Barn Hacks: Decorations

Decorations

Barn Hacks

Baling Twine - The Go-To Bungee Cord Replacement

Bailng twine holds nearly everything hanging in my barn, from ribbons to box fans to banners to improvised hanging needs. Sometime it's best to layer a few bailing twine pieces together to provide a stronger support, but there's always plenty of it and it's durable enough. I even used bailing twice to stitch a ripped blanket apart years ago to get that blanket through the last of the winter months and it worked like a charm. Never underestimate the power of bailing twine, I even keep some in my vehicle!

Horse Show Ribbons

There are plenty of horse show ribbons that end up in a garbage bag and never looked at again, especially when you're stocking up at another horse show while you're cleaning up in the show ring. I always write on the back of each ribbon the following information for record keeping:

Horse Show
Date
Rider Full Name
Horse Show Name
Show Class

It's such a rewarding feeling to pull a ribbon off of the wall and to remember that class because there's information written on the back to remind you. And speaking of pulling a ribbon off of the wall, ribbons make a fantastic decoration in framing around the top of a room or even above a horse stall and down the barn aisle. Not only are all of the different colors beautiful, but they also inspire the younger generations and really speak to what your barn and your experience represents. I always have ribbons on the walls of my barns.

Simple Christmas Stockings & Decorations

A cheap but fun way to decorate for the Christmas holidays involve buying little (or big, whichever your preference) red basic stockings and hanging them on all of the barn stalls. You can go simple and decorative from the dollar store, or you can get fancier and get big stockings with each horse's name on it. I love to fill my horses' stockings on Christmas with carrots, granola bars, peppermints, apples, and store horse treats. We don't necessarily eat all of them in the same day, but it makes for a few days of snacks to enjoy!

In addition to the stockings, which is purely for decorative purposes on the stalls, I also have garlands and large red ribbons, of which I've been a necklace with to take Christmas photos of my horses with. I also have some cheap Christmas Santa hats as well, that usually hang off of one ear while pushed under the crown piece of the halter. We have had some fanstatic Christmas photos and I highly recommend!

Pictures & Canvases

In addition to having ribbons in my barn, I also have framed photos and photo canvases in my barn from all of the memories over the years of some of the best highlights (or funny ones). Not only are they wonderful to look at, but they also tell stories and keep them alive, particularly when new riders ask about them. Photos in the barn also help represent your barn and experience, as well as highlight all of your adventures.

Banners

If you have any vinyl banners, they are also fantastic to hang up in your barn or keep in the horse trailer for off-property events and adventures. Banners are great as they are easy to move and store, but they also represent you and your barn.

Posters

In addition to ribbons, pictures, canvases, and banners to represent you and your barn, posters are also a fantastic option. Posters may be of you, your barn, you horses, or even be more on the educational side with equine anatomy, riding tips, or anything you like. I even have posters tailored to life and financial tips. I feel that posters are often overlooked and they do make a great addition as well.