How to Weave a Round Chair
Broken cane chair seats are easy to replace. Chair caning or weaving may look complicated, but it's much simpler than it appears. Anyone can do it with a little bit of practice and good materials. You can even weave new seats for chairs that originally weren't caned. Any chair with a graceful design and a seat frame that can take holes can be caned.
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Things You'll Need
- Container (full of water)
- Scissors or razor blade
- Awl
- 4-5 wooden pegs
- Binding cane
- Weaving cane
- Round chair with holes for cane
- Sponge or cloth
Instructions
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1
Examine your chair. If your chair was caned before, look at the old cane to see how it was woven together. If your chair was not caned, think about the best weaving pattern for the chair.
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2
Remove all old cane. Loosen troublesome areas with an awl or ice pick. Brush off all dust and cane pieces and repair holes.
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3
Soak two to three strands of cane in the pan of water and keep in mind that soaked cane will tighten as it dries. All cane should soak for at least five to ten minutes before weaving. Replace each soaked piece you use with a dry one, to prevent delays.
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4
Begin caning by pushing a strand through the middle hole at the center back of the chair. The end should hang down three or four inches. Push a wooden peg through the hole to prevent the cane from slipping. Do this each time you thread the cane through a new hole, and leave the first peg in until the strand has been tied off.
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5
Pull the strand of cane across the frame and through the hole in the center front, directly opposite the first one. Pull the cane taut and peg the hole.
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6
Pull the cane across the underside of the frame, one hole to the right. Thread it up through the hole and out the top.
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7
Pull the strand of cane across the chair seat to the opposite hole, and back down through. You should have two parallel lines of cane running from the back to the front of your chair.
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8
Peg the hole mentioned in step six and repeat the process until the whole right side of the chair is filled. Then repeat the process with the left side.
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9
Run the second layer of cane across the chair seat at a right angle to the first one. Beginners should always start with the middle hole to ensure an even seat.
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10
Repeat step six, weaving the cane through the same holes. Weave under and over the strands from step two, and keep the cane to the right of the strands from step one.
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11
Weave layer four, starting at the top of the frame and running the cane through the same holes as layer two. Weave the cane over the third layer and under the first layer.
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12
Weave the cane diagonally, starting at the back right of the seat frame. Move diagonally across to the front left of the frame, weaving under and over two strands at once.
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13
Move the cane down through a hole in the left front and up through the next hole over. Continue weaving until the seat is filled with diagonal rows. Now repeat the process going the over way.
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14
Bind the seat using one continuous strand. Start at one edge, with the binder flat at the edge of the cane. Pull a strand of weaving cane up through a hole, and over the binding cane. Now pull it down through the same hole.
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15
Continue around the chair until you reach your starting point. Lap one end of the binder over the starting end, pull a strand of weaving cane around the binder, and tie it firmly beneath the frame.
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16
Use scissors or a razor blade to trim off excess binder. Allow the seat to dry before using the chair.
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Tips & Warnings
-Preserve woven seats with wax, shellac, varnish or linseed oil.
-If cane dries out while you're using it, use a sponge or cloth to dampen it.
-Work with one hand above the seat and one below to avoid twisting the cane.
-You can use weaving cane as binding cane, especially in finely caned chairs.
-Dry cane can snap while you work.
-Avoid pulling the first three layers too tight to prevent problems weaving the diagonals.
