Thrifting can be like Christmas, and this next find made we want to sing Fa-la-la-la-la! And, my gem of a find was only made better by the fact that there was two of them! A pair of lovely, though very outdated, cane, wingback chairs. So the obvious next step was, a Thrifted Cane Wingback Chair Makeover! I found these beauties online from a wonderful lady that had them in her sunroom, where they had sat since the day SHE originally thrifted them… and just never got around to them. Her lack of space, was my gain. Now for the fun part — I decided to go with a lovely two-tone fabric choice, and keep the tufting on the chair back. (This post may contain affiliate links. This means, should you end up making a purchase, advertisers give me a small percentage of that sale, at absolutely NO EXTRA COST to you. Click here for full disclosures). I’m not an experienced upholsterer, but looking at these chairs I knew they’d be beginner friendly. The wood frame would work to my advantage, as most of the fabric would lay down with hidden staples, from my trusty stapler!
But first, let’s update that banged-up wood. It wasn’t the most desirable wood-tone, and it was pretty shabby… so paint it is! I’ve been on a total high-contrast / black kick, this year, and I thought a slick black would be perfect. I used Rust-oleum spray paint to keep things easy (and it’s held up great!). She was ready for fabric, after a few quick coats! Once I got things ripped apart, I knew I could reuse everything inside. The banding, metal edging, the tufting twine, even the cotton balls the twine was tied to. This chair made things so easy, I could just follow everything backwards. It was like having a recipe to help with the project. This be-au-ti-ful bit of tufting on the chair back was so simple. I cut a large rectangle of that gorgeous chevron fabric, and threaded my fabric covered buttons through, with a large needle and the twine, and I was DONE! Not a single stitch! It was much the same for the seat. I decided against keeping the tufting there, instead I built up some cushion with extra fibre-fill, and then draped my seat fabric over top and began pushing it through the frame, to the bottom.
The front got a few pleats to handle the curvy front, and was stapled in place. This is the only place with exposed staples — easily hidden with some pretty black ribbon… you’ll see on the finished pics. The seat fabric was pulled through, and stapled to the bottom of the seat frame. Lastly, I was able to reuse (yay!!), the backing fibre piece — and get the backing fabric in place using the metal edging I mentioned earlier. It was a little tricky, but I searched youtube for some helpful vids (like this one) to get an idea of what I was doing, before diving in. Not bad for my first time, ya? If I found these chairs again, I would snap them up. It was such a friendly project to attack if you know you have the patience for something like this, just not a lot of experience. I completed one chair in about two days. And, there we have it. You can see the black ribbon, I mentioned above, to hide the staples that run along the bottom-front, seat of the chair.
Painting the caning black was, sooooo the right choice. I’m crazy for the light it lets through, and the contrast with my neutral white walls. Not a bad investment. $75 per chair + the cost of fabric. Now, to get to that second chair! Once she’s done I think these babies will look great flanking the fireplace. But, alas, a busy Summer has put that dream on hold for just a little longer. I’ll aim to get them done before Christmas, ha ha! Should we take one last look before we go? Don’t get dizzy — Happy Monday, friends!! size / dimensions: 16.5x14.75x41 The cane seat can be repaired with "cane webbing" from a craft store. I used it as a decorative piece and just put a cushion on the seat. The rocking chair measures 41 inches high with a seat that's 16.5 inches wide and 14.75 inches deep. Spindles on the chair back and legs are nicely turned. Bentwood Rocker, Cane Back Rocking Chair in excellent condition 17" floor to seat 36" floor to top of back
A chair with cane seating is easier to repair than most people realize as long as the material used was woven by machine. Machine woven cane is attached with spline. Spline and cane material is very easy to remove and replace. Sometimes a simple repair can be performed rather than a full replacement. If you have a cane chair that is looking worse for wear, use the following information to repair or replace the material. You can save a considerable amount of time and money by doing the job without professional assistance. Sagging is one of the most common problems with cane furniture. The seats of a cane chair eventually begin to sag. This type of chair should never be sat on when wet, because the material will stretch and sag. Ironically, water that causes sagging cane seats can be used to repair the problem. If the chair is not sagging too much, then it can probably be restored. To repair and tighten a sagging chair seat, turn the chair over and wipe the cane with a damp cloth or sponge.
Avoid getting water on the frame. Allow the cane to dry for at 24 hours. As the material dries, it will shrink and tighten, which should repair slight sagging. Mist the cane once a month while in use, and allow it to dry completely before using. Besides keeping the material taut, the monthly misting will prevent cracks and breaks. Machine-woven cane is similar to screen material. It is attached to a frame using a spline. It can be easily replaced should it require repair. Examine the chair seat that requires repair. Look for a groove on the frame that is filled by the wood spline. The spline can be removed and the material replaced with a few simple supplies and tools. To replace and repair a machine-woven chair seat, you will need enough cane to cover the seat with an extra 2-inches on all 4 sides. Most sheets are available in both 12 and 24-inch widths. You will also need caning spline, wedges, a mallet, a flathead screwdriver, a sharp utility knife, sharp scissors, a measuring tape, wood glue, and fine-grit sandpaper.
Also required to complete the repair is a sink or tub of warm water and a large rag or towel. Order your supplies online or by them at a home improvement center. Begin by measuring the seat of the chair. Cut the material so that it extends 2-inches from each side past the groove. Fill a sink or tub with warm water and allow the cane to soak for 45 minutes or until it is very pliable. While the cane is soaking, remove the old seating. Using a flathead screwdriver, carefully pry the old spline. If it does not remove easily, use a sharp utility knife to cut around the edge of the spline and carefully pry it with the edge of the screwdriver to break away the old glue. After the old cane has been removed, wipe the area with a clean rag. Once the new material is easy to manipulate, remove it and pat it dry with a clean towel. Place the material squarely over the seat and gently tap a wedge into the center of 1 side. Pull the cane taut, but not enough to distort the pattern. Then tap a wedge into the opposite side.
The pattern of the cane should be parallel to the frame and not diagonal or crooked. Continue this process until the wedges hold the material in place all around the frame. After all of the wedges are tapped in, remove them 1 at a time while gluing the new spline into place. It might be necessary to use a wedge and mallet to push the spline into the groove. Cut the spline to fit and press the last section into place. Allow the glue to dry completely, and cut off the excess material with a sharp utility knife. Lightly sand the seat with fine-grit sandpaper, blow away the dust, and coat the new cane with spray-on varnish according to product label instructions. Hand caning chairs is an art. To maintain the beauty and the character of the piece, this type of repair should be tackled by a professional. Search online or in a local business directory for caning repair professionals. Cane chairs are exquisite. With proper care and maintenance, they can provide years of beauty and practical use.