How to Start a Birthday Chair Tradition

Common in Holland and Lithuania, the birthday chair is a seat of honor decorated by family and friends. Here's how to start your own birthday chair tradition.

Things You'll Need

• Wooden chair
• Paint and craft supplies
• Etching tool (wood burning tool)

Instructions

1. Start with a simple wooden or rattan chair--they can be found at garage sales, craft stores and stores that sell school supplies.

2. Paint the base of the chair a bright color, then rummage through your craft supplies for things to decorate it with, such as silk flowers, small toys, bells, craft birds, feathers.

3. Make a sign to hang on the chair to personalize it for the birthday person, for example: "Sam's Birthday Chair"--heck, you can even etch the person's initials into the chair (wood burning tool will do the trick). Make a new sign and etch new initials for each birthday person to be honored in the family. Add new decorations to represent each time the chair is used.

4. Before the birthday cake is brought out, invite the special person to sit in the chair and be honored!

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to take pictures each time the chair is used.

• Loan the chair to other family and friends--the only hitch: they have to send you photos of the chair in action!