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Have you passed up a beautiful chair at the thrift store because of a broken seat? Check out this easy way to fix a cane chair with a simple and inexpensive DIY!

You all know how much I love thrifting, going to flea markets, yard sales, antique malls…anywhere that could be considered “junking”…I love it! The 127 Sale is coming up soon and I’ve already been making my list of things to hunt for!  

Before I can buy anything else, though, I decided it was time to try and get a few of my existing projects done. Haha!

I won’t even ask how many projects you have sitting around.  I’m sure it is less than us. ????

Awhile back, I picked up this chair with a broken seat at a yard sale.  Granted, this was not like a regular yard sale.  It was a “clean out” sale from vendors at one of my favorite shops, Rehab Vintage Market.  I went prepared for some great deals and fun projects and immediately snatched up this chair for the office.

Broken seat and all.

Then I immediately went to my friend Jen from Wishes and Dreams to find out how I could make it useable.  She told me what to do and since it worked perfectly, I’ll pass the information along to you too!

How to Easily Repair a Broken Cane Chair

Here’s what you need:

• Broken chair
• Burlap upholstery webbing (found inexpensively HERE)
• Staple gun
• Hammer
• Heavy duty scissors
• An extra set of hands (I quickly discovered this was a two person job!)

Step One:

After turning the chair upside down and gathering your materials, the next thing you need to do is staple one end of the webbing to the underside of the seat.  We found it helpful to start in the middle.  The second person is helpful to hold the webbing very tightly for as little swag as possible, while the other person does the stapling.

For us, we quickly realized that Robb could hold it much more tightly than I could!

We used our regular staple gun.  However, if you have access to a more heavy duty one, it would come in handy here.  If you will be doing several projects and can use a small compressor, it would be worth it to purchase one of THESE.  It’s now on our wish list too!

Step Two:

Secondly, you’ll continue stapling the upholstery webbing, weaving it as you go, to create a more sturdy foundation for the broken cane chair seat.  As you go, make sure to keep that webbing as tight as possible!

The weave not only creates a more solid layer under the cane seat, but also looks prettier too.  (However, you won’t really see the seat so much under the caning, so don’t stress about making it too perfect!)

Step Three:

Thirdly, you will want to add a cute pillow or cushion to the top.

This not only looks pretty but it also protects skin and clothing from getting caught on the broken cane chair.  (Of course, you’ll want to trim any loose pieces.  You can also add some hot glue to help keep it from pulling apart, especially if you’re covering it with a cushion and don’t need that repair spot to necessarily look pretty.)

I added an old, down ticking pillow (also from the vendor clean out sale!).  I love the “grunge” look for my European cottage style office space.  The blue stripe plays nicely with the DIY checkered floor too!  You can read all about that DIY over on THIS POST!

Here are a few of my favorite pillows and cushions:

• Blue ticking stripe, set of two, great deal!
• Linen striped cover
• Oversized checked cushion, terra cotta or blue colors
• 26″ down pillow inserts (I recommend getting an insert 2 inches larger than your cover for a full look.)

That’s it!  You’re ready to enjoy your chair!

No, it’s not professional and no, it isn’t the prettiest DIY on the underside.  However, it was inexpensive, easy, and the finished product looks great.  That was my goal!

While Robb may have initially doubted whether our DIY solution to fix this cane chair would work, it turned out to be a perfectly comfy and cozy new spot to hang out…or work, if we must…in the office!

Next time you’re out thrifting, keep an eye out for those discarded, broken cane chair seats.  You can get a steal of a deal since cane repair can be quite expensive and most people don’t want to mess with these broken chairs.  You’ll end up with a great deal, an easy project, and a comfy, cute seat!

My kind of DIY!

I’d love for you to follow me on social media!  You can find my home decor inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!  

Blessings,

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Posts on Robyn’s French Nest may contain affiliate links. You can see our full disclosure details here.)