Our webbed chairs we use up at the lake finally gave up the ghost at the end of last summer. They didn’t completely give way, but close enough. Like my grandparents, I hate to throw things out, so rewebbing them made a good winter project.
I ordered webbing from Amazon.com. As it turns out, I got the wrong size, and the color certainly doesn’t match, but I think they will be serviceable at least. I was able to reuse the attachment hardware, so the only cost was some time and the webbing.
The first step is to remove the old webbing. I didn’t want to have to replace all of it, just what was worn through, but if you want it to match you’ll have to take it all out. It’s a good idea to take enough care when removing it that you can measure one of the pieces you take out so you have an idea what length you’ll want for your new webbing strips. You also want to take care to preserve the hardware.
There are different types of attachments for webbed chairs, so be careful to note how your webbing is attached so you can recreate it.
Cut your webbing into the appropriate lengths. Longer is better than too short! Too short pieces have to be thrown out and that cuts into the money you’ll save by taking the time to do this project to begin with!
Fold one end back (look at the pieces you removed as a guide) and tuck the edges underneath so that the end makes a “V.” For the type of attachment hardware I had, I used scissors to poke a small hole in the center of the “V” for the attachment clip. Next I inserted the clip into the hole in the chair and wove the webbing through the chair.
The next step got a bit tricky. To figure out where to put the other attachment clip, I lined it up without the clip, pulled the webbing as tight as I could and then used the scissors to make another small hole where the clip would go. Then I pushed the clip through and inserted it into the chair. It takes some strength to get it in there taut – I had to have my husband do it for me.
Keep going until your chair is finished. It doesn’t look terrific, but at least I know I did it myself and I saved the chairs from the landfill!