Helen Cribbs of Chairs Caned

Four years ago we purchased Peerless Rattan from Helen Cribbs. Even though Helen retired from the business, she didn't retire from caning. She is an expert on intricate weaves using wide binding cane and splints. Visit her website www.chairscaned.com for more examples and instructions. Below is just one example of her awesome work.

Family History

When I was 26 with two children, I began an interest in antiques, my family history and just history in general. My mother came from a poor family that worked farms around Michigan, while my dad's family had a hardware store in Northville Michigan. They are both gone now, but not without leaving me with a great appreciation for what has gone before. This same sense of hard work and history is what I would like my kids to have and remember what it took to get them where they are.
I started caning after finding nobody in the area that could. Little did I know that it would become a passion and end up with us in business as not only doing the cane work but providing cane materials to people all over the country and world.
My daughter started helping me with the work. She took to it so naturally and has developed her own shortcuts and individual method. Adrian has caned so many chairs now, I can't even begin to count.

Caning helped me provide monies for education, weddings, vacations and extra fun things too. My hope is that both my kids will someday become interested in the value of the old, the great craftsmanship and time it took to make furniture and put the seats in them. I hope to find someday, tape marked with their names in back of furniture that they want because they appreciate their family history.

Memories of a Cane Rocker

Congratulations are in store for this grandmother on the birth of her first grandchild. She found this chair in her basement and tons of memories came to her as this was the chair she used to rock her child in...now she can rock her grandchild in this same rocker. We have so many cane and rush chairs in our home and each tells a story of children, grandchildren, cats, where we purchased them, who gave them to us - even how a foot went through the bottom. I dare say you have some cane and rush chairs in your homes that tell a story...we'd love to hear about them.

Hand Made Boxes

One of our customers makes oval boxes to resemble shaker type boxes. He had an idea to cane the top. It took a lot of figuring out how to make the holes, how many and how big in an oval on top of a box that wouldn't break. He makes all sizes and stack-able. After they are completed, he uses them for potpourri and the holes made from the cane make it possible for the fragrance to seep out into the room.

Fiber Rush Factory

Did you know that fiber rush was invented in the United States in the early 1900's? It was used to make wicker furniture and then later used for rush seating due to the Chinese embargo of rattan materials. Recently we went through a fiber rush factory - check out our video...

Rush Project

Yesterday, one of our customers came by for baby rush 3/32 for a project at the Trinity Senior Living Communities. The residents there are making St. Brigid Crosses. Thanks for sharing this!

Jeannie tackles something new

Jeannie has been caning for over 30 years - started when she bought a $4 chair and took it to a caning class. She says this round seat is one of the most complicated things she has ever tackled.