Caning 101

The day before my parents drove up a strange package was delivered. I’d ordered a few things the day before but this package didn’t resemble anything I’d ordered, yet my name was on it. So, I opened it. I had no idea what I was looking at and immediately texted my mom to ask her if she’d sent the package.

She said she had sent it and it was caning to go in the back of the chairs that we rescued from the side of the road back in December. (I’d pretty much forgotten all about those chairs!) Of course my mom didn’t forget about them and she’d given them a pretty antique look paint job and recovered the seats with a heavy duty navy and brown speck fabric. And, because she got such a great deal on the fabric, she bought enough to also recover all my other dining chairs to match! She’s awesome like that.

The day after they arrived we tackled the back of the chairs, and they were tough!

After soaking the caning for a good bit you have to push it down into the groove of your chair, which was pretty challenging. We were afraid of tearing it or not getting it tight enough. Then, once that part is done, you fill the groove with wood glue; easy peasy. The worst part is saved for last when you have to use every ounce of your being to push the spline into the wood glue/caning filled groove.

That was a BEAST! I wasn’t sure my mom would ever be able to use her thumbs again after pushing that crap into those chairs. Somehow, and I really don’t know how, she was able to finish both chairs without breaking her thumbs off. The results are amazing, and you’d just never even know we’d picked these up off the side of the road! 

They’re gorgeous now, right? They’re super comfortable and we ALWAYS need at least two extra chairs at our table. Six seats is rarely enough!

*By the way, this is what the chair looked like when we found it. It doesn’t show how bad it was, all the gunk in the grooves, and the wear and tear, but now you have an idea. It’s amazing the difference a little TLC (and a DIY mom) can make!