Before I get into the details of customizing high chairs (spoiler alert! I drew an octopus on it!), a few thoughts on the Antilop, in all its modern plastic affordability. There is not any high chair, no matter how expensive, that really gets me excited. I get excited about totally out of budget baby clothes. I could spend a fortune on baby carriers in various amazing fabrics. With my other kids, I had a chunky white wooden high chair that I’d picked up at a yard sale or something. It was nice, and it served us well, but it’s long gone (no baby equipment survived the seven year gap in babies around here). So we needed something or other for Abe to sit in when he eats (which he’s not doing yet (I mean, aside from breastmilk) but will soon). I thought about just getting a booster seat with a tray to strap to one of our kitchen chairs. But I seem to recall having gone that route at some point with Gus and it making for a lot of food smooshed into our kitchen chairs.Basic, no frills, with unoffensive modern lines….and this thing is TWENTY DOLLARS (plus five more for the tray).
You can’t go wrong, I figured. You also can draw all over it with a sharpie without too much pressure to make things perfect. Because, you know….it was $20. And it’s not going to be hanging out in your house for all that long anyway. I would love to give you a full review of the Antilop, but Abe’s not eating solids yet, so I can’t. He likes to sit in it for short periods of time before he starts crying and insisting you pick him up. What I can tell you, though, is that the safety sticker affixed to the inside of your Antilop is so hard to get off it will make you wish you were never born. Or at least that you’d never bought an Antilop. Ikea, you know I love you, but, seriously: what the hell? Here is the label after I spent approximately 3 hours (or maybe 10 minutes) picking at it with my fingernail: At this point Dave said, “why don’t you just leave the label on there?” And I was like, “NO! (In fact, this is precisely what I did with the sticker on Abe’s Ikea crib.
But it’s on the inside edge, where no one but Abe ever sees it. It doesn’t interfere with my attempts to photograph the nursery). So then I googled 359 different methods for removing stickers from plastic and tried them all. None of them worked particularly well by themselves, but by the time I’d done ALL of them, the sticker was gone. One site suggested a hair dryer to heat up the glue and loosen the sticker. Dave complained a lot about doing this, for some reason: “this is SOOOOO boring.” Also, it didn’t work at all. Then there was the “put oil on it and let it soak for 24 hours” method. I couldn’t wait 24 hours, of course, because I’m not that kind of person. So I waited three minutes.So we finally found the one thing coconut oil doesn’t magically make better. Really, it worked a little, I guess? I went at with a scraper for awhile and made some progress. The Beagle was VERY interested in the high chair once it was coated with coconut oil, incidentally.
Next I sprayed some Windex on it. I learned that Windex and coconut oil smell terrible together. OMG: this isn’t better!!! At this point, I was ready to return the $20 high chair to Ikea and spend a million dollars on a high chair if necessary, just to not have to deal with this goopy mess anymore.Next up: Goof Off wipes: These kind of, sort of worked, if I rubbed really, really hard. Finally, I read a tip on using WD40 to get rid of sticker residue: Ignore the part where there’s an octopus. I haven’t gotten to that yet. Just admire the stickerless plastic (it’s kind of scratched all to hell from the scraper, but you can’t see that in the picture).Is plain white plastic any fun? No, it is not. It needs someone to come along and draw on it with a sharpie. A little while ago, Anu over at Nalle’s House put some Moomins on her high chair, and it looked ADORABLE (spoiler alert again: mine is not as adorable): Moomin High Chair at Nalle’s House
So this was my inspiration. I considered a lot of different ideas. Maybe a pattern of some kind? But I’ve always been a little bummed about the lack of octopuses in Abe’s nursery, so I decided to go that route. I sketched out an octopus that I was pretty happy with and spent some frustrating time trying to cut out a stencil-like thing from it: Then I gave up. I was having a very hard time, and I was still going to have to figure out how to get those inside lines for the legs on there anyway…it wasn’t all outline. I tried to sketch it out in pencil first, but I couldn’t see the pencil lines at all. Finally I just threw caution to the wind and started drawing right on the plastic with the sharpie.This isn’t the most….professional looking thing I’ve ever done. But it’s cute enough. And, hey, the high chair was only $20! The octopus looks a little angry. And kind of like he’s boxing. Linking with:The Inspiration GalleryThe Shabby Nest’s Frugal FridayLiz Marie Blog’s Inspire Me PleaseTatertots and Jello’s Weekend Wrap-up PartyMonday FundayHome Stories A to Z’s Tutorials and TipsHookin’ Up with House of HepworthsGive Me the Goods Monday
I have this high chair and I love it!! I don't know about ordering online, but I know I saw it in store when we went to ikea about 2 weeks ago, so I'm pretty sure they still sell it. Maybe it's just something you can't order online?? Or maybe the warehouse is out of stock?? Do you have an IKEA you could go to??We use cookies to help improve our sites. If you continue, we'll assume that you're happy to accept our cookies. Find out more about cookiesThe 20 Best High Chairs for Every Style of Family Whether you want a high chair that's sleek or one that has all the bells and whistles, these are the best high chairs to choose from. Choosing a high chair can seem incredibly daunting, especially with so many to choose from. Here are some of the best high chairs available, with some tips from experts who are in the trenches of parenthood -- flying peas and all."The high chair will be one of your most heavily used and messiest items, so choosing one that saves you time every time you use it is important," says Chad Carter, the co-founder and editor of Dads Who Diaper, an online resource for parents.
"Look for a seat that's made of a continuous piece of plastic or cloth, which eliminates places for food to hide. Also, look for high chairs that have removable components for deep cleaning."Another thing to consider is the chair's ease of use. "Find one that you like, that's not too heavy and that's easy to pull the tray on and off with one hand," shares Anna Lane, the creator of Misadventures in Motherhood. "You don't realize the value of the one-handed operation until you have a child, but trust me, it's a necessary feature." Keeping in those tips in mind, check out these top 20 picks.For Families Who Need Room Stokke Tripp Trapp ChairA high chair that pulls right up to your kitchen table is the perfect way to save space in your kitchen, so try the minimalist Tripp Trapp Chair, which grows with your child. Fisher-Price Space Saver High ChairYou'll find all the functionality of a full-size high chair in the Space Saver High Chair, but in a version that fits right on one of your kitchen chairs.
Chicco Polly Double-Pad High ChairFold the Polly Double-Pad High Chair up when it isn't it use -- it has a super slim eight-inch profile that you can easily tuck away in a closet. Mamas and Papas Pixi High ChairThe Pixi High Chair easily folds up and just as easily unfolds when your little one is ready to eat. Evenflo Convertible 3-in-1 High ChairIf you put longer legs on your favorite booster seat, you'd get this Convertible 3-in-1 High Chair that is great for small kitchens.For Families Who Love Modern Design Ikea Antilop Highchair With TrayYou can't get much cleaner or simpler than the Antilop Highchair with Tray that leaves the frills at the door and goes strictly modern. Babyhome Taste High ChairThere's something so chic about the babyhome Taste High Chair that seems to just float above the ground. It's certainly one of the best high chairs for modern families. OXO Tot Sprout High ChairCombining wood with a bright pop of color and sleek, simple design, the Tot Sprout High Chair from kitchen brand OXO is a can't-miss.
BabyBjorn High ChairAvailable in both white and red, the modern BabyBjorn High Chair is good looking and functional, as well as easy to clean. Phil & Teds Poppy High ChairThe Poppy High Chair looks like it walked straight out of the future and into your kitchen with extra-long legs and mod-style seat.For Families Who Want to Splurge Fresco Chrome High ChairNot only is the Fresco Chrome High Chair gorgeous and modern, but it's the highest baby high chair in the world. Peg Perego Tatamia High ChairThe Tatamia High Chair rivals any other piece of furniture you have in your home and is available in four pretty leatherette colors. Posh Tots Sleigh High ChairWhen you're looking for a serious splurge, this elegant hand-carved Sleigh High Chair is the way to go. Joovy HiLo High ChairWith a cool modern design, the HiLo High Chair looks like anything but baby gear, and grows with your child. Newport Cottages Provincial High ChairA high chair that looks like it is fit for the Royal Baby herself, the design of the Newport Cottages Provincial High Chair is a classic style at a high price point.
For Families Who Are On-the-Go Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster SeatThe ultimate in travel high chairs, you can fold the Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat down into a smaller travel-size high chair to keep in your car. Chicco PocketSnack Booster SeatThe PocketSnack Booster Seat has a ton of options, like three adjustable heights, and it comes in the best colors available for an on-the-go high chair. Foundations Secure Sitter Tip and Slip-Proof Feeding ChairThe Secure Sitter Tip and Slip-Proof Feeding Chair is a simple, easy-to-clean high chair that you can take with you on vacation without having to worry about clean-up. Ciao Baby Portable High ChairPerfect for families who love to camp or spend time outside, the Ciao Baby Portable High Chair will make being on-the-go with your baby easy. Chicco 360 Hook-On High ChairWith a cool swivel movement that allows your little one to eat in different positions at the table, the 360 Hook-On High Chair is great for dinner out.Katie Kavulla, a mom of three, has been through a few high chairs in the 10+ years she's been a parent.