One of the easiest ways to be earth friendly is to find new uses for things around your home that are old, worn or just aren’t used too much anymore.

Furniture is one of the biggest culprits, often landing in a landfill when the fabric is torn or the paint is worn.

Well, the Northeast Georgia History Center is aiming to change that, with a series of workshops on Saturday to teach you how to recover furniture, paint it or even find out how much it might be worth.

Along with the annual estate sale, the event has expanded this year to include ways for the community to get more use out of their old items, said event co-chairwoman Lydia Ferguson. This is one of several fundraisers this year for the Northeast Georgia History Center.

“Typically it is an estate sale. A lot of the members of the history center have brought furniture, furniture items like dishes and silver and lovely pieces that were in their estate and we’ve sold them in the past,” Ferguson said. “This year we thought, let’s do something for the community, let’s do something to help them out.”

The result is a lineup of workshops like using faux finishes, led by Candi Duren; upholstering furniture, led by Lonnie Jones and Charlene Praytor from The Great Cover Up; and reusing broken china as mosaics, led by Fox Gradin.

“All of those professionals that we have volunteering their time are going to be showing people what they can do for themselves,” said Cathy Herdener, co-chair of the event. “We’re real excited about it; we’re getting great feedback from it.”

She added that the estate sale has interesting items such as LP records and a set of Victorian-style chairs that just need new upholstery. As an added bonus, Robin Loggins, Jennifer Romberg and Vivian Luke, who will give a workshop on rethinking the spaces in your home, will lead the group through the estate sale items and talk about the different uses for some of the antiques there.

That will give attendees the chance to see how some of the items can be used in nontraditional ways, Herdener said. Take the old records of Broadway musicals and fitness routines available at the sale.

“Obviously if you have a record player, you can use them,” she said. “And if you have a teenager that’s into drama, frame some of these. They’re really great for any room of the house. There’s a bunch of fitness LPs, and if you’re doing a fitness room, what a great way to decorate it.”

Three antiques vendors will also be selling their wares at the event.

Plus, there will be experts on hand to repair crystal, glass and porcelain.

“We’re always having people ask about them and we’re so glad to find them,” Ferguson said.

But overall, Ferguson and Herdener said, the event is a chance to reach more than just history center members. The workshops appeal to anyone, no matter what their economic situation is.

“This is very much a back-to-basics day,” Herdener said. “We just want to show people how much you can do with so little money. Maybe time or energy, but not money.”