I am a sucker for free. I am always thinking of things I can do, create, repurpose or transform. (This is why I have drawers full of random craft items.)
One day when we were driving through our neighborhood, we saw some furniture at the end of a drive, marked FREE. So of course, we stopped by. Among the worn dresser, broken nightstand (c’mon I do have some sales resistance), there was this little old chair. The back had a crackle finish and it was in good, sturdy condition. I knew there was something fun to do with it. Little did I know just how easy and cheap the fun would be.
With my son’s train party just around the corner, I decided I would use it for the party . . . and then decide later what its final fate would be. (I’m still trying to figure it out, so if you have any brilliant ideas, let me know.)
I had lots of spray paint in stock for the party (you can see why here). So I painted the seat of the chair in the main party color and then picked up a 57 cent bottle of black acrylic paint for the train track. All I did was use a ruler and a sharpie to sketch the track and then got to the simple painting. The crackled look fit in nicely to our vintage train feel.
This chair not only doubled as party decor, but also became “the birthday chair” my son sat in at the table and for opening gifts. And it only cost me a total 57 cents to create. Woo hoo!
I would have never thought of picking up a chair for party decor. I see them all the time at garage sales for pretty cheap prices. Now I’ll be thinking differently about them . . . until Dan gets drift of my intentions.
You can easily apply other party themes. For a Princess Party: paint a crown on the seat or if the chair has a solid back, paint the crown and glue gems. Race Cars: Road with dashed line. Airplanes: Landing strip. Super Heroes: Superman like logo with your child’s initial and a cape on the back. Garden: Flowers and lady bugs. You could even rotate it through various themes during the course of your child’s life. Same chair, lots of parties.
Other ways to use old chairs for parties:
* Line up several old wooden chairs in the grass for guests to relax. Tie ribbons in your color theme.
* Use wooden chairs in displays of decor or food.
* Paint each chair a different color and put at the party table for guests to sit it while they eat. (I’m picturing a vintage table of lace and tea cups . . . or Alice in Wonderland party with wacky colors.)
What are some of your party ideas for old chairs?
My name is Kristen. I'm a former Wedding & Event Planner blogging about fun ways to celebrate each and every day and the special occasions of life. Here you'll find inspiration for family fun, children's activities, party planning and a faith-filled life. 
