Do-it-yourself rattan furniture is a completely feasible task if you master the technique of weaving from natural or artificial materials. Such furniture will become an exquisite decoration for a house, apartment, or summer cottage.
Rattan is a type of vine palm that has a long stem with a layered structure. An elastic bark covers a porous middle layer, and behind it lies a durable core. After treatment with hot steam, the stem becomes incredibly flexible. Thanks to this property of rattan, it is possible to produce furniture of different shapes and sizes.
Country interior items are very diverse:
Depending on the purpose of use, furniture elements can be divided into groups:
By design features there are:
From this video you will learn how to make beautiful rattan furniture with your own hands:
Weaving rattan furniture is a labor-intensive process that requires a lot of patience, because rattan rods need careful processing. As when processing vines, rattan also needs to be thoroughly cleaned of the top layer. In addition, the material should be graded by thickness, steamed, and straightened. Rattan bark is also useful in the production of furniture products. Rugs, mats, and elements for armchairs and sofas are made from it. Thinner stems are well suited for decorating patterns, and thicker stems can be used to make a frame.
First, the stem must be given the required shape by pre-treating it with steam. Next, the stem is installed on a special machine to firmly strengthen the structure. In about a day it is ready for work. All elements of a wicker product can also be connected with rattan. To preserve the texture and beautiful natural shade of the product, it can be treated with varnish or special wax.
Rattan furniture is environmentally friendly, durable, and moisture resistant. Such products are easy to assemble and move. But it should be remembered that rattan is afraid of temperature changes and open fire.
Artificial rattan is easy to work with because it is flexible and is produced in the form of long threads, so it does not require gluing or joining of elements.
The choice of artificial rattan configuration is quite wide:
The material can be of different lengths, thicknesses and widths. Artificial rattan is produced with a smooth and ribbed surface; it is varied in color and texture.
For weaving you will need a small number of tools:
Don't forget about the tool for creating furniture In order to make a stable structure with a long service life, it is better to use ready-made furniture frames. They can be made of metal, wood, polypropylene. There are several advantages to braiding a finished base:
There are several basic weaving options:
The most common rectangular shape (for example, a chair) is braided like this:
This weaving sequence is universal - it is also suitable for making a small ottoman, and if you increase the area of the frame, you will get an excellent coffee table.
Options for decorating furniture are very diverse: bright textiles, pillows, rugs.
Wickerwork looks great with various decorative materials: glass, wood, ceramics. All this gives a huge space for interior design.
The advantages of artificial rattan furniture are obvious:
Wicker furniture is considered an excellent solution for different interiors and exteriors. It has many advantages and is presented in numerous forms; you can create wicker furniture with your own hands quickly and easily, and at the same time it can fully meet the needs of direct users. The whole process is divided into simple sequential steps, so if you first make a drawing, watch a training video and follow the instructions exactly, you will get a reliable and durable design.
The advantages of creating wicker furniture include:
To learn how to competently weave different designs, it is recommended to practice first, for which you can create different products for dolls or other toys.
The disadvantages of DIY wicker furniture include the fact that it does not withstand exposure to various atmospheric factors for a long time, so it is not allowed to leave it outside for a long time. Also, regular use leads to the fact that some elements of such products will begin to unravel, and repair is a complex process.
The manufacture of wicker furniture can be carried out using various materials. The main requirement for them is high flexibility and durability. The most commonly used materials are:
Having figured out what furniture is woven from, you can begin the actual weaving process.
banana leaves
How to make wicker furniture? This process is not considered too complicated, but you must first prepare for it so that all the tools and materials are at hand. To do this, you must have:
For beginners, it is recommended to use rattan, since this material is considered the easiest to use, but if you want to make wicker furniture from willow with your own hands, then you need to prepare for a rather complicated process, since the rods are quite rigid.
In addition to preparing the materials, you should decide what kind of weaving will be used:
Single
It is necessary to ensure in advance that all components of one piece of furniture are firmly fastened, otherwise it will not last too long. The connection of individual elements can be detachable or permanent. In the first case, any structure can be disassembled if necessary, and then reassembled, but this method is not used too often. The most optimal technique is considered to be a permanent connection, which ensures the strength of the resulting structure.
A master class of this process for beginners is presented step by step below. The procedure does not have any specific difficulties, so it can be performed even by people who do not have complex skills.
The following steps are performed in advance:
After completing all the preparatory steps, you can begin the actual process of creating a sofa.
Required Tools
First, the frame is made. Some wicker furniture can be made without it, but not a sofa, since it will certainly be subject to quite significant loads during operation.
The frame can be made of wood or metal. It should completely match the shape and size of the future seat. It is important to use materials coated with special protective agents that prevent the process of corrosion or rotting. Self-tapping screws or other fasteners can be used to connect individual parts. The resulting frame is braided with selected rods, for which you can use different weaving technologies.
Wooden frame
The frame is gradually braided with rattan
Either three or four legs can be selected. Their height can also be different, and for this purpose the height and other dimensions of the people who are the main users of the resulting sofa are assessed. Their optimal height is considered to be 40 cm. They are fixed to the seat using self-tapping screws, and the distance between them should be the same.
To create the back, a metal rod or wooden stick is prepared. The length of this element should be slightly longer than the seat. It is fixed to the rear legs with self-tapping screws. The resulting structure is covered with wicker elements that are connected to each other securely and tightly.
Work is best done on a stand
A sofa made of wicker elements must be reliable, for which in the process of its manufacture it is imperative to give it rigidity. To do this, follow these steps:
Made of wood.
Today we will talk about an artificial rattan substitute (also called technorattan or polyrattan), which is used to make wicker furniture. This material is supplied in the form of multi-colored ribbons, threads, circle segments, rolled into coils. Unlike its natural counterpart, artificial rattan does not fade under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and is highly resistant to adverse weather conditions. Therefore, I often use it to make outdoor furniture or wicker decorative items that can be left outside all year round in the snow and rain.
Many owners of suburban areas would like to put furniture made of this material in a gazebo or recreation area. But the high price of these products, which are considered a “handmade” product, stops them. It was the money question that prompted the FORUMHOUSE user with the nickname Lulava master artificial rattan weaving and all the intricacies of this craft in order to equip the living room in your house near Moscow with beautiful and functional furniture on which you can sit and relax on long winter evenings. 
Lulava FORUMHOUSE Member
After searching, I found wicker furniture that I really liked. Having caught fire with the purchase, I cooled down when I saw the price tag, but the desire to have something like that overpowered me. After studying the Internet, I made a firm decision - to start make wicker furniture yourself.
And here are samples of furniture that the user liked.
Now let’s announce the price tag for it: the chair costs 45 thousand rubles, the corner sofa costs 124 thousand rubles. No wonder that Lulava I ordered 26 kg of technorattan - strips 9 mm wide and 1 mm thick.
Artificial rattan is sold in kilograms. This ratio of width and thickness, as indicated above, ultimately gives the maximum length of the coil for a given weight, which allows for savings.
Also, according to the user, if you make a rattan sofa or chair with your own hands with a platform used as a self-supporting one, then it is better to use a more durable poly rattan, in the form of a circle segment, 1.2-1.4 mm thick, although artificial rattan 1 mm thick has sufficient strength and load-bearing capacity.
Work should begin with choosing a base that will be braided with rattan ribbons. One such option could be a metal frame made of galvanized or aluminum pipes. But Lulava I settled on the most technologically advanced option - a wooden one, made from a block with a cross-section of 4x4 cm, which is then treated with antiseptic impregnations.
Rattan weaving for beginners: nuances
The most difficult thing in making furniture from artificial rattan is the weaving process itself. Despite the many training videos on the Internet, it is not always possible to see the nuances of the technology. Not enough information. Therefore, the user had to comprehend a lot by trial and error.
Start weaving rattan furniture with the simplest products. This will prevent you from “burning out” ahead of time, and also from losing interest in your work. And only after you have “filled your hand”, move on to more important subjects.
Lulava
I started the weaving work with an ottoman. Moreover, I had to redo it 3 times until I understood how to do everything correctly. Then I moved on to making the frame - the base of the sofa. To do this, I took the dimensions of the Swedish analogue - 2240 (length) x 660 (height) x 860 (width) mm.
The structure of the wooden frame is shown in the following photo.
The assembly was carried out on the “75th”, so-called. "black" screws. Although such fasteners are not the most optimal option for connecting critical structures (the heads of self-tapping screws can be cut off), the main thing is to think about how the load will be distributed.
The armrests of the sofa should not “hang” in the air. The part must rest directly on the load-bearing frame, and the main load is redistributed onto it. Self-tapping screws are needed only to fix the armrest - to connect it to the base in the desired position and prevent shifting.
When weaving artificial rattan, it is important to remember that one wrong stitch made at the very beginning will lead to a defective product. Everything will have to start over. Making polyrattan furniture is the lot of attentive and patient people.
Lulava
It is most convenient to work by placing the furniture on a stand. Even after watching the video with master classes on weaving, I still had questions about the secrets of the work. I had to learn everything from my own experience.
We will need the following tools for weaving:
A soldering iron is needed to solder the lock - at the junction of the strips.
Practical advice on working with technorattan is interesting. We assemble the frame with maximum geometric accuracy. Misalignments or inaccuracies in measurements may result in more stitches being needed on one side than the other, or gaps remaining.
According to Lulava, not important– length of the sofa, width of the armrest, because The pitch of the vertical threads can be changed.
But especially important– the height of the sofa, the length of the armrest and the height of the sofa from the front side (from the seat to the bottom edge).
We carry out the weaving itself without using a shuttle, because Poly rattan is a tough material and can be pulled through rows well. Using a shuttle will only complicate the work of threading it between the strips.
Recently, furniture made from natural materials has become increasingly popular. It is beautiful, environmentally friendly, has a special warmth, is durable, does not cause allergic reactions, and creates a special atmosphere of coziness and comfort. Wicker products occupy a special place in the furniture market. But furniture made independently is considered a special chic and source of pride.
It is beautiful, environmentally friendly, has a special warmth, is durable, does not cause allergic reactions, and creates a special atmosphere of coziness and comfort.
Made with your own hands, such furniture has advantages and certain disadvantages. Among the undeniable advantages:
Made with your own hands, such furniture has advantages and certain disadvantages.
Despite the undoubted advantages of wicker furniture, there are also disadvantages that must be taken into account:
Light weight, allowing you to move it to any place in the room or area of the site.
Structurally, wicker furniture can be:
Fits perfectly into any interior, adding lightness and sophistication.
For a frameless structure, it is enough to use sticks. They perform the function of hard ribs. The difference between frame products is the presence of a metal base; steel rods are used for it. The weaving seems to be “attached” to them. Wooden poles provide stability and rigidity to the wooden structure.
Does not require special care: it looks elegant and fresh if you periodically wipe it with a damp cloth or sponge.
If home craftsmen are taking their first steps in weaving furniture, they should not take on complex products: it will be extremely difficult for an inexperienced craftsman to complete them, which will lead to numerous mistakes and disappointments; you need to start with the simplest ones, which give you the opportunity to master the necessary skills.
In order for the product to be of high quality and durable, you need to properly prepare the raw materials.
The furniture has several types of weaving:
| Type of weaving | Distinctive features |
| Single | Simple weaving is easy to master: each branch alternately braids all the posts of the frame. Usually used as the main method of making wicker items. Gives additional strength and keeps the shape of the product. |
| Openwork | Weaving is used in furniture decoration, adding special chic and originality. It can be used to create waves, corners, ovals, crosses, and diamonds. Requires perseverance, attention, accuracy. Before execution, you need to decide on the ornament, weave several single rows, then choose a decoration method. The most commonly used is straight openwork with stripes of light. A fairly complex type of work that requires significant skills. |
| Combined | This type is a combination of single and openwork weaving in their varieties. The design of wicker products using combined weaving is “aerobatics” and indicates a high level of craftsmanship. |
Environmentally friendly, does not emit substances harmful to health into the surrounding atmosphere.
To make furniture from wicker you will need materials. It is worth noting that they can be different, and many are exotic and inaccessible to us: banana leaves, bamboo, water hyacinth, seaweed. But most of the furniture is made from rattan, willow twigs, bird cherry vines, alder, raspberry, and hazel.
Experts say that it is possible to harvest raw materials in the spring.
IMPORTANT! If you decide to use a vine, willow and bird cherry, which are particularly flexible and plastic, are best suited. Bird cherry is especially good in this regard.
When weaving correctly, it is durable and strong.
Excellent decorative elements are colored pillows and blankets of various colors.
In order for the product to be of high quality and durable, you need to properly prepare the raw materials. Most often these are willow twigs.
The opportunity to acquire skills that allow you to organize your own small profitable business.
To weave furniture from wicker, you don’t need many tools, but you should have:
Afraid of high humidity: should not be left outdoors in bad weather.
This is the required minimum; with the help of such a set of tools you can weave simple and small-sized products.
The difference between frame products is the presence of a metal base; steel rods are used for it.
In order not to lose interest in weaving furniture and not to spoil a large amount of material, you should not immediately “swing” at large and quite complex products - a sofa or a table. It’s better to start with the simplest “braids”, for example, a chair. It consists of several elements: a lower bench, a seat, a backrest, and armrests. To work, you will need willow sticks with a diameter of up to 30 mm and thin willow twigs.
Wooden poles provide stability and rigidity to the wooden structure.
The beginning of the work is the manufacture of the frame.
ADVICE. When working on a chair, you will need curved parts. To bend the rods, you need to soak them, and when they become soft, remove any irregularities and bend them on a prepared template and let them dry.
You need to cut the branches at forty degrees - pruning will not harm the tree, and in a year or two new branches will appear.
The beginning of the work is the manufacture of the frame. If a craftsman is taking his first steps in weaving furniture, it is better to use the frame of an old chair made of metal or wood to make the work easier.
You need to conduct a kind of flexibility test.
When working on a chair, you will need curved parts.
ATTENTION! We must not forget about the armrests, which, however, are made at the request of the master, but serve as an additional element to strengthen the entire structure.
But most of the furniture is made from rattan, willow twigs, bird cherry vines, alder, raspberry, and hazel.
The procedure for making a chair.
Bird cherry is especially good in this regard.
It’s better to start with the simplest “braids”, for example, a chair.
If desired, the resulting chair is treated with stain.
To make furniture from wicker you will need materials.
High-quality wicker furniture practically does not need decoration: it is good in itself. If you want to add an element of creativity and “revive” it with bright colors, you can use willow ribbons in weaving, including dyed ones; they will be organically combined in the ornament of the product. Excellent decorative elements are colored pillows and blankets of various colors.
If home craftsmen are taking their first steps in weaving furniture, they should not take on complex products.
Thicker branches are used to make the frame.
Do-it-yourself wicker furniture, made in the best traditions of folk craftsmen, are exclusive interior items, distinguished by their reliability, originality, elegance, and ease of use. Vine has long been used to create exquisite and at the same time inexpensive household items. Once you master basic weaving techniques, you can easily make almost any furniture. In addition, vine is an environmentally friendly, durable and free raw material.
Before you start making wicker furniture yourself, you should carefully study the step-by-step instructions for beginners. They describe in detail the process of creating furniture from wicker, from the moment of harvesting the material to assembling the finished structure. Pay attention to the design, as well as the structure of the frame part, because this is what will guarantee the strength of the created product.
The unique appearance of the furniture is given by the weaving method. It can be single, openwork, combined. To make reliable and durable furniture, you need to decide on the method of fixing individual parts of the structure. Fastenings can be detachable or permanent. In the first case, the assembly process is significantly simplified, in the second, the strength and reliability of the finished product increases.
Flexible branches of many plants can serve as material for weaving: bird cherry, willow, alder, hazel, raspberry, and nettle. Masters advise beginners to work with bird cherry blanks; such rods retain their original color and shine for a long time, are easy to dissect, cut, and are very elastic.
How the vine grows
The optimal place for collecting twigs will be the river bank, where many willow shoots sprout. It is best to prepare material for weaving in the fall (from October until the first frost) or in the spring. The vine should be cut with a sharp knife at an angle of 45°. The twigs collected during this period are easily cleaned of bark. The prepared vine can be stored dry for a long time. It remains suitable for weaving for up to 2-3 years.
If you want to make furniture with openwork patterns, you will need thin rods, which must be cut in the spring. When choosing a vine, pay attention to the thickness of the core. If it is thick, then it is better to use rods for the frame of the product. Also, when choosing blanks, you should pay attention to the width of the willow leaf: the narrower it is, the more flexible the vine will be.
Ready material for weaving
When it is necessary to achieve a light shade of wood, the rods are subjected to additional heat treatment by boiling them. This can be done by lowering the workpieces into a large vat of boiling water. To achieve a light color of the vine, it must be boiled for 3 hours. To obtain darker shades, the rods are kept in boiling water for at least 4 hours. Immediately after the end of the heat treatment, the rods should be cleared of bark, this will preserve the beautiful shade of natural wood. To do this, use a splinter or a rough glove.
Making a chair involves weaving the following elements: seat, back, sides, legs, drawers, additional elements (armrests). Willow twigs are perfect as a material for work. For the frame, you should prepare a vine with a diameter of 25-30 mm. Thinner rods up to 10 mm thick will be used to braid the product.
Depending on the complexity of the design and the skills of the craftsman, making a chair takes up to 7 days.
On average you will need 25-30 strong long pieces. A special tool, a jig, will help you bend the rod and smooth out its defects. First, cut the material into the necessary elements. To make a bent part, the soaked workpiece should be bent according to a template.
A chair intended for relaxation will consist of:
The frame should be made of strong rods. An armchair is an elegant and functional piece of furniture; armrests will not only make it more comfortable, but also give it additional strength.
The base of the structure frame is the lower bench, which is necessary for the reliability and stability of the chair. It consists of:
To make the seat, large, strong paired rods are chosen. They are attached to the frame rods and the cross rod of the seat. The back will consist of the upper part of the rear legs, the rods of the back part and horizontal elements.
During the manufacture of the chair frame, the legs are fixed to the frame and seat cross.
After this, the shoots are installed and the legs are tightened. Then comes the installation of the backrest and cross bars of the seat. To make armrests, pre-soaked blanks bent to the desired shape are used. This element is attached to the subframes and seat frame using small nails. The upper ends of the armrest rods should be attached to the side supports.
After completing the installation of all the main parts of the frame, you can begin braiding the product with a thin vine. Particular attention should be paid to the joints to hide the fasteners. After installing the inlaid rods on the seat and back, the chair takes on a finished look and is ready for use. The undeniable advantage of wicker furniture is its environmental friendliness, strength (can withstand up to 200 kg) and durability (such furniture lasts more than 20 years).
