Natasha McClendon, Guest Contributor

As a struggling grad student, spending money on furniture is not the business. But creating a unique, vintage feel to the decor in my new apartment without breaking the bank is a must for me.

Now, I could have rolled down to Ikea, but I decided that heading to my favorite local thrift store, Value Village, would be a more cost efficient option.

Value Villages are among my favorite thrift store haunts, but the Hyattsville Value Village is my go-to for furniture.  On a visit a couple of weeks ago,  I lucked up and found this great hardwood nightstand with campaign drawer pulls and gold corners.  And the price was more than right at $6.99!

It was just the type of vintage piece I was looking for and I knew that a fresh coat of paint would give it new life and make it a perfect addition to my bedroom.

I popped into my local Home Depot for paint and bought a quart of the  Behr Premium paint + primer combo in teal  for about $15. I already had a paint brush, so I was ready to go to work.

I spent the Frankenstorm (a.k.a. Superstorm Sandy) giving the nightstand an easy and fresh makeover. I only applied one coat of paint plus a few touch ups. The process took about two hours from start to finish.

I am very happy with the outcome and even happier that the cost of the nightstand and supplies was less than $25!

Thrifting is a great way to look for timeless furniture pieces that can be  personalized with just a few easily obtainable supplies like paint. The key is focusing on quality and seeing the potential in a piece. Here are a few more tips to get you started on your own DIY furniture projects:

• Don’t buy anything that you don’t have a plan for. Before you buy it, envision how you will use it and where it would go.
• Don’t buy something if you don’t know how to repair it yourself (or don’t know someone who can repair it for you on the free or cheap). It will do you no good to spend your money, no matter how little money it is, if the item needs repairs that you don’t have the skills to make.
• Have an idea of what type of piece you are looking for before you shop. If you’ve already got a vision in your head, it will stop you from buying things you are less likely to use.
• When you’re shopping for furniture, be on the look out for solid wood pieces. Real wood lasts longer and is  usually the best quality.