Although an enjoyable and time-consuming pastime, Millinery can become a pretty pricey and expensive hobby when you begin to look at the expensive list of supplies you need to purchase to make these fabulous headpieces and hats. One of the best ways to build up an impressive stock of millinery supplies is to buy secondhand materials. Everyone understands and acknowledges that reusing and repurposing materials is both environmentally sustainable and economical, so why not score some inexpensive secondary materials that you can utilize for your millinery endeavors?
Garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, and even second-hand thrift shops can be some of the very best places to go when you are going on a second-hand millinery materials treasure hunt. The best thing about it is that you never know what you will find! From the specialists at the millinery academy at Rebecca Share Millinery, here are some specific millinery materials that you should be on the lookout for while second-hand shopping.
Feathers
Some of the most accessible millinery materials that you can find while thrift shopping are feathers. Feathers are often used in home décor pieces, making them readily available for milliners to find and use within their hat-making projects. The best thing about this is that secondary feathers can be bought at a fraction of the regular retail price in arts and crafts department stores.
Hats
While this might seem like a useless piece of equipment or supply that you will need, since you need these supplies to create a hat, second-hand hats can be an incredible way to practice your re-purposing skills. Always be on the lookout for vintage or commercial hats, as you can obtain a load of high-quality materials from the hat itself. Some hats come with high-quality wools and fur felts already attached to them, making it completely easy for you to re-block these pieces into entirely new hats.
Fabrics
While thrift shopping, be sure to keep an eye out for clothing items that are made out of unique and exciting fabrics. You can usually find distinctive patterned satins, wools, and silks when buying thrifted clothing items. Generally, women’s clothing pieces have the most individualistic and distinct patterns that you can efficiently utilize within any hat that you may be working on. However, some men’s scarves and ties can also be incredibly great finds to make your headpiece something unlike any other!
Where To Look For Secondhand Materials:
Finding secondhand materials is a piece of cake when you know where to look. Social media platforms, such as Facebook Marketplace or other listing sites, are an excellent source for finding these items. Don’t forget about stopping into your local thrift store to find some old yet incredibly trendy items that you can include within the design of your handmade hats. Another good way to find thrifted items that you can use in your millinery endeavors is to attend auctions and estate sales. No matter where you explore, you will indeed find something new and fun to incorporate into your headpieces.