A rocking chair is a piece of furniture which looks just as great in a decade’s time as it does now; treated well, the chair will keep on giving for many years to come. Of course, the rocking chair is something more than to look at; it is a comfortable and relaxing piece of furniture which is actually quite versatile. If you are thinking about buying either a new rocking chair, or an antique one (don’t forget to take out proper antiques insurance), or you don’t think you are using yours to its full potential, we’ve got a few suggestions about what you can use yours for.

Reading

While you may think there is nothing better than relaxing into your armchair to curl up and read a book, a rocking chair can be equally good for this. Grab a pillow and a blanket and you can rock to your heart’s content while rifling through your favourite page-turner. You don’t need to stick to just books either; set a magazine rack up next to your rocking chair for a place to chill out alone for a few moments (or a few hours depending on the stresses in your life).

Rocking to sleep

If you have a little one who just won’t drop off to sleep, settle down in the rocking chair with them on your lap and gently soothe them into peaceful slumber. You might be so relaxed that your eyelids start to droop yourself, but make sure to get your child into bed before this happens!

Crafts

Have you ever thought about doing your crafts while rocking away? A rocking chair makes an ideal setting for cross-stitch, crochet, and knitting, although it may help if you have a bright light nearby. You can knit in time to the rocking motion; you probably won’t even know your hands are moving. You might have a beautiful scarf finished before you know it!