Help! I’m throwing a barn warning party for a friend. What sort of things can I do for decorations? It’s a surprise.
What is the venue? Your home, your barn? Or decorating her place when she is away? Will horses be around (maybe spooked by unfamiliar sights)?
It is at a barn. No horses in there yet. Brand new! And it’s a surprise
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How fun!
Edit to remove my question that you already answers.
I think streamers are work out well for decorations.
But I am not a good party planner.
I just wanted to say that this sounds so fun.
if it becomes a costume party dress as a horse, my daughter was and still is Horse crazy she made herself a Horse costume
Barn warming party decor:
Are you looking for more laid back or a more posh party?
- use buckets (water, feed, etc) as drink tubs,
- those low profile rubber feed tubs to serve food in (on a plate, but in the tub)
- bales of hay/straw for seating
- use gingham table clothes, napkins etc
- serve trays of veggies of course heavy on the carrots
- do some fun apple dessert
- streamers are awesome
- tulle is fun too
- no balloons
- play pin the tail on the donkey?
- hobby horse games?
What disipline does the owner ride? May be use dressage letters some how if they ride Dressage or if the person is a barrel racer / western rider use barrels too as standing eating area drapped with a tablecloth
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Keep it simple with things like flags and banners. Since it is a surprise party and not at your own place remember tables, chairs, tubs, planters and such will need to be loaded and unloaded and transported both coming and going.
Then there’s always the catering option.
If you use things from the barn be sure to put the buckets pans hay bales back exactly where you found them so barn owner isn’t running around trying to collect them. If you put up streamers or balloons take them down and dispose of them immediately after. Don’t leave them up for incoming horses to spook or eat. If there’s a lounge don’t take hay bales in there. In other words respect the barn as a worksite and horse place even if there are no horses there. Don’t create headaches for the barn owner who didn’t ask for this party and may be somewhat ambivalent to walk in on it.
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I agree with @MunchingonHay suggestion to use barn stuff - buckets, feedpans, etc - as serving pieces.
They can then double as barn warming gifts for the new owner.
If you know what colors she prefers, even better.
Cleanup crew can then wash the stuff and have them clean & ready for use when horses move in.
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Thank you for the awesome ideas!
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I love the idea of using buckets/muck tubs/feed pans as their one (and only) time they would be clean enough for that service, then wipe them out and they are the barn warming gifts. That stuff adds up FAST.
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Yes, the barn owner would love a gift of barn stuff like this, figure out what they still need and incorporate them as gifts or decor
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Be cute to use a wheelbarrow as a display for a flower decoration type tableau
If you’re doing decorations as gifts, use strings of mini LED lights and hang them from pitchforks/ brooms that are duct-taped to stall fronts in loops. If not giving gifts, just hang lights on stall fronts. Depending on your weather, potted plants can be hung in halters between the noseband and chin strap. Can’t explain it better, but you’ll get the idea if you try it. And rather than put plates inside rubber floor pans, consider flipping the pans upside down and using them as a pedestal for the plates.
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Such amazing ideas and very creative too! Heading to the tack shop today to buy my supplies. I love the wheelbarrow and feed tubs for props. Lights too!
