But it was such a good deal! I can fix that…I think. Things I tell myself when I come across a killer garage sale find. Refinishing the kitchen table, easy. Re-covering the chairs and painting them, piece of cake. Fixing the torn cane backing on some of the chairs. Um..sure? Why not give it a shot? A great opportunity to learn a new skill or to let you see me fail miserably. Either way, it’s a learning experience.
Easing myself into the project, I first refinished the table. See that project here. Then it was time to start on the chairs. First things first, remove the chair seats and recover. Due to the high contrast pattern stenciled on the kitchen island, I went with a solid color textured fabric to avoid visual overload. See how to re-cover a chair seat here. Most of the chair frames only needed a cleaning, a little sanding on dings, and then a few coats of paint. Three chairs had varying degrees of damage to the cane backs.
First, let’s define some of the tools and the substitutes I used. Having a kid in college, I was not about to spend a fortune on tools for one chair so I got creative.
Cane Webbing
The pre-woven cane used to replace the cane in chairs with a groove. Utilizes spline and glue to hold cane webbing in place instead of the chair back style with the holes that the cane is strung through. There are different types of weave, see the picture below I found on Pinterest. Unfortunately, the photo didn’t have a link to the source and with no watermark, it is tricky to track down. Let me know if you know the source for this photo!
Caning Wedges
Small hardwood wedges used to push the cane webbing into the groove in the chair and to anchor it in place. You can find them on Amazon for about $7 for a set of five. Again, I didn’t want to spend a fortune fixing these chairs so I improvised with small spatulas. Because why wouldn’t you use spatulas as a substitute? I realize that if my husband used the Pampered Chef spatulas on a home repair project then I would be super annoyed. Since they are my spatulas, I went for it and the spatulas were not harmed in any way.
Hide Glue
Adhesive that is made from animal connective tissues. The collagen is a protein molecule that is very strong in this glue and it has no VOCs, dries clear and you can add more hide glue to it rather than having to remove the old glue when doing repairs. The downside is that I wasn’t able to pick any up at my local store. A case of hide glue could be bought online but I didn’t need that much. Amazon also had it but it was like $17 for a bottle and not Prime delivery so I opted to just use wood glue. Sorry if you are a furniture purist and this causes you physical pain. Although if you are a furniture purist (aka craftsman), you probably aren’t here reading this blog.
Spline
Reed that is specially shaped to fit into the groove that anchors the cane webbing into a chair’s seat frame. When ordering, order a foot more than you need to allow for cuts or mistakes. When choosing spline for the chair, pick a spline that fits loosely enough in the groove when it is dry that you don’t need to pry it out.
Spline Chisel
A tool with a curved end used to remove the old spline from the chairs. If you can not find a spline chisel, or don’t want to order one, a small flat head screwdriver works really well.
Pre Caning Instructions
Remove the chair seats; usually there are screws holding them on to the chair frame. Flip over the chairs and remove the screws and keep the screws in a container or plastic baggie for safe keeping.
Re-cover the chair seats in a fabric of your choosing. Like I mentioned before, I didn’t want too many prints clashing in the kitchen, so I kept my fabric a solid color with a repeating texture similar to the patterns in the light fixture, the cane webbing on the chairs, and the window valances. Four gauge clear vinyl sheeting was purchased to cover the fabric but after I did the first chair seat my 13 year old son commented, with a completely straight face, “So you’re slowly turning this into an old lady house, huh?” Apparently my ego couldn’t take the old lady comment so I removed the plastic and opted to Scotchgard the fabric instead.
“Old Lady house”, pfft.
Evaluate damage to the chairs. There were three levels of damage to the caning on different chairs. One was minimal and only needed a few errant strands of caning tucked back in place and re-glued. The little screwdriver helped to poke individual pieces in place. The second chair had the cane webbing that had pulled out of the groove but was not damaged. I gently lifted the loose spline and placed the loose cane back in the groove, added glue, popped the spline back in place, and then clamped 24 hours until dry. The third chair had caning that was damaged beyond a simple fix. Here’s how to replace the caning on a chair.
Supply List
- Cane webbing to match existing chairs
- Wood glue or hide glue
- Small flat head screw driver or caning tool
- Clamps
- Additional spline, if needed
- Large sink or tub to soak cane material
- Tarp or towels
- Caning wedges or small spatulas
- Hammer
- Spline chisel or utility knife
- Scissors
- White Vinegar, if glue does not release easily
Instructions
Step 1:
Carefully pry loose the spline by gently running a utility knife along either side and lift out with the spline chisel or small flat head screwdriver. If the spline is stuck, it may be the hide glue won’t loosen. In that case, make a solution of equal parts warm water and white vinegar to soak the spline. Be sure there is a tarp or towels down so your flooring or work surface doesn’t get damaged. Remove the old spline and cane. Let chair dry before continuing.
Step 2:
Pull out the old cane, hopefully in one piece. This old cane webbing can be used as a pattern for the new cane webbing. Clean out the groove to remove dirt, cane pieces, old glue, etc.
Step 3:
Soak the new cane webbing in warm water for 30-60 minutes. The bathtub works really well for this. I soaked the cane webbing for 40 minutes, but it could have used a few more minutes. Let drip dry on a towel for 3 minutes.
Step 4:
Lay the old cane webbing over the new cane webbing, being sure to line up the weave. Cut it a half inch or more larger than the old cane webbing. If this was fabric, I would say to leave a half inch or more seam allowance. It is recommended to cut with the chisel, but I didn’t want to take that long and have the cane webbing dry out. I used scissors instead and it cut beautifully.
Step 5:
Place the trimmed cane webbing over the back of the chair and align so that it is straight and covers the groove in the chair back by at least a half inch. Use the wedges, or spatulas, to push the cane webbing in part way. Don’t be too aggressive, you don’t want the cane to break.
Use the same process as recovering the chairs or if you were stretching canvas over a frame. In other words, push down a small section of cane into the groove on one side and then do the same to the opposite side. This keeps the cane from shifting and getting wonky. Ease it in by gently pushing the cane in the groove part way. Work your way around the perimeter of the chair in the groove. You can leave one spatula wedged in as you work on the opposite side.
Repeat this process and push the cane webbing further down into the groove.
Step 6:
Once the cane has been pushed into the groove, cut off the excess strands of cane. A spline chisel and hammer can be used to gently do this, be sure to not damage the wood frame. I used the utility knife and gently pressed it against the cane and it cut easily. Trim excess cane all the way around the chair back.
In the meantime, put the spline in the warm water for about 10 minutes to soften.
Step 7:
Add glue in the cane filled groove all around the perimeter of the chair back. Hide glue may be used, but I had wood glue so that is what I used. The layers of paint will also help hold the cane and spline in place once dried.
Step 8:
Remove the spline from the water and let drip dry for a minute or two.
Replace the spline into the groove in the chair. The beauty of using the old spline is that it is the perfect length and basic shape already. Start with the top center of the chair, opposite the cut ends of the spline, and work around. Push the spline in the groove as best you can. Use a wet wood block between the spline and a hammer to knock it in place without damaging the spline.
If using new spline, start at the bottom and work your way around a rounded chair. If the chair has a square back, cut the spline to fit each straight length of the grooves and miter the corners for a nice fit. Gently tap in place. A sharp utility knife works well to cut the spline.
Step 9:
Wipe off any excess glue and cut off any pieces of cane that are too long and stick out. Use clamps around the perimeter of the chair to hold the spline in the groove. Let dry for 24-48 hours. DO NOT put out in the sun to dry!
Step 10:
Once the cane webbing is repaired and the glue is dry, paint your chairs. Sand any dings or nicks in the chair that need smoothing out, degloss with Liquid Sandpaper and wipe off with a clean, dry cloth. Paint chairs. It took three coats of white paint to fully cover my chairs.
TIP: Apply paint on one side of the cane webbing with the paint brush and use a sponge on the reverse side to immediately wipe and spread any paint drips.
When painted chairs are completely dry, re-attach the seat cushions with the screws or bolts. Wait at least a week before the chairs are in use so the paint has plenty of time to cure, or harden.
I’m loving how these chairs turned out. The previously dark and heavy feeling of the kitchen chairs has been replaced with lighter and brighter versions of their best selves. Being slightly nervous to try something I had never before done, I think my caning confidence has grown after this project.
I just love fixing up and refinishing old furniture. Maybe it is getting quality furniture for cheap? Maybe it is the process that proves nothing is beyond fixing? Maybe I just like the challenge? I don’t know. I just kind of like the feeling of hope a refinished piece gives me that no matter how worn or tattered something is, with a little TLC, it can shine again and still be loved by someone. Being able to look around and see all the furniture pieces that have been saved and carefully worked on helps me make a house a home.💙
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I really love the look of those chairs now! I had no idea it was possible to fix chairs with that webbing.
Well, thank you! I figured they were already broken so it was the perfect opportunity to try it out. Thankfully, it was easier than I anticipated. 🙂
I’m going to try this since I have six dining chairs that I need to repair- I almost got rid of them since the cane back are brown but after reading this, it gave mean idea to repair it instead
I love it! So glad you will give fixing the cane backing a try. Best wishes for you and you have totally got this. 🙂
Where did you buy the cane webbing? I have the Exact same table and chairs with just a small hole in one. I want to just fix the hole. I actually sanded the entire china cabinet, table, and chairs. I did a very dark gel stain and recovered the chairs. Love!! In a formal dining room. Yours turned out fabulous too! I did similar to yours in my sunroom with another older table set:)
I shopped around a few places online and ended up purchasing from Amazon. Just can’t beat that free shipping for prime items. Here’s the link for the one I ordered. https://amzn.to/2RXqx60
Your table, chairs, and china cabinet sound amazing. Thank you for the compliment on mine. Being in the kitchen and less formal location, I definitely went for a more casual look. You will have to go to the Tinged Blue Facebook page and share your pictures. I would love to see your dining set. Best wishes on your DIY!