasses and a few nicer glasses for cocktails on hand, you realize that you're severely understocked once you start planning a party. Fortunately, glassware like wine glasses, rocks glasses, and martini glasses is easy to find at the thrift. It may take some time and patience to acquire a complete set, but a mismatched look can also be stylish and look intentionally eclectic if you're on a time crunch. Matching or not, glassware is a major upgrade from flimsy and wasteful single-use party cups.

When you're freeing up space in your kitchen, large items that don't get used very often, like serving platters, are often the first things to go. But these platters are incredibly useful when you're hosting. Whether it's a major event where you'll be weaving through the crowd with canapés or a smaller dinner served family style, large plates like this are an essential. Because they're often bulky, however, they're all over thrift stores. Take a peek next time you're shopping, and you'll likely find several options for significantly less than you'd pay for a new piece.

Hosting dinner? Tea? Brunch? You'll need enough plates for everyone, ideally in a matching pattern. The thrift store has you covered. You'll regularly stumble across collections of family china, quirky patterned plates, and sets of simple dishes that are practically indistinguishable from pieces that are brand new. Still, plates are often donated because they're no longer a full set or have some kind of damage, so it might be necessary to go for a mix-and-match approach if you don't have the time or patience to hunt for the rest of the collection.

A typical family can get by without a tablecloth in their linen closet for years, but when it comes time to host, it's nice to give your surfaces an added layer of protection. Sure, you could pick up a cheap plastic tablecloth from the party supply store, but why not spend the same amount on something classier that you can use again and again? The textile section at the thrift store is often chock full of gorgeous tablecloths that are waiting for their time to shine, and, in many cases, they're less than a dollar.

Nothing screams "hostess with the mostest" quite like a welcome cocktail, and unless you're making something incredibly simple, you'll need a bar set. A shaker, bar spoon, strainer, jigger, muddler, and juicer will allow you to make cocktails with ease, and in thrift stores overrun with kitchenware, you'll likely find these items at a discount. As it is with dishes and glassware, however, the likelihood of finding a complete matching set is low. Stick to a common metal to create something that feels cohesive and looks upscale, even if it doesn't match exactly.

You can bring depth and warmth to any room by layering your lighting, and if you're hosting a cozy get-together, this is exactly the kind of touch that will upgrade the vibes. Thrift stores are often full of lamps, and if you want to bypass the potential hassle of rewiring or finding an outlet for them, consider going cord-free by picking up some battery-operated bulbs. Adding extra lamps to your space will help to decrease your reliance on overhead lighting and create that candle-lit ambiance, all without the potential fire hazard of filling a room with open flames.

Pitchers, whether they're made of glass, metal, plastic, or melamine, are an essential for hosting, and having multiple on hand for water, cocktails, juices, or teas can make it easier for guests to refill their glasses throughout your party. Look for durable materials or leak-proof designs if you're planning a rowdy get-together like a child's birthday party or picnic, or thrift more intricate, delicate designs to class up your tablescape for formal events. Once the party's over, you could also repurpose them as stylish vases that are sure to elevate any grocery store bouquet!

Candle holders are a great way to take your table setting from a casual dinner to an elevated gathering, but they can be quite costly to buy new. Thankfully, the thrift store has you covered. It's easy to find crystal, silver, brass, and ceramic candle holders secondhand (often for less than a dollar), and they're reusable for your future gatherings. While you could buy some basic candles to finish off the look, consider trying your hand at DIYing some cute, creative taper candles to fully bring your vision to life.

While the toys and games section of your thrift store likely isn't the first area you'll stop by when searching for hosting essentials, it's worth checking out. Whether you're hosting a party with children or need an icebreaker for mixed company, setting out a few games is a great way to elevate your event. Look for easy, quick games if they won't be the main focus of your party — think Connect Four or Tic-Tac-Toe — and save the more involved Monopoly, Clue, or Scrabble for dedicated game nights.

Cloth napkins instantly elevate a dining experience at a restaurant, and the same is true when it comes to a dinner party hosted at home. It's a minor touch, but it goes a long way in finishing out your tablescape — and you can use them again and again! Napkins are a common thrift find, and you should be able to snag a complete set for a dollar or two. If you're not finding anything you like and you're willing to DIY, however, thrifted pillow cases, tablecloths, and bedsheets can also be turned into napkins with a few stitches.

Yes, you could use a scarf to zhuzh up your party outfit, but we have a more creative use in mind. Layering different textures and materials will help make your tablescape look expensive, and scarves make for a surprisingly fashionable addition. Rather than splashing out on an expensive new runner, consider bunching up a thrifted scarf and running it down the center of your table to add some color and movement. With this approach, you can stick with a simple, neutral tablecloth and swap out scarves to better align with your party's theme and color palette.

Punch bowls aren't the most common find in retail stores nowadays, so if you pull one of these out at your next event, it's sure to be a showstopper. Thankfully, they're fairly easy to stumble upon in secondhand stores, and if you're lucky, you might even be able to find a complete set that includes cups. Of course, these bowls are great for batched cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, but if you're already using pitchers for your drinks, they could also double as a stylish alternative to an ice bucket for chilling canned or bottled drinks.

Whether you're hosting a cocktail, dinner, or birthday party, one of the most important things to consider is seating. Keeping guests comfortable often requires more chairs than you have on hand, especially if you're planning a sit-down meal. Thrift stores are a great resource. Unless you plan to seat guests around one large table, consider creating several seating areas throughout your home or outdoor space to allow everyone to mingle. A couple of low-cost dining chairs (and maybe even a small table or two) will go a long way in creating a functional and fashionable layout.