Chair Caning Instructions
My Father-in-law provided me, in the mid '70s, with the encouragement and instruction on how to cane
chairs. He was a patient teacher & I enjoyed learning the craft.
Over the years, I have caned many chairs, and many different styles of chairs. I
would like to share with you the "Art" of caning, to pass on the
knowledge as my father-in-law did with me. (Click on any small picture
within these instructions to see an enlarged picture).
Chair Caning: Seven Step Method
This is a method of weaving cane to build a comfortable seat & back of chairs. It's
name is self-explanatory in that there are 7 steps in the process. To people
trying to differentiate chair styles, I also call this process "hole caning"
because it's easier to understand, when they see the holes in the wooden rails
that form the chair seat. This is the most common pattern of chair caning.
Preparation
Tools, Cane, Planning Caning tools
The Seven Steps
Step
1. Back to Front, First Vertical Cane.
Step 2. Side to Side, First Horizontal Cane.
Step 3. Second Back to Front
Step 4. Second Side to Side (Weaving Starts Here)
Step 5. Diagonal (Upper Back Right to Lower Front Left)
Step 6. Second Diagonal (Upper Back Left to Lower Front Right)
Step 7. Border
Chair Caning Album, showing different styles of caned chairs.
Buy The Booklets:
1. Chair Caning Instructions; The Seven Step Method
16 pg, 22 color photos
2. Chair Caning Instructions; Daisies & Buttons
16 pg, 26color photos
3. Chair Caning Instructions; Spider Web A
16 pg, 24 color photos
If you like this website, but have a hard time using the website while also caning. Then get the Booklets! I have converted this website of caning instructions into pamphlets with many detailed color photos. Photos of my actual work in progress, of completed projects, of difficult concepts, of advanced patterns & the finish binder. These booklets will be a convenient addition to your caning resources & make that caning project even easier.
To purchase your Chair Caning Instructions booklets, email
Wayne Sharp for ordering process.
Please state clearly which booklets you are ordering.
Buy all three.
Order today.
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Advanced Caning Patterns. I finally came
across a book of advanced caning techniques & also a rocker that was similar
in style. So
I took a deep breath & tried a more difficult project. It was challenging, but
also a great success. So again, I will share my experiences with you. Good
luck, if you are daring.
Daisy & Buttons Pattern This
is a beautiful pattern on the right chair.
This
chair won a First Place ribbon at the 2004 county fair.
Spider Web A Pattern
This is a very interesting & beautiful pattern, but also a real challenge.
This
chair also won a First Place ribbon at the 2004 county fair.
Diamond
Pattern Helen sent pictures & a quick instruction set on this pattern
to add to our collection.
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Pressed Caned Instructions. This was another first for me. I have received many emails from people searching for Instructions for Pressed Cane chairs. I had read how to do it, but had never tried it. Well now I have. Here's my Pressed Cane Story.
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Restoring & Caning Rockers. I love working on Rockers. I find them both beautiful & comforting to use. This summer, 2004, my wife & daughter both found "rocker projects" to keep me busy. They found 2 child's rockers, an ornate adult rocker & a sewing rocker. Three of them have cane seat & back. All of them needed varying amounts of repair & refinishing, before re-caning. I will use these four rockers to try some new techniques, including curved seat/backs; pegging & couching.
This section of my website is to chronicle the year 2004-2005 work on
these four rockers. Hopefully we will learn some new things from this journey.
1. Child's Rocker - refinishing
& re-caning.
2. Barrel Curved Child's Rocker - refinishing & re-caning. Curved seat & back.
3. Ornate Rocker - refinishing & re-caning. Large traditional seat & fancy caned back
4. Sewing Rocker - restored from a pile of lumber; had to repair joints, remake stretchers, refinish & finally cane. My daughter wanted the Spider Web cane pattern. See if that's what she gets.
Success! Here are the 4 completed projects, finally
finished in March 2005. These were fun projects, ranging from medium difficult
to very challenging. I learned many new techniques. Having taken each of
these rockers from stripping, to repair, to refinishing, to caning; I felt a
tremendous amount of success & joy, when completing each rocker. I hope you
enjoy reading this edition of my caning story & could follow the challenges &
successes I encountered.
Of course the best part of these projects, is that they are intended to be enjoyed by my family. Here's my granddaughters at Christmas 2004. They fit just nicely on the children's rockers.
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More 7-Step Caning Instructions:
Classic Chair
This chair is the simplest & classic of caning designs. I used this
project to refine & refresh my 7-Step Chair Caning Instructions. New in
this section are some tools & techniques, definitely worth the time &
effort to create for you, the caning community.
Fall 2005 Project - Darci's Chairs
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Experienced Caners share their advice
Don's
instructions for Finishing Off the Binding. Don sends another way to
complete Step 7. His terms are "Couching & Beading". He also sends a
picture of a handy tool.
Helen is a Quality Professional Caner. She kindly shares some details that make your cane chair stronger & more beautiful. She sends a picture & instructions for a beautiful chair with "X" & "Fishhead" details.
Martin's Nursing Chair. Martin sent pictures of the refinishing & re-caning process. These pictures help with the Pegging instructions, for a very clean, knot free back.
Martin uses Pegging instead of tying-off the ends. Martin Pegs every other hole to hold the cane ends & then loops through the other holes for step 7 binder.
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Other's Chair Caning Projects. Since building this chair caning web site, I've been contacted by many people from all over the country & some internationally. I'm adding this section of web space for other people to show their successes. Perhaps, this will continue to grow as an inspiration for other's to attempt their first chari caning project, as well as showing other chair caning designs. So send in your success stories & I'll try to add them here for all to see.
Bill's Grandma's
Curved Back Rocker. Very well illustrated, answering questions for
those attempting a rocker.
Mike's School Project.
His first caning project to complete a class-work assignment.
Stephanie's
Ribbon Caning. This very creative person had LOTS of ribbon & no cane
available. So she wove ribbon instead of using cane. These pictures help to
visualize the weaving steps more clearly.
Sheila's Round Chair
that was her grandfather's.
Marlous' First
Caning Project.
Carol's heirloom. Carol refurbished a junk rocker
& turned it into heirloom
Bonnie's
Successful First Attempt She encourages more to people to try caning, using
this website for instructions.
Nancy shows her
first caning projects, a round ice cream chair & small sewing rocker. Nancy
is from my local area & learned to cane from an Adult Education class.
Alex cane seat
for the canoe he built. Both seat & canoe are works of love & beautiful
art.
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On a recent Iowa trip, my wife & I sat on "Iowa's Largest Solid Walnut Caned Rocker". It was very impressive. The cane strands were over 1 inch wide. Even in this huge rocker, the seven step caning method worked & looked wonderful.
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I hope you enjoy these instructions & find them helpful with your chair caning projects. If you have questions feel free to email me & I will try to assist. My email address is : wayne.sharp@mnsu.edu
If you are an advanced caner & have constructive comments on how to improve these instructions, I invite your emailed thoughts.
I am also looking for instructions on how to do other caning methods, as I'd like to continue learning THE ART of CANING.
© Wayne Sharp, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005. All rights reserved. All work in these instructions & pictures are my own and may not be used for profit without my prior permission. Pictures for the "Other's Chair Caning Projects" and "Experienced Caners share their advice" are provided with permission to publish on this website.
Wayne Sharp.
Created December 2001
wayne.sharp@mnsu.edu
Mankato, Minnesota