How to Cane Weave

Pick out old canes from their holes, using an awl or ice pick.

Soak three canes in water for 5 to 10 minutes prior to weaving. Add new canes whenever you take canes out.

Insert a cane through the bottom of the center hole on the top end of the chair frame, leaving 2 or 3 inches of cane hanging down. Place a wooden peg into the hole to keep the cane in place. Add a wooden peg whenever you add a new cane.

Pull the cane tightly to the hole on the opposite side, keeping the glossy side of the cane up. Thread the cane through the opposite hole, then up through the next hole on the right. Pull the thread to the opposite hole, keeping the cane taut, and pull the thread down through the hole on the opposite side. Repeat this process until the cane is too short to work with and add new canes as needed until there are parallel lines of cane running between each hole on the top and bottom sides of the chair frame.

Secure the loose ends of cane by whip-stitching them around the loops of cane between holes on the underside of the chair. To whip stitch, take the free end of the cane, bring it over and under the loop of cane and pull taut. Continue stitching the free end of cane over and under the loop and pulling taut until there is no more cane to work with. Once you secure a loose end, you can remove the wooden peg keeping it in place.

Insert a cane through the hole on the upper left end of the chair frame and bring it over the original canes and pull it through the hole on the opposite side. Repeat this process with each of the side holes until there are parallel lines of cane running between each hole on the right-to-left sides of the chair frame.

Insert a cane through the first hole on the top. There will already be a cane in this hole. Weave the cane under and over the horizontal canes until you reach the hole on the opposite side. Continue weaving canes from the top side of the frame to the bottom side until there are two strands of cane in each top and bottom hole. Repeat this process on the right-to-left sides of the frame.

Insert a cane through the top right-hand corner and weave it over the vertical and under the horizontal canes, two strands at a time along the diagonal. Repeat this process for all of the holes.

Insert another cane through the top right-hand corner and weave it under the vertical and over the horizontal canes, two strands at a time along the diagonal. Repeat this process for all of the holes.

Treat the caned seat with furniture wax or shellac to protect the canes and add shine.