Creative Living by Roxanne Griese
Creative Living requires the right tools. I found a vintage step chair that I had been searching for months, excited to have finally found my treasure, I began preparing to refurbish and recover the step chair; with a repurposed green suede jacket. Everything was in place; steel wool, chrome polish, scissors, finishing hammer, staple gun. Darn out of staples!
For years, I have been changing the upholstery on furniture, and through those years, by my side has been a trusty staple gun! I believe it maybe as old as me…. I can not remember when or where I purchased it. Hmmm did I even buy it? I may have shopped at my dads work bench; sorry dad!
Now let me explain; I really like my “borrowed” manual staple gun, it fits my hand, its easy to use and does not need burgeoning biceps. Over the years, my husband has bought me new staple guns.
The electric one… I nearly had to do a standing push-up on the top end of gun, for the staple to go firmly in the wood, then if lucky, the recoil did not hurt my shoulder.
Then there was the heavy duty staple gun… this was a riot, I did try it once! I needed two hands just to hold it, stretching my fingers to reach the handle. Lets face it, heavy duty staple guns are not on the market for small hands.
Back to my old staple gun “without staples”. Right, no problem, off to the hardware store to buy staples (in bulk) I’m not running out of staples.
Home at last, staples in hand…. Oh no they do not fit!
Back to the hardware store, honestly, how hard could it be to find staples? Two store clerks and a service manager later, they finally found staples that fit! The manager asking permission, wrote the model number of the staples in permanent maker on the side of the stapler. To the store employees credit, they did not try to sell me a new staple gun. Although, I did buy enough staples to last several years.
The step chair has since been refurbished and reupholstered in a soft green suede, thanks in part to an old staple gun.
Roxanne Griese is an Artist
Decorating and organizing are her passions, to see more articles and artwork visit
www.artbyroxanne.ca