How to Cane a Double Rung Stool

Prepare for Caning

• 1

  Drill holes for the cane to weave through, if necessary. The holes should be one-half inch apart.

• 2

  Determine where the center hole will be on each side. The trick to caning a circular pattern is to treat it like a square pattern. It may help for you to make a cardboard square the size of the stool, and place it over the stool. Find the midpoint of each side and the corner point. Mark those holes with a peg.

• 3

  Soak the cane for 15 to 30 minutes in hot tap water, to make it more pliable and easier to use.

Creating a Cane Grid

• 4

  Run the cane up from the bottom of the stool, through the back center hole of the stool.

• 5

  Insert it in the front center hole of the stool, then pull it up through the hole directly next to the front center hole.

• 6

  Run the cane through the hole directly next to the back center hole.

• 7

  Continue that process until you have made vertical lines of caning -- running from the center holes to the end. Repeat on the other side. You should now have vertical lines running across from each corner point you identified.

• 8

  Make a horizontal line of caning by running a piece of cane from the back-right corner hole to the back-left corner hole. Pull the cane up the next hole and repeat, going the other direction. Continue this process until you have horizontal caning across the entire stool.

Starting the Weaving Process

• 9

  Repeat the process from Section 2, to create a second set of vertical lines. Keep this second set to the right of the first set of cane strips.

• 10

  Start the second set of horizontal caning lines from the right-back corner. This is the beginning of the weaving portion. Weave the cane over the set of vertical lines you just completed, and under the first set of vertical lines. Make sure this set of horizontal lines is below the first set of horizontal lines.

• 11

  Work the horizontal lines from side to side as you did initially, weaving as you go. When you complete the second set of horizontal lines, you can tie off and trim all the cane pieces.

• 12

  Begin diagonal weaving, from the back-right corner to the front-left corner. Weave the cane over the vertical cane lines, and under the horizontal cane lines. Continue the process, first by working diagonally to the left-back corner, and then repeat the process going from the center diagonal to the front-right corner.

• 13

  Repeat the diagonal weave going from the back-left corner to the front-right corner, using the same process as in the previous step.

Finishing

• 14

  Run a length of cane over the edges of the stool, weaving through each hole.

• 15

  Turn the stool over, tie off all ends and trim the excess.

• 16

  Burn off any cane "hairs" that might be showing. Use a candle flame for this, but be extremely careful not to burn the cane too much.