Lost Art Press

Earn Your ‘Stick Chair Merit Badge’

Posted on by Lost Art Press

To mark the launch of The Stick Chair Journal (coming in August 2022), we are giving away 400 Stick Chair Merit Badges to readers who have built a stick chair and can follow instructions.

This promotion ends when we run out of the merit badges or on Dec. 31, 2022, whichever comes first. (When the time comes, I’ll announce the end of the promotion on the blog and delete this blog entry.)

Here’s how to get your merit badge – one to a customer. Please read carefully.

  1. Build a stick chair with your own hands. (Not a frame chair, ladderback chair, Windsor/Forest chair, IKEA chair, folding chair etc.) A genuine, vernacular stick chair. (Edit: A stool without a back is not a chair. A backstool, which is essentially a side chair, is indeed a chair. I deem that to be a “chair,” the thing needs a backrest.)
  2. Take a picture and print it out on any paper.
  3. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to us with the picture of your stick chair. Here’s how to address the envelope:

Stick Chair Merit Badge
Lost Art Press
837 Willard St.
Covington, KY 41011

If you have never used an SASE, here how it works. There is an outside envelope addressed to us. A second envelope addressed to you that you put a stamp on. And a photo of your stick chair. Easy!

When we receive your envelope, we will add your photo to a cool collage I’m creating. Then we’ll slide a merit badge into your SASE, seal it and put it in the mailbox at Greer and 9th streets.

This is the *only* way to get a merit badge. You can’t buy one. You cannot twist our arms to accept an emailed photo. International readers are welcome to participate, but they’ll probably have to put a U.S. Global stamp on the SASE.

We are DIY people, right? You can figure this out without asking us to bend the rules, can’t you? Of course you can!

Please don’t send photos of 10 stick chairs and ask for 10 merit badges. They are one per customer. Please don’t ask our customer service people to do you a favor and mail you one. They can’t. Please don’t pester Megan to sneak you one. She won’t. 

So put on your big-person britches, build a stick chair and earn your merit badge.

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. Sorry if this post sounds condescending – the condescension is for the 1 percent. We have done promotions like this in the past where 99 percent of the participants follow instructions and have fun. The remaining 1 percent chap our hides asking for special treatment because “there are no sticks in my county” or “I have never seen an envelope” or “I’m a very important bossy pants, and you should send me one because of that.”

28 thoughts on “Earn Your ‘Stick Chair Merit Badge’”

  3. Very cool idea! I am still working on the low staked stool for now. Had to wait for some tools due to LV inventory etc , new job causing less shop time, etc but have just about everything now. Hoping to try a chair soon depending on how this stool turns out.

  6. I won’t need to send a picture in because “I have a certificate” Hopefully you have seen episode four from season one of “All Creatures Great and Small”…;)

      1. no. acgas is an old bbc sitcom about small town veterinarians. it’s good, though not nearly as good as doctor who or faulty towers.

    1. Nah, it will be ridiculous when we buy the LAP silk merit badge sash that is hand sewn in Paris by a one eyed tailor with webbed feet to sew the badges onto.

      My preference would be a suede chore vest to sew the merit badges onto.

      1. I don’t think I want to see badges onto a French tailor’s webbed feet. Glue should be good enough.

  8. I told my wife about this. She got a funny look in her eye and said “so it’s kind of like a cereal box toy for grown ups who are woodworkers.” Ha ha! Kind of true. Will not stop me from participating.

  9. Always wanted to do old school SASE, now I just need to learn how to make a 3 legged back stool – one less leg will really cut down on the learning curve

  14. well I have made a few and will send a few pic’s but I only need one badge.

  15. Oooh…. Hot Damn, you know your audience, Mr. Schwarz. It’s almost not fair. Now I HAVE to move up the “someday” chair project! 😉

  16. OK I’ve read all the rules and requirements but how about an NFT of a stick chair that I plan to build in 2035?

    I would build one now but I currently have no money to buy the lumber as I put everything I had in NFT’s as at the time it seemed like a logical investment.

  17. My wife is going to be really ticked I’m still not building the table I promised because I’m trying to build a chair in time to earn a badge!

  18. Right, I’m off to figure out where I can buy current US stamps in the UK…

  19. Pingback: I earned my “Stick Chair Merit Badge” and other minor woodworking. – Stewart Woodworks

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