This site is under constuction
This site was made for an introduction to Internet class at Marlboro College in VT. Photos for this site were pulled from and other sites to demonstrate where photos need to be and to show the process of caning. Links to these pages can be found below the pictures themselves. This is a project that is evolving so check back at a later date for further updates.
The Art of Caning
Chair Caning is a traditional means of seating wooden chairs by way of
weaving cane in a tight star pattern. Cane is a standard term for the outer
edge of the fiber plant rattan, which is used to make wicker furniture, baskets,
lashings, and seats. Rattan is pithy in consistency and fairly soft,
with an outer edge like smooth bamboo. The fiber is white when new and ages within a few months to a dark, antique yellow. It is strong as an individual
piece but even stronger when woven into a seat.
Seating Methods
The different ways cane can be utilized as a seating method vary
drastically, and a number of weaves can be implemented to replace
a seat. I use a standard star pattern which works well in any
utilitarian seating application.
Cane is woven by hand, or is pre woven into installable sheets.
The prefabricated weave is either nailed to chairs, or (more traditionally) is attached
by means of groove & spline. This process is covered in a three step tutorial, but this web site is mainly concerned with “hand caning.”
Summary of Tutorial
Hand Caning is a nine step process involving weaving cane through drilled holes in chairs, canoe seats, and bed frames. The weaving pattern starts from the back of the peice to the front
and continues from left to right, back to front overlapping, left to right
overlapping, back to front overlapping, left to right, over and under,
left corner to right back over and under, and finally right front to
left back over any under. All of these steps are covered in the navigational
menu on the left below the logo. I have given nine textual descriptions
of the process supplemented with thorough photographic depictions of
each step. Have fun!