How to Weave a Chair

Spruce up an old chair with a cotton, leather or nylon woven seat to add a designer look to any home. While making a woven chair on your own may appear challenging, with a few supplies the project can be relatively easy to take on even if you have no furniture-making experience. Creating a woven chair requires special materials, such as upholstery weaving strips, to make the chair safe for sitting.

Wooden chair or stool
Cotton, nylon or leather weaving strips (2 inches wide)
Upholstery nails
Staple gun
Staples
Rubber mallet

Instructions

- 1
  Find an old chair that does not have the seat, or carefully remove the seat of a chair with a hammer. Keep the seat frame intact.
- 2
  Purchase 2-inch wide upholstery webbing at a craft store in your choice of leather, cotton or nylon.
- 3
  Cut the upholstery webbing into strips two inches longer than the length of the chair seat. Cut enough strips to cover the length of the seat. You may have a few leftover strips or cut the strips one-by-one as you weave for an exact amount.
- 4
  Cut strips of upholstery webbing two inches wider than the width of the chair seat. Cut enough strips to cover the width of the seat. You may have a few leftover strips or cut the strips one-by-one as you weave for an exact amount.
- 5
  Start laying the strips on the width of the chair. Begin the first strip one inch from the front of the seat frame. Lay the strip across the width of the chair, with each end hanging slightly over the sides. Fold the ends under one-half inch and tightly staple each side to the sides of the chair frame. Repeat each strip until the width of the seat is covered.
- 6
  Cover the staples with decorative upholstery nails by carefully banging the nails in with a rubber mallet. Use as many nails as needed to hide the staples. Keep a uniform number of nails on each strap.
- 7
  Begin to lay strips across the length of the chair once its width is covered. Start at one corner of the front of the seat and staple the strip to the front frame, with the raw end folded under 1/2 inch. Work your way backward with the strip, weaving in an under-and-over repetition until you reach the back of the seat. Staple the strip on the back of the chair frame with the raw end folded under 1/2 inch. Repeat for each strip until the length of the chair is covered.
- 8
  Cover the staples with decorative upholstery nails by carefully banging the nails in with a rubber mallet. Use as many nails as needed to hide the staples. Keep a uniform number of nails on each strap.
- 9
  Test the center of the chair by pushing down hard with your hands to confirm the weaving is sturdy.

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