How to Cane a Chair

Chair caning is not a lost art. With a modest investment of time and money, you can restore a chair to life and years of use. Learn how to use binder cane on a chair with single rails, like a rocking chair you would see on the porch of a summer cottage.

Things You'll Need

• Chair
• Binder cane
• Small hammer
• Nails
• Tub
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Shears

Instructions

1. Examine the old caning already on the chair. Soak the new cane you'll be using for the project for 30 minutes in hot tap water. Locate and mark the center of the front and back rails. If the front rail is wider, you should plan extra wraps between your pairs of traveling strands to keep the strands parallel. The front will require 2 or 3 wraps; the back, 1 or 2.

2. Tack a length of cane about 3 inches in from the left edge of the front rail, on the inside. Leave a few inches of cane beyond where you tack. Wrap the cane over the rail. Pull it taut, wrap it over the back rail, and tack it inside that rail.

3. With a fresh length, begin again as in the previous step. Instead of tacking it to the back, wrap 1 or 2 times around the rail and tack it. Tack a 3rd strip to the inside of the front rail. Wrap it 2 or 3 times around the rail, according to your plan. Pull it to the back rail, and tack it to the inside.

4. Start another strip at the front to make a pair with the previous strand, and continue the process of wrapping and making pairs across the chair. Note that some strands will travel beneath the chair, from back to front. When you come to the end of a cane, you can either tack it or slip it under a previous wrap and under itself to form a knot.

5. Start the weaving at the back left corner. Tack a cane to the inside of the side rail. Bring the strand around the side rail and weave it in an over-and-under pattern. Secure it and repeat with another strand, again following the over-and-under pattern. Wrap around the rail twice and bring it under the seat to the left side. Wrap twice and weave again; this time in an under-and-over pattern. When ending or starting a new cane, you can slip it under a previous wrap and knot it under itself, rather than tacking it. Secure the final weaver by tacking it to the inside of the side rail. Trim the ends of the canes using the shears.

Tips & Warnings

• The shiny side of the cane should always be face up. Keep track of the cane you are using, and add more strands to soak as needed. Keep the water warm. When working side to side, periodically press the canes to tighten the weave.

References

• The Caner's Handbook; Bruce Miller and Jim Widess; 1983.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish