Danish Cord Seat Kit, 2 lb Laced Paper Cord with 100 L-Nails

Danish cord is the paper cord on the woven seats of many mid-century side chairs, stools and benches. It is three plies of kraft paper, twisted and laced into a firm, round cord that weaves into a crisp, even surface. This kit holds the cord and the nails for one seat.

The L-nails go into the inside of the seat rails. As you wrap the warp, the cord is hooked over them, which keeps the strands evenly spaced and holds the tension while you work. A typical chair seat uses 30 to 50 nails, so the 100 in the kit leave plenty of spares. The weft is then woven across the warp to finish the seat.

You will also need:

• A light hammer to set the L-nails
• Sharp scissors and a tape measure
• Spring clamps or clothespins to hold the cord between passes
• A pencil and ruler to mark the nail spacing on the rails
• Pliers, for pulling a nail that went in crooked

Keep everything dry. Danish cord is paper and should not be soaked; blot any spill and let it dry, and keep the finished chair indoors. Pull the cord firmly as you wrap, because paper cord does not shrink tight afterwards the way natural cane does.

Most dining chair seats take 1.5 to 2 lb of cord, and this coil is 2 lb. A wide bench or lounge chair can take more, so for a seat that is clearly bigger than a dining chair, plan on extra cord in the same color.

Color: natural is a light tan that sits warmly against oak, teak and walnut frames. Black gives a sharp, graphic contrast on light wood or painted frames. Both are the same laced 3-ply cord in the same 2 lb coil.

Amount: most dining chair seats take 1.5 to 2 lb, which is what this kit holds. To judge a bigger seat, compare it with an ordinary dining chair: if the front and side rails are both clearly longer, add a 1 lb coil of laced Danish cord in the same color.

If your chair originally had the flatter, softer unlaced cord, buy unlaced cord instead to keep the original look.