How to Fix the Wicker on the Leg of a Chair

Take a picture of the weave on the legs of your wicker chair. If you are only repairing one leg, you do not necessarily need to take a picture because you can check your weave against the other legs of the chair.

Soak 1 lb. of flat rattan in a bucket of warm water for 45 minutes until the rattan is as pliable as string.

Pry the existing rattan from the chair leg with needle-nosed pliers. If the rattan is stubborn, soak a cotton wedge in white vinegar and wet the rattan and allow the vinegar to soak for a minute. This will loosen the glue. Allow the chair to dry before beginning to add new rattan.

Place wood glue on the back of a rattan reed and staple the end of the reed to the top of the chair leg at a 30-degree angle.

Wind the reed around the leg and align the edges of the reed with itself to create a continuous spiral pattern around the leg.

Staple the reed to the chair leg at 1-inch intervals. Staple the leg in the back under the seat to keep the staples from being seen.

Continue the spiral down the leg adding rattan reeds as needed. Staple each end of the reed to the reed before it.

Use the pattern of the previous rattan to determine how to weave the top and bottom of the chair leg. This may simply mean wrapping a rattan reed around the top of the leg two or three times. Staple the ends of the reed in the back of the leg.