How to Weave a Chair with Shaker Tape

This is a short version (25 min) of a longer (45 min), more detailed video about Weaving a Chair with Shaker Tape. Dave from Silver River Chairs gives you an excellent explanation on the process with a few pro-tips to make it easier and quicker.
The longer unlisted version is available for purchase. Donate any amount you choose-$5/$10. It includes more pro-tips, more detailed explanations, less fast forwarding, and some great information about how to measure your chair seat and determine the appropriate amount of material to order. If you are an aspiring seat weaver, or if you are a seat weaver who just wants to learn how to streamline the process, give us a call and we will send you the link to the long version.
These videos (shorter/free for the education of the masses & longer/unlisted/pay what you want) are drafts of our upcoming online courses. Remote learning has become our priority in 2020! Give us a call at 828-707-4553 to learn more about the unlisted video. Email photos of your chair to [e-mail] if you have specific questions. Or visit our website to learn more about the nation's only chair caning school & museum. www.SilverRiverChairs.com
Thanks for watching! Like, subscribe, and Share!
XO
The Chair Nerds

[@GODSPEAKS898]

Wow! You made this look so easy to do. This takes a lot of time and patience and this is what makes for beautiful work. Thank you so much for sharing. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️❤️❤️

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Wow! Thanks for the wonderful compliments and thank you for taking the time to watch!

[@now_its_dark]

Thanks so much for this clear and detailed walkthrough!! I was able to produce a nearly perfect seat by following you step-by-step. 🙏

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you so much for the kind words! We're glad you're finding our instructional videos helpful and taking you time to express it. Happy weaving!

[@gailstenger2317]

great tutorial! going to try this on a small vintage beach chair. wish me luck!

[@davidsw5872]

Tried a few chairs with cane, but wanted to try tape for the next project. Thanks so much for this. Great tips and explanation!!

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you! We apologize for the low volume. It was our first video and the mics weren’t great. The other videos have better volume with the new mic

[@GaagiiLammers]

Thanks much for this video! I have never before woven a chair but I now feel up to the challenge.

[@jannoall]

Fabulous video ! Thanks , Dave ! Love the hint to keep top of the material on top !

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Glad you liked it Janet! Thanks for watching. We hope to have more for you eagle eye to critique in the next couple of months

[@faithblackwell3527]

I love your videos!!! You take your perfectionism from chair weaving to making instructions!!! Fabulous!

[@silverriverchairs3686]

You should see the long version (insert eye roll). We are really excited to apply these draft videos to our upcoming online courses

[@harleyphoenix3301]

i know Im asking randomly but does anyone know of a method to get back into an instagram account..? I stupidly forgot my account password. I appreciate any help you can offer me

[@grantomar7106]

@Harley Phoenix instablaster =)

[@harleyphoenix3301]

@Grant Omar thanks for your reply. I got to the site thru google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Seems to take a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@harleyphoenix3301]

@Grant Omar It did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thanks so much, you really help me out!

[@Ishoah7]

Just weaved my first ladder back. Thanks...

[@heathermcdonaldgaillot671]

Thank you so much. This was invaluable to a visual learner!

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Beautiful! Glad you are finding our videos helpful. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Happy Weaving!

[@margheritamelegari440]

How beautiful! thank you, it seems simple and it looks magic.

[@angelaardito6468]

Sei stato chiaro nella lavorazione bravo ,proverò anch'io😊

[@balbino4]

Thank you very much!

[@dteam8602]

Exactly what I needed. Thanks!

[@michaelstorto8658]

Great instruction, given complete inside in all steps, thanks.PLEASE ADJUST YOUR VOLUME, which is very weak

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you! WE ARE AWARE OF THE VOLUME ISSUE. It was the first free instructional video we ever did and at the early days of the pandemic when we didn’t know if our business would survive so we didn’t spend the money on really good mics. Turns out that is important. After spending that money on mics they volume issue was solved for most of the rest of the videos - splint and pressed cane still done with the inexpensive mic at the scary early pandemic days so maybe skip those. Hard to produce perfect videos as a total novice with tech stuff and also being pretty stressed - the rest are really good if I do say so myself.

[@janicegardner9458]

Excellent teaching and demonstration!

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you, thank you! We take our job seriously and do our best to relay our knowledge. Thanks for watching!

[@frankmorgan2772]

REally nice, good job !!

[@joycehempstead971]

Thank you! I've done a number of chairs - I think I erred on the "too-tight" side. About to do a rocker, back and seat.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Wish you the best on your projects! Tension is a tricky one...and dependent on so many factors. As our experience increased, we realized that you can lean on the weaving to add more tension and save energy by not having to pull the warp as tight. Thank you for watching!

[@unityneeded]

@@silverriverchairs3686 Already pulled the warp pretty tight on my canoe seats... I guess I'll find out tomorrow if it's too tight. Eeeek.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

@@unityneeded Don't fret! Shaker Tape is stretchy. Toward the end, it might be a little harder to weave than it needs to be, but canoe seats are small.

[@unityneeded]

@@silverriverchairs3686 So i was using 1/2 inch nylon band but following your method. Def got SUPER tight at the end. Herringbone on top and checkerboard on the bottom. Thank you for the instruction.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

@@unityneeded You are very welcome! And, yes, nylon isn't quite as stretchy as the cotton Shaker tape...and 1/2" would make it a tighter weave as well. But, it sounds like you got your project done. Yay! Well done!

[@ahmedghanima1522]

very well explained thanks

[@ricardosalas7091]

excelente trabajo, pero si fuera tan amable de decir ¿que material es?

[@matthewfacey4173]

Beautiful job! Art at work!

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thanks Mr. Facey. Send us a photo of your chair when you weave one!

[@amelialuchanavarro6474]

@@silverriverchairs3686 yyyy

[@asunciongimenez1485]

Me encanta gracias por la técnica

[@sarahmartin3310]

Thank you!

[@jatwangismyname900]

That was beautiful.

[@anjalilohia3895]

H, Thank you fore sharing such valuable information. I wanted to know of there is any substitute of tacks and staples. I don’t want to damage the rungs.

[@roumeguetteroumeguette5014]

Fantastic and very useful video ! I wish I had watched it before I weaved an old metallic folding chair. . It would have saved me a lot of time... And I have a question. I knew nothing about that technique, and the chair was metallic, so I could not nail anything. So I hand-sewed the tape at the ends and beginnings. (actually, it was not tape, I had a big roll of thick rope material you normally use to make shoe(espadrilles) soles, and did not know what else I could do with it). So the questions are (i have several chairs i would like to fix) - is sewing rather than nailing a common way of doing ? And if not, why not ? Wich problem, on a long term, with sewing ? - if you weave with leather ( I have plenty of leather from the back of old armchairs) will it stand if you nail it ? Or will it split ?

[@sergiorodriguez-uv1ng]

ecelente vídeo, no hablo ingles pero ha sido muy elocuente.Congratulations

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Solamente hablo un poquito español -Gracias para miras nuestro silla video

[@peterlanyon4135]

Thank you so much for posting this.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you for watching!...and taking the time to comment.

[@makisuarez8014]

so very nice art work, sir

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you! Shaker tape is pretty fun to work with and we truly appreciate your taking time to comment.

[@user-dy3te9bq5v]

Me encanta 💖 gracias por enseñarnos

[@antoniogonzalez7334]

Me encantó la realización de tu trabajo ✔️👍

[@silverriverchairs3686]

¡Gracias! Nos alegra que haya disfrutado de nuestro video y esperamos que las instrucciones hayan sido útiles.

[@laysemoura1113]

Nossa, muito obrigada por compartilhar! Amei!!!

[@marilynmurphy2666]

Awesome work👏👏👏

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you, thank you!

[@tinabeanr68]

I was wondering what you do if you run out of shaker tape at the last row? i bought another roll but not sure how to start the new roll? Any help would be Greatly appreciated!🙏🏼

[@mariajesusezcurra3211]

Vaya perfección!!!!!! Maravillosa quedó.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

¡Muchos gracias! Me alegro de que hayas disfrutado del video.

[@fabianantoniosilvapinto6843]

@@silverriverchairs3686 bueno yo tanbien tejo me gustaría saber el nombre de esa materia prima y donde lo consigo yo esti y en Brasil en río de Janeiro por favor buenas noches

[@silverriverchairs3686]

@@fabianantoniosilvapinto6843 Shaker Tape es un fleje de algodón. Hay una lista de proveedores en nuestro sitio web: silverriverchairs.com/resources/ O bien, puede intentar usar correas de nailon o algún otro material disponible localmente para usted.

[@dromero8293]

Excelentísimo trabajo. Muy bien!!!

[@silverriverchairs3686]

¡Muchas gracias! Me alegra que te haya gustado el video y gracias por tomarte el tiempo de comentar.

[@4563582]

excellent work, very elegant in the end; Can you tell me the name of that tape you use? It is that I am in Spain and I do not know what name it receives here to look for it. congratulations and thank you 🙏

[@michelleherrington5334]

you mentioned the natural color picks up dirt really easy. Can you seal it with something to help with that?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

any type of flat surface will pick up dirt easily, even hard surfaces like rush, splint, etc. For Shaker tape, you can apply scotch guard. Like all woven chairs, you can vacuum up surface dirt. Sitting fully on the chair's surface (vs just on the edge of the seat) will extend the life of the chair. Shaker tape can fade in direct sunlight, but once it fades, you can remove the weave and reverse the material for a brand new looking seat! No other type of woven seat can do this fun trick.

[@Dainesfamily]

What is the longer tool called and where can I get it

[@drunkbabysitter]

is there a reason for not applying finish to the stretchers that the fabric goes around? is it to save on finish or are you worried that the finish will stain the cotton?

[@oriettahoyos1955]

Muy bonito. Gran trabajo

[@silverriverchairs3686]

¡Gracias! Realmente apreciamos sus opiniones y comentarios.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

gracias!

[@user-xi3yr5di3o]

Can you put the herringbone on the top and the checker board on the bottom.

[@casselsdiego]

great video, thank you!

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you for the kind words! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@kristenparris6791]

How thick and firm is the foam

[@lilianasacchi6965]

🤩🤩🤩😍GENIAL!!!!!

[@silverriverchairs3686]

¡muchas gracias! Me alegra que te haya gustado el video y te hayas tomado el tiempo de comentar. Te deseo lo mejor.

[@genkidama7385]

looking good

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thanks! Shaker tape might be our favorite material...for the moment anyway! Cheers!

[@pittschapelfarm2844]

Beautiful work and thanks for showing us how. How much time does it take you to do that chair - - minus the tutorial?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Glad you found the video helpful. Chairs vary SO much...some fight you and some work with you. An "average" Shaker tape seat will take 2-3 hours. We schedule a 5 hour class for first-time students.

[@GenaroJrDisu]

Where can we purchase Shaker Tapes?

[@annfrench9658]

do you need to have foam for between the layers?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Yes...and no. The foam, or some form of padding, will extend the life of you seat and make the seat more comfortable. The Shakers would make a cloth pillow stuffed with straw/pine needles/cloth and glue it to the rails of the chair. The foam serves the same purpose, but is easier to work with. If you really don't want to use foam, that's fine...your seat won't implode, but it might be slightly less comfortable and might not last as long. Thanks for watching and we wish you the best!

[@monibar2227]

que pena que no esta en español, sos un genio explicando

[@silverriverchairs3686]

¡Es una buena idea! Tal vez le demos una oportunidad en un proyecto futuro. Gracias por ver.

[@andreakovacs3088]

Good job! :))) Almost like a surgent! :)))

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thanks for the kind words! We call our work benches "operating tables" for a reason. Thank you again for taking the time to watch and comment.

[@chucktangy]

This is a great video. What size is the Shaker Tape? 1", 3/4"?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

We primarily use 5/8" Shaker tape. It makes for a firm, stable seat.

[@edilmaquijano9801]

Linda quiero tener una Mesedoras me ayuda con los pasos?

[@maa_vankal_Charpai_kala]

Nice 🙏🙏🤝

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment! Yay!

[@barbaraweanerfnp2817]

How do you measure how much tape you need for a project? So you are not pulling through an entire roll if you don't need that much.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

That depends on the chair size and size of tape you are using. Any of the suppliers can help you calculate for your specific project. Look for suppliers on our "resources" page: silverriverchairs.com/resources/

[@carolwilder2289]

Where do you purchase the shaker tape and how many yards are normally used for a ladder back chair?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

There are many suppliers online. Many are listed on our "Resources" page: silverriverchairs.com/resources/ Any of the suppliers can help you determine exactly how much material you will need for your project. Plan on 40-50 yards for an "average" chair seat.

[@sylviebeaugeard1954]

Ou trouver ce ruban adhésif?

[@drunkbabysitter]

how many feet of tape did you end up using?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

An "average" chair will take approximately 20 yards of 5/8" Shaker Tape for the Warp and the same for the Weft. Every chair is different, so work with the supplier you choose and the dimensions of your chair. Our longer/unlisted video goes into more detail concerning measuring and calculating yardage. Thanks for watching!

[@bettyalmeida17167]

The pattern im the bottom is nicer than the pattern up.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

You could do the herringbone pattern on the top instead of checkerboard. The checkerboard seat is sturdier which is why we usually use that pattern. More importantly, we teach checkerboard on top and herringbone on the bottom to give our students the skills they would need to create fun patterns of their own.

[@emagriz]

❤

[@alansilva7441]

yes brasil

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thanks for watching!

[@lisawelch9788]

How many yards of each material do you need for this pattern? Thanks

[@silverriverchairs3686]

That depends on the size of the chair that you are weaving. Your supplier can help you figure out how much you would need- HH Perkins, The Country Seat, Shaker Workshops, etc.

[@charlotteblakeman7435]

how much length and where do you buy the material?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

You can find a list of suppliers on the "Resources" page of our website: silverriverchairs.com/resources/ Any of the suppliers are more than willing to help determine the amount of material for your project based on the measurements of the seat/back. Thank for watching and good luck on your project!

[@charlotteblakeman7435]

@@silverriverchairs3686 thank you!

[@miguelalvaradoy5687]

Alguien sabe en México que es la shaker tape?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Shaker tape es un fleje de algodón que lleva el nombre de una secta religiosa de mediados del siglo XIX. Este método de tejido funcionaría con casi cualquier forma de correa de tela plana. ¡Gracias por mirar y tomarse el tiempo para comentar!

[@alicemariamorgado5601]

Que fita qie material e esse que tu tranca

[@silverriverchairs3686]

A fita do agitador é uma tira de algodão, mas qualquer cabo plano / tira funcionará (portuguese?)

[@krzysztofccc2705]

Piękna robota! Zdrowia życzę

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Dziękujemy za spędzenie z nami czasu!

[@jeanbeanthequeen3428]

how much tape did you use?

[@silverriverchairs3686]

An "average" chair requires 20-25 yd of 5/8" Shaker tape. Any of the suppliers can help you calculate for your specific project. Look for suppliers on our "resources" page: silverriverchairs.com/resources/

[@valentinosoddu4812]

what material did you use? and where can I buy it?

[@klingdogg1]

The material is a cotton strapping called "Shaker Tape". We have a list of suppliers on the "Resources" page of our website: silverriverchairs.com/resources/

[@valentinosoddu4812]

@@klingdogg1 thank you so much !!🍻

[@dlee3710]

Ebay has lots

[@miltonmoraes3916]

Lindo trabalho

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Que belo elogio! Obrigado por assistir e comentar.

[@Rustyrc83]

Taut not taunt, we aren't making fun of the straps!

[@carlosmelendez9353]

Lo quiero traducir en español

[@silverriverchairs3686]

¡Ojalá mi español fuera lo suficientemente bueno para hacer un video correctamente! gracias por ver

[@crisoforohernandez6543]

Yo arregle la silla de mi abuelita siguiendo sus manos trátalo, saludos Carlos y Silver .

[@normagaribay541]

Where can I buy this straps? What’s the name? My new puppy dog destroyed my natural fiber knit chairs 😢

[@silverriverchairs3686]

@@normagaribay541 www.silverriverchairs.com has a resources page with a supplier list and links to their sites

[@silverriverchairs3686]

@@crisoforohernandez6543 ¡Mi abuela también tejía sillas!

[@ximenaviteri7044]

👏👏👏👌🤗🤗

[@silverriverchairs3686]

YAY!😁 Thank you for watching and we're glad you enjoyed our instruction.

[@pparvez2302]

Parvez Aslam good thanks so much love u 🇵🇰 very good thanks thanks 🤔 thanks 🤔 thanks

[@silverriverchairs3686]

Thank you for watching and your encouraging comments!

[@tanikobas6991]

Unfortunately the Sound is very quiet.

[@silverriverchairs3686]

We are aware- the issue was fixed with new mics for future videos but not this one, Splint, or Pressed Cane -

[@user-kc5gt3zm5s]

не могут они без гвоздей!

[@tinabeanr68]

I was wondering what you do if you run out of shaker tape at the last row? i bought another roll but not sure how to start the new roll? Any help would be Greatly appreciated!🙏🏼