Celebrating National Op Shop Week with Some Pretty Flat Lays

Celebrating National Op Shop Week with these Pretty Flat Lays on WhimMagazine.com 1.When it came to National Op Shop Week this year, I wanted to do something a little different to celebrate it... as enticing as it was to put together a fashion photoshoot featuring nothing but op shop bought garments!

I've been practising my flat lay photography skills of late as a contributor to The Exposure Co.'s Instagram, and was heavily inspired when looking around my room at all of the little second-hand treasures I've accumulated over the years.

Celebrating National Op Shop Week with these Pretty Flat Lays on WhimMagazine.com 2

.

While some people are turned off by the random assortment and scattering of products in a place like Vinnies or Salvos (they're like 'thrift stores' for our overseas readers), I must admit, I love it. Where else can I find a set of floral (and hardly-used) Rifle Paper Co. coasters for just $4? Or a traditional wooden flower press all the way from Germany, in brand new condition, for just $7? Then there's my silver clam jewellery holder (which is actually an antique ash-tray) that I found for only $4. It's discoveries like this which can't help but put a smile on my face!

Awesome bargains aside, National Op Shop Week is a great reminder of what places such as Vinnies, Salvos, and The Red Cross (among others) strive to do - that is, help those in need.

Celebrating National Op Shop Week with these Pretty Flat Lays on WhimMagazine.com 4

.

You can read an in-depth article that I wrote about the benefits of supporting op-shops for last year's National Op Shop Week, however as this is an issue pretty close to Whim's heart, I'd love to re-iterate these points below:

  • Proceeds raised from the goods sold at op shops enable Australian charities to assist tens of thousands of people in need through community support programs. Some of these include: Aged care services, Disaster recovery, Hospital and health services, Mental health services, Migrant and refugee assistance, and Suicide prevention counselling (to only name a few). Read more about where the money goes at this link.
  • Charity op shops annually divert some two billion items (over 300,000 tonnes) of clothing from landfill each year through their clothing donation bins and in-store donations.
  • Some 75 per cent is able to be recirculated through charity op shops, donated to those in need, reprocessed into functional textiles or sent to third world countries to provide clothing to many of the poorest people in the world.

Celebrating National Op Shop Week with these Pretty Flat Lays on WhimMagazine.com 3

.

So what can you do this week to celebrate and support this wonderful cause? Why not try one of the following to get you started:

  • Go through your own items or garments at home and donate those that you no longer need or want. Remember though, an op shop is not a rubbish tip - there are some rules to follow when selecting stuff to give away!
  • Visit your local op shop (or do an op shop crawl!) and see what wonderful treasures you can find. Set aside some time to truly look around, and allow your mind to be filled with the endless possibilities of these places. Want to know how to op shop like a pro? Check out this link via the National Op Shop Week website.

To view more information about National Op Shop Week, please visit the National Op Shop Week website at OpShopWeek.com.au. We also encourage you to show your support by liking the Op Shop Week Facebook page. Enjoy!

We'd love to hear from you in the Comments section below! What has your best op shop purchase been? And how will you be celebrating National Op Shop Week?

eventMelanie2015, national op-shop weekComment