How to install cane webbing, step by step
The short answer
Cane webbing is cane woven by machine into a sheet. It goes on chairs that have a groove around the seat. You take out the old spline, soak the webbing until it’s pliable, press it into the groove with a wedge, glue a new spline on top and let it dry. As the cane dries, it shrinks and pulls the seat tight.
It takes an afternoon, plus a day to dry. If your chair has a row of holes instead of a groove, it needs hand caning, not webbing.
- Frame
- A groove, no holes
- Time
- An afternoon, plus a day to dry
- Level
- Beginner
- Key step
- Keep the rows straight
Groove or holes? Check before you buy
Look at the frame around the seat. A groove routed all the way around the opening, with a strip of cane or wood pressed into it, means cane webbing. That strip is the spline, and it holds the webbing in place. A row of small drilled holes means hand caning, woven strand by strand: that’s a different job, covered in how to cane a chair.
Webbing and hand caning look alike from a distance. Up close, webbing ends in a neat spline around the edge, while a hand-caned seat shows a row of holes around the edge, plugged or covered by a binding strand.
Groove: webbing. Holes: hand caning.
What you need
Take the old seat with you, or measure it, when you buy. Webbing comes in different mesh sizes; match the old one.
Materials
- Cane webbing prewoven cane, sold by the metre. Cut it about 2–3 cm larger than the groove on every side.
- Spline the same width as the groove, and a little longer than the groove all the way round.
- Wood glue ordinary white wood glue.
- Lukewarm water a tub or bath big enough to soak the webbing flat.
Tools
- A sharp knife and a narrow chisel to cut out the old spline and trim the webbing.
- Hardwood wedges to press the webbing into the groove. Make a few from scrap wood.
- A mallet or a hammer with a wooden block.
- A damp cloth for glue on the cane.
How to install cane webbing in eight steps
Work in this order, and don’t let the webbing dry out while it’s being fitted.
Step 1: Remove the old spline and webbing
Cut along both sides of the old spline with a sharp knife to break the glue. Then lift it out with a narrow chisel, a little at a time. If it’s stuck, let hot water stand on the spline for 10–15 minutes to soften the glue, and keep the water off the finish.
Step 2: Clean the groove
Scrape out every bit of old glue and cane, right down to the bottom of the groove. The new spline has to sit all the way down, or it won’t hold.
Step 3: Measure and cut
Cut the webbing so it reaches 2–3 cm past the groove on every side. Measure the width of the groove for the spline, and cut the spline a little longer than the groove is long.
Step 4: Soak the webbing
Soak the webbing in lukewarm water until it’s soft and pliable, about half an hour. Soak the spline too, so it bends into the corners without cracking.
Step 5: Line it up and press it in
Lay the webbing over the seat, shiny side up, with the rows parallel to the front of the seat. Press it into the groove with a wedge and a few light taps of the mallet: first in the middle of the back, then the middle of the front, then the sides, working out to the corners. Leave a few wedges in to hold it while you go.
Sight along the rows before you go further. Webbing that’s crooked now stays crooked.
Step 6: Trim the webbing
Cut away the excess webbing inside the groove, along its outer edge, with the chisel or knife. The ends should disappear under the spline.
Step 7: Glue and set the spline
Run a bead of wood glue into the groove. Start the spline at the middle of the back, tap it down into the groove all the way round, and cut the end so it meets the start neatly. On a seat with sharp square corners, use one piece of spline per side and mitre the ends where they meet. Wipe any glue off the cane straight away with a damp cloth.
Step 8: Let it dry
Leave the chair for at least a day. As the cane dries, it shrinks and pulls the webbing tight. Don’t sit on it until it’s completely dry. Then trim off any loose fibres along the spline.
Mistakes we often see
Crooked rows
The rows have to run parallel to the front of the seat. Check before you press the sides in.
Webbing that dries while you work
Dry cane cracks in the groove. Keep it wet; a sponge and a bowl of water by the chair help.
Old glue left in the groove
The spline sits too high and works loose. Clean the groove to the bottom.
The wrong spline width
Too wide and it can split the wood beside the groove; too narrow and it won’t hold. Measure the groove.
Sitting on it too soon
Wet webbing stretches under weight and stays slack. Give it a full day.
Questions we get a lot
What’s the difference between cane webbing and hand caning?
Webbing is woven by machine and pressed into a groove. Hand caning is woven strand by strand through holes in the frame. The pattern looks much the same; the frames are different.
Can I put cane webbing on a chair with holes?
Not without changing the frame. A chair with holes is made for hand caning, and on an older chair we recommend weaving it the way it was made.
How long does it take?
An afternoon for the work, and a day for the seat to dry.
What does it cost to have it done instead?
At the Kurvemagerne workshop in Denmark, new cane webbing on a Frisvinger chair costs DKK 1,150 including VAT (2026 price list).
Fit your new seat with us
The cane webbing course shows every step up close: removing the old webbing and spline, soaking and measuring, pressing the webbing in straight, and setting the spline. A good first project.