Introduction: Weaving a Seat
For this project, I have tackled something completely new for me: a (fake) Thonet Bentwood chair.
Thonet chairs are those typical café chairs you see everywhere, they are classic. This one is a copy, as the seat is one solid piece, instead of hand caned.
Thonet chairs are like early Ikea. Thonet designed the No.14 in 1859, and it hasn’t been out of fashion ever since. It was the first piece of furniture that fitted in a flat-pack, as it only consisted of 6 pieces of wood and a couple of screws. It was cheap to produce, cheap to ship, cheap to store, lightweight and durable.
You will need:
- Drill
- Measuring tape
- Cord for weaving: make sure your cord is flexible enough so that it can bend without problems, but still sturdy enough to hold a medium to large sized ass.
- Staple gun, or alternatively small nails and a hammer
Thonet chairs are those typical café chairs you see everywhere, they are classic. This one is a copy, as the seat is one solid piece, instead of hand caned.
Thonet chairs are like early Ikea. Thonet designed the No.14 in 1859, and it hasn’t been out of fashion ever since. It was the first piece of furniture that fitted in a flat-pack, as it only consisted of 6 pieces of wood and a couple of screws. It was cheap to produce, cheap to ship, cheap to store, lightweight and durable.
You will need:
- Drill
- Measuring tape
- Cord for weaving: make sure your cord is flexible enough so that it can bend without problems, but still sturdy enough to hold a medium to large sized ass.
- Staple gun, or alternatively small nails and a hammer
Step 1: Strip and Sand
As a first step, I took off the original seat and gave the chair a good sanding overall. Then I painted the black chair white. Don't forget to lightly sand in between the layers.
Step 2: Measure
Measure the circumflex of the round seat. Divide this by 8. Mark those 8 points on the inside of the chair.
Step 3: Drill
Drill holes on those 8 points. Make sure that your drill is slightly larger than the cord, so it can fit through the holes.
Pull the thread through the holes and staple at the bottom. If you don't have a staple gun, you can hammer in small nails and tie the thread around it. After you made a knot around the nail, hammer in the nail completely.
Pull the thread through the holes and staple at the bottom. If you don't have a staple gun, you can hammer in small nails and tie the thread around it. After you made a knot around the nail, hammer in the nail completely.
Step 4: Weave
Start weaving! It's really quite easy. First you tie a knot at the bottom of the center (the center is where all the wires meet). From there you go under the first wire. Come up the other side and pass on to number 2.
Step 5: Finish the Web
Continue like this all around. Make sure it is tight enough, but make sure that you pull evenly. If you pull too much on one side, you will end up with an uneven result.
Step 6: Voila !
Voila, that's it! Just staple or hammer the final threat at the bottom and you are done! Imagine the possibilities with colour of chair and seat!