Watch StreamingCommunity. Make a Chair From a Tree presents an informative history of chairmaking and joinery. Author J. Alexander brings the old method of using wood shrinkage to join parts back to modern woodworking, from splitting and shaping wood straight from the tree to the chair as well as finishing the chair and even weaving a bark seat. Using simple hand tools, you will see how to split and shape green wood into posts, rungs, and slats.