Only the wealthy get to own custom made things, like lawn chairs. The rest of us have to buy what we see in our local stores, or online. That’s why a lot of people are trying something different: look at a picture of something that you’d like to have, but can’t afford, and then just make it yourself. That only applies to certain things, of course, but a lawn chair falls into that category. If the webbing in your favorite lawn chair is looking rough you can redo it with something unusual. It will appear that you’re now ordering custom items – just like a wealthy person – but you’re really just using some common items. Gather up some old leather belts – whether from your closet or a nearby thrift store – and you’ll have a custom lawn chair that will look great for years.
A regular lawn chair – not a lounger – is a perfect choice for using belts as webbing. The chair should be the type with an aluminum frame, and one that folds in half. Cut off all of the old webbing and you can put in the new, leather belt webbing in a hurry.
To go out and buy a bunch of belts for re-webbing a lawn chair would be costly but you can often find belts at a thrift store for ten cents or so, each. That makes the belts much cheaper than webbing – and much better looking. You’ll see that’s true when you finish the belt chair.
Remove all buckles and hardware from the belts and get started. Lay one end of a belt over the back of the chair, so that the length of the belt goes down the front of the chair. Wrap the end around the top, and glue it to itself. Use an industrial-strength, waterproof adhesive to glue the belts. Allow several inches of excess, and glue all of it down. Take the length of the belt, go under the bar that separates the back from the seat, and then take the end of the belt to the front edge of the chair. Glue the end of it over and under the chair front.
Continue adding more belts across the back, gluing down the end, going under the bar, and wrapping the other end over and under the front of the chair. Space the belts evenly; it should take five to six belts. When those are all in place, begin the weaving. Glue the end of one belt on the side bar of the chair, weave it in and out of the vertical belts, and glue the end to the opposite side. Space them evenly apart; it should take six to seven horizontal belts.
With the belts all in place you’ll find the chair comfortable and eye-catching. You didn’t pay a hundred bucks or more for the custom chair; you made it for a fraction of the cost. The leather belt webbing not only looks great but holds up for many years.
