How to weave a chair seat: start by reading the frame
The short answer
Look at the frame before you buy any material. A row of holes around the seat means hand caning. A groove around the opening means prewoven cane webbing. Plain rails are woven with cord: small L-shaped nails on the inside of the rails usually mean Danish cord; without them, it’s often seagrass or flag halyard.
Then weave it the same way it was made. If the old seat is still there, photograph it before you take it off. It’s the best instruction you’ll get.
- Methods
- 5 seat types
- Easiest start
- Danish cord, seagrass, cane webbing
- Most demanding
- Hand caning
- First job
- Photograph the old seat
Read the frame, not the photos online
Every chair frame is made for a particular kind of seat. Holes, grooves and nails are there for a reason, and the new seat works best when you weave it the way the frame was made. Choosing by look alone is the most common way to end up with material you can’t use.
If the old seat is still on the chair, it tells you almost everything: the material, the pattern and, on a caned chair, which holes were used. Take a few clear photos from above and below before you cut anything away. In our hand caning course, Marie recommends photographing the old seat, so you can see which holes the strands went through.
Photos first. Scissors second.
The five seats, and how to recognise them
Find the frame that matches your chair. Each card links to a step-by-step guide where we have one, and to the video course that teaches the method from start to finish.
Hand caning
French caning, rørflet
- Your chair has
- A row of small holes drilled all the way around the seat opening.
- You get
- The fine, open, octagonal pattern you know from bentwood café chairs, woven strand by strand.
- Level
- Level: Advanced
Cane webbing
Prewoven or pressed cane, rørvæv
- Your chair has
- A groove routed around the seat opening, and no holes.
- You get
- A sheet of machine-woven cane, pressed into the groove and locked with a spline. Same look as hand caning, done in an afternoon.
- Level
- Level: Beginner
Danish cord
Paper cord, papirgarn
- Your chair has
- Rails with small L-shaped nails on the inside, as on many Danish design chairs. (The Wishbone Chair is the exception: no nails, woven in the rush pattern.)
- You get
- A tight, flat and very hard-wearing seat of twisted paper cord.
- Level
- Level: Beginner
Seagrass
Rush pattern, søgræs
- Your chair has
- Four rails, usually without nails. The seat is wrapped around the rails, corner by corner.
- You get
- A full seat where four triangles meet in the middle: the classic rush pattern.
- Level
- Level: Beginner
Flag halyard
Rope seat, flagline
- Your chair has
- A frame made to be wrapped with thick cord, often with a more open weave.
- You get
- A sturdy rope seat that is soft to sit on and lasts for years.
- Level
- Level: Intermediate
Side by side
| Look for | Material | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand caning | Holes around the seat | Strands of natural cane | Demanding |
| Cane webbing | A groove, no holes | Prewoven cane and a spline | Beginner |
| Danish cord | L-shaped nails inside the rails | Paper cord | Beginner |
| Seagrass | Rails, usually no nails | Twisted seagrass | Beginner |
| Flag halyard | A frame made for cord | Flag halyard (rope) | Some experience |
The same five steps, whatever the seat
The weaving is different for every method, but the work around it isn’t. This is the order we follow in the workshop.
Step 1: Photograph the old seat
Top and underside, close enough to see the pattern and where the material is fastened. On a caned chair, also count the holes along the front and back.
Step 2: Take the old seat off without hurting the frame
Peel or cut the old material away; don’t tear or pry. Old caning sometimes peels off. If it’s stuck in the holes, drill it out with a bit slightly smaller than the hole. Go carefully, so you don’t drill into the frame or a leg below.
Step 3: Clean and smooth the frame
Sand the inner edge where the seat will rest. A sharp edge cuts into new material, and many old seats break right there. It’s much easier to do now than once the seat is woven.
Step 4: Get the right material
Buy for the method, not the colour: cane in the right width, paper cord, seagrass or flag halyard. Each of our courses comes with a list of exactly what you need.
Step 5: Weave, then finish
Work at an even tension and keep checking that the rows run straight. Follow the step-by-step guide for your method: hand caning, cane webbing, Danish cord, the rush pattern or a rope seat. Or follow along with the video course.
Mistakes we often see
Buying material before looking at the frame
A caned frame can’t take webbing, and a rush-pattern frame can’t take caning. Check the holes, grooves and nails first.
Tearing the old seat out
Tearing and prying can split the wood around holes and grooves. Peel, cut, drill and take your time.
No photo of the old seat
Once it’s gone, so is the information about which holes, rows and pattern were used.
Leaving a sharp edge
A sharp inner edge wears through the new seat. Round it off with sandpaper before you start.
Starting with the hardest seat
Hand caning is rewarding but slow. If it’s your first seat and you can choose, start with Danish cord, seagrass or cane webbing.
A look inside the course
In the hand caning course, Marie takes an old Thonet chair from torn seat to finished caning in 22 short lessons, starting with removing the old seat, clearing the holes and sanding the edge.
What’s in the course
- Introduction (1)
- Preparation (1)
- Layer 1 (2)
- Layer 2 (2)
- Layer 3 (2)
- Zigzag (6)
- The pattern (4)
- Edging and finish (3)
- Materials and tools (1)
Questions we get a lot
What is the easiest chair seat to weave?
Cane webbing is the quickest, because the cane comes prewoven. Of the woven seats, Danish cord and seagrass are the easiest to learn. Hand caning takes the most patience.
Can I put cane webbing on a chair made for hand caning?
Not without changing the frame: webbing needs a groove, and a caned chair has holes. On an older chair, we recommend weaving it the way it was made.
Is paper cord the same as Danish cord?
Yes. Danish cord is twisted paper cord, called papirgarn in Danish. It’s the seat on many Danish design chairs.
What’s the difference between rush and seagrass?
Rush seating is the traditional pattern where the seat is wrapped corner by corner toward the middle, originally with natural rush. Seagrass is woven in the same pattern, and it’s the material we teach.
Found your method? Weave it with us.
Every course takes you from bare frame to finished seat, with every move shown up close. Watch on any screen, at your own pace.