Last month, I went to Nashville where Travis Curtis taught a group of fellow woodworkers and me how to build a Jennie Chair and, for better or for worse, I decided it should be purple and have squirrels on it. The chair was built, woven and painted purple in five days. Mapping out and painting the squirrel design back at the Willard Street shop took a couple more days.
The chair is painted in plum from Real Milk Paint and finished with a coat of garnet shellac and Soft Wax on top. The details are painted with acrylic paint from Real Milk Paint. The chair’s overall height reaches 33-1/4″, and its width is 18-1/4″. The seat height is 17-1/4″, and the depth is 14-1/2″. The seat is woven with sturdy recycled paper.
The design is Jennie Alexander’s from “Make a Chair from a Tree.”
The back slats hug the body nicely and slightly bend with the sitter. The woven seat has a gentle give to it – not stiff and not loose. The chair is lightweight at 6 pounds.
I chose squirrels as the star rodent for this chair. I wanted to replicate the layout of the hare and flowers on the Irish chair I made earlier this year while also allowing the chair to have its own personality.
This chair is ready to start its life journey with a special someone. I’m selling it via silent auction with the starting bid being $600. The highest bid is the price you will pay. The price includes crating and shipping anywhere to the lower 48 with no additional charges.
If you wish to buy this chair, send and email to [email protected] before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Please use the subject line “Squirrel Chair.” In the email please include your:
- Bid
- Name
- U.S. shipping address
- Daytime phone number (this is for the trucking quote only)
If you are the winner, the chair will be shipped to your door. If you’re local to Covington, you can pick it up at our shop.
— Katherine Schwarz
