Directions on How to Cane a Rocking Chair

Soak two to three strands of cane in warm water for approximately 10 minutes before you begin working to make the cane pliable. While the cane is soaking, count the holes across the front and back rails of the seat opening to determine which ones are the center holes.

Feed a strand of cane about three inches down through the center hole in the back rail. Place a wooden peg into the hole to hold the cane in place, then stretch the length of cane across the opening to the center hole in the front rail. Feed the cane down through this hole, and then bring it back up through the hole immediately to the right or left. Stretch the cane back across the opening, and feed it into the corresponding hole in the back rail. Continue working in this manner until the entire seat opening is covered by parallel strips of cane.

Weave the second layer of cane in the same manner as the first, running side to side, rather than back to front. This layer should rest on top of the first one.

Begin the third layer at the upper left corner of the seat. Feed the strand of cane three inches down through the hole, and secure it with a peg. Keeping the new strand immediately to the right of the existing strand from the first layer, weave it over and under the crosswise strands from layer two, going over the first strand and under the second. Continue in this way until you reach the front rail. Feed the cane down through the lower left hole and up through the next one, then continue weaving all the way across the seat.

Weave the fourth layer in the same way as the third layer, beginning at the upper right corner. Weave across the seat, going over the third layer and under the first layer.

Start the fifth layer at the upper right corner hole. Weave the cane diagonally toward the lower left corner of the seat, going over the vertical strands of cane and under the horizontal ones. When you reach the lower left corner hole, feed the cane into it, and then bring the cane up through the hole to its right or left, and weave back across. Once this sixth layer is finished, create the seventh layer by weaving diagonally in the opposite direction, from the upper left corner to the lower right corner.

Turn the chair on its side to look at the underside of the caned surface. Secure the loose ends of the cane strands by tying each end around an adjacent loop. Draw the strand through the loop as many times as you can, and pull it tight.

Bind the edges of the caning with a strip of binding cane, which is thicker than the cane used for weaving. Feed the end of the binding cane through one of the corner holes, then feed a strand of regular cane up through the same hole from the backside. Feed the regular cane back through the same hole, creating a loop that holds the binding cane in place. Continue around the edges of the caning, pulling the binding cane over a hole and feeding regular cane up and over to secure it. Fasten the loose ends once you have gone all the way around.