Beginning Chair Caning

Saturdays, April 5 and 12 from 9am-4pm

Class level: Beginner

Age requirements: 18 and older

Teaching artist: Dick Peterson   

Class fee: $245

This class will teach you how to cane an antique chair using the Seven Step method of chair caning. You will also have the opportunity for some homework between the two class days. At the completion of the class,  you will have a caned chair to take home.   

Required Supplies:

• Medium size bucket to soak the cane  

• Nail clip to trim the cane             

• Small bowl to hold the pegs and other tools     

• Chair to cane (TAC may be able to provide you with a chair, however supplies are limited; contact us here to reserve a chair)    

  • If you are bringing your own chair you must send a picture of it to TAC to ensure it is an appropriate style for this class. Please send the photo to us here.

Provided supplies:             

• Cane

• Pegs

• Awl/ice pick

• Forceps

• Possible chair to cane (TAC may be able to provide you with a chair, however supplies are limited; contact us here to reserve a chair)    

  • If you are bringing your own chair you must send a picture of it to TAC to ensure it is an appropriate style for this class. Please send the photo to us here.

Important Notes:

• This class has some physical demand, though it has been completed by young and old! You will use your body for about six hours each day of the workshop to manipulate the cane. This may be done sitting or standing.

• There will be a break of about 45 minutes. Please consider bringing a sack lunch for efficiency.

• Completion of your caned chair depends on your speed and ability. For those who do not finish their chair in the two classes, and/or would like more guidance, you may arrange a time to meet up with Dick during a future session of TAC’s Free Maker Mondays.

REGISTER

Bio:

Dick Peterson started caning chairs approximately forty years ago. His wife had two antique chairs from her family with broken caned seats, and couldn't find anyone to cane them.  Fortunately, the local technical college in LaCrosse was offering a chair caning class! Dick completed the class and caned both chairs. Several friends knew he caned chairs, and he started getting requests to cane their chairs. Many of these chairs are family heirlooms. Dick also does caning for several area antique stores. Over the past forty years,  Dick has caned approximately four hundred chairs. Originally from Onalaska, Wisconsin, Dick moved to Waunakee twelve years ago.