Junking Green: My Reupholstered Trash to Treasure Experience

Saturday mornings are a great time for junking. Whether it's yard sales, flea markets or auctions, there is usually a great deal of stuff to claim. Junking is an economical way to be green and for a lot of people, it is a necessity. My favorite finds are the one's that have flaws. This means they are sold dirt cheap or even given away, because no one else wants them. I figure it is my duty to take them home and repurposed them, after all, if I didn't they would probably end up in the dump. Anyway, that's what I tell my husband.

My most recent find and transformation was an old overstuffed chair from about the 1950s. I'm gaging it's age on the fact that my grandmother had one. Who knows, it might be the same one. The upholstery was faded, green, embossed and scratchy. The embossing was worn away in several areas and there were holes in more than a few places. Okay, it definitely wasn't beautiful, but if I didn't grab it up, nobody would...And I couldn't let that happen.

The people at the church tag sale just giggled behind their hands as they took my four dollars and shook their heads as I hauled it to my car. My family, just rolled their eyes, as I lugged my new chair into the house. They could see the glint of satisfaction in my own eyes, so they knew better than to say anything.

I had scored a box of fabric for two dollars at an auction and it had a large piece that was perfect for my junk project. I started by unscrewing every screw and bolt that I could find on the chair. The legs came off and so did the chair back. Using sandpaper, I sanded the aged finish off the legs and re-stained the wood with leftover stain. Stain and paint are more junking finds I have sniffed out on my junking journeys. Most people are giving them away and would surely toss them if no one claimed them. Talk about an environmental hazard.

Once the chair was taken apart, I was able to remove the old upholstery. I did this carefully so that I could use the pieces as a pattern. I took notes so that I could determine the placement and the fold of the pieces I would be re-attaching. Holding my tongue just right and using a staple gun, I was able to reupholster the seat and back of the chair. An upholstery needle and thread was also needed in a few places, but as a beginner at reupholstering I think I did pretty good. The chair went back together beautifully and I really did have a nice "new" chair. The total cost for my environmentally green chair with less than five dollars, with the finished product being worth, I'm sure, a whole lot more.

The look of astonishment on my family's faces and the pride I felt in the work I had accomplished in an afternoon, increased my overwhelming desire to continue junking and to craft as greenly as I could. Hmm, my love seat is in need of reupholstering. I wonder what economical and green treasures I can find to transform it? That's the beauty of junking, it is easy on the pocketbook and provides endless green opportunities. Old textiles such as bedding, curtains and tablecloths that have outlived their original usefulness can be pieced together into beautiful slipcovers. I just need to get junking again.