If you’re looking for a second-hand dining table for Christmas, or any type of furniture for your home, the most important thing to do is know exactly what you’re after. Know the dimensions, style and your price point before you start your hunt. And keep in mind, the dimensions aren’t just the space in your dining room but the space you have to transport something in your car.

There are some great places to pick-up second-hand furniture including local auctions, charity shops, ebay, and facebook marketplace, all of which will give you some great pieces at bargain prices and a lick of paint and new finish can really change their overall look and bring them more inline with your own style and décor.

I picked up this Ercol dining table from a local auction for the bargain price of £7.50 and that included 4 chairs and a dresser. Even if I was just after a table to sit extended family on Christmas day this table would have worked perfectly with a good clean, tablecloth and some styling. I decide to give it a little facelift by removing the dark finish, painting the legs and revarnishing the tabletop to reveal the beautiful wood so it suits our home better and will be used well beyond Christmas.

Upcycling was the easy part for me, table scaping however is a whole other ball game. But, again, I decided to go along the recycle, reuse line and went on the hunt for simple pieces I could use on our table to add a little touch of glamour for Christmas day.

I am a lover of vintage glass so I hit my local charity shops with my eyes peeled and the hopes of finding a few pieces of glassware that could add a little something. Luckily for me, I only need to go to the one shop which had an abundance of second-hand home accessories. I managed to get my hands on two colours champagne glasses and 2 liquor decanters for £12. After a thorough clean when we got home, the addition of some foraged thistles and twinkly lights, my Christmas dining table is now set and ready to be enjoyed.

Top Tips for second hand finds

• Know what you’re looking for. Second hand and charity shopping can end up being an Aladdin’s cave, it pays to have a rough idea of what you’re after

• Don’t be put off by colours of furniture. Colours can easily be changed and if you have a tough time imagining things in different colours take a quick picture on your phone and colour the piece in.

• Never be afraid to walk away. This really applies to things you may have found via facebook marketplace, if you get to see something and its not what you expected walk away, its worth holding out for the perfect find.

While it can b great for our pockets buying second hand its also great for the environment, buying a second hand dining table can save on average 460kg of CO2 emissions*

* How much carbon emissions are saved when buying second-hand furniture | Antiques Trade Gazette

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