The Odd Thrift Store Find That Makes The Most Adorable Towel Holder For Your Bathroom

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Animal figurines are the one piece of decor you should never overlook in a thrift store. Spray painting these finds a solid color will help them match your decor, and instantly take them from old fashioned to modern. They are a the perfect random decorative object that can be used when you need to fill one more spot on a tray, mantel, or bookshelf. Paint them to match your Christmas colors to use as holiday decor, use some pastel paint and a flower necklace for spring, or decorate them black with red eyes for some scary Halloween fun. 

While most animal figurines are purely ornamental, a swan can be both decorative and functional. Thrifted swan figurines make a lovely hand towel holder and look great sitting on a bathroom counter. Roll hand towels or wash cloths and place them on the swan's back. The neck and tail will hold them firmly in place. Of course, not all decorative swans will work for this purpose. You should specifically look for 1980s ceramic swans, which, fortunately, are a common item at thrift stores, but unfortunately can't be found on Amazon. 

These '80s ceramic items are usually found in vintage colors like mauve, peach, and country blue. This is good news if you have a vintage bathroom where the tub and tiles remain in tact — you might find a ceramic swan to match your exact bathroom tiles! But for the rest of you with modern facilities, it's best to paint the swan figurine. Coat it gold, silver, or brass to match your fixtures. Use your tile or stylish bathroom paint colors for inspiration.   

Ceramic swans are glazed, which means paint may have a hard time sticking to the surface. To paint ceramics, sand them first, then apply primer, and paint using an enamel like FolkArt Gloss Finish Acrylic. You can also use spray paint, which is a quicker and easier option that won't leave brush strokes. When using spray paint, you should still sand your swan first, but you can skip the primer step if you use a 2-in-1 product, like Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint, since it is a primer and paint. All that's left to do is actually find the figurine. Happy swan hunting!