Wicker weaving for beginners: the best DIY furniture. DIY wicker furniture - the basics

Wicker furniture made of wicker favorably decorates and complements any interior, both classic and modern. If desired, thanks to the creatively thought-out design of such furniture, you can create a unique and unique style in your apartment or on a country plot with your own hands.

Some lovers of natural furniture dare to completely fill their home with interior items made from wicker. These can be not only rocking chairs, but also wicker cabinets, tables and shelving. In any office or living room, on the veranda or summer terrace Such decorative elements become the main leitmotif of the entire interior. At all times in Rus', people were engaged in making household items from wicker. These were bast shoes, vases, baskets, boxes and furniture. The structure of the vine is very flexible and pliable, and it also holds its shape remarkably well. Craftsmen from Europe also took over this craft, largely due to the environmental friendliness of the raw materials, thanks to their plant origin.

Stylish chairs and tables look great in combination with glass, metal and wood.

Durable wicker furniture weighs quite a bit, but can withstand quite heavy loads - up to 200 kg. It is resistant to moisture and, with appropriate treatment, to sunlight even in the hottest heat. This allows you to use such furniture by the pool, in the sauna, in the country house by the river, and so on.

At proper care and using wicker furniture for its intended purpose, it can serve its owners for more than a quarter of a century. You can see the traditional and most common models of wicker furniture in the photo.

Weaving technique

Modern craftsmen have learned to weave vines with the most in unusual ways. In many ways, the style of weaving depends on the elasticity of the materials, as well as the personal preferences of customers or craftsmen. Products made from wicker are mainly woven in several ways:

• simple weaving, in which the rod goes around all the risers, both from the outside and from the inside;
• checkerboard weaving;
• weaving with two rods;
• three-strand weaving;
• sealing the sides with a pigtail;
• layer-by-layer weaving, when the number of rods corresponds to the number of risers.

Advantages and disadvantages of wicker furniture

Advantages of wicker furniture:

• environmental friendliness of raw materials;
• unique style of wicker furniture;
• combination of wicker furniture with absolutely any interior;
• usage natural materials in the manufacture of furniture;
• practicality and durability;
• durability (about 20 years);
• pleasant woody smell;
• absence of pests due to pre-treatment of the vine;
• the furniture “breathes” and is ventilated well.

Disadvantages of wicker furniture:

• No matter how you try to protect wicker furniture, under prolonged exposure to sunlight it can fade and sometimes even crack;
• Artificial rattan furniture is destroyed in the rain;
• over the years, furniture (especially homemade) can become unraveled;
• the main disadvantage is the high price of wicker furniture.

Choosing the right rod

A high-quality rod for weaving relatively small openwork furniture should have a thin core. Rods with a thick core are useful for making gazebos or fences. Another selection criterion is the size of the willow leaf. The wider the leaf, the worse the vine will bend, and vice versa.

Popular raw materials for making wicker furniture are rattan or tropical vine. The material is very pliable for weaving, as it has increased flexibility, strong bark with soft wood and a hard core. Rattan branches are smooth and have no extra branches. Their length can sometimes reach 300 m.

Preparing the vine for weaving

Taking into account such parameters as the quality of raw materials, its price, durability and practicality, specialists mainly use rattan or wicker to weave furniture. Since rattan is a southern plant that can rarely be found in our area, and purchasing it in a store is not very profitable, craftsmen mainly use it to make furniture from wicker with their own hands. willow branches. Willow of any variety is suitable for this craft. It is necessary to procure raw materials from the end of autumn to the end of winter due to the fact that during this period there is no sap flow in the trees, thus it becomes possible to procure as much as possible. quality material. Using a special tree pruner, you need to cut straight, unbranched and long twigs.

If in the future your wicker furniture will be located outside, then it is better not to peel the cut branches. If your decorative element is intended solely for decorating the interior of the room, then it is better to clean the vine. To do this, boil freshly cut branches in water for 2 hours. Try to use large and deep dishes so as not to bend the branches several times. After 2 hours, the peel from the branches will be easy to separate.

DIY rattan sofa

To work on creating a rattan sofa you will need:

• vine;
• pruner;
• pencil;
• ruler;
• screws, screwdriver;
• jigsaw for wood;
• stain;
• wooden sticks for the frame (2 cm thick);
• drill, drill bits.

Technology for making a rattan sofa:

1. Before you start weaving, carefully sand the sticks for the sofa frame.
2. Prepare the vine as well. After boiling and removing the skin, wait until the materials are completely dry.
3. To make the frame of the sofa seat, take 4 prepared sticks: 2 - 60 cm each, and another 2 - 40 cm each. Fasten them together with a screwdriver and self-tapping screws so that you get a rectangle.
4. Next, prepare the front legs. There will be 3 of them, with a height that you determine yourself. But standard height– 40 cm.
5. Attach sticks to the prepared frame in the corners: two at the edges, one in the center.
6. If the height of the back of your sofa is 25 cm, then together with the height from the floor to the seat, the back poles should be 65 cm. Measure and cut to exactly this length with a jigsaw.
7. Using self-tapping screws, attach the 3 rear legs to the rectangular frame according to the same principle as the front legs.
8. If desired, you can connect the rear frame poles with a common arc. So, the back of your sofa will have a rounded shape. The length of the stick is approximately 100 cm; it must be screwed with self-tapping screws to the tops of the two rear sticks so that an arc is formed.
9. For greater strength, fasten the legs of the sofa together with additional sticks.
10. The main frame is ready, now the rattan branches should be planed to obtain flexible ribbons.
11. The shavings can be done with a knife. Carefully trim the long branches of the vine from top to bottom.
12. When everything is ready, all that remains is to make the frame. In this case, you can use a variety of techniques, but the easiest way is to use the technique of simple weaving through one stand with two or three rods on the outside and inside.
13. Use the rod to bend around one post from the front, and the next post from the back, until the circle is closed. At the same time, for the circle to close, there must be an odd number of racks.
14. When you start weaving the next row, do not forget to go around the first post from the opposite side, fixing each post in the correct position.
15. If the rod runs out at its base, place a new one behind the same rack and tuck its ends inward.
16. After completing the weaving of the frame, the sofa needs to be covered with stain and then varnish. And when the structure dries, it can be decorated with a foam seat covered with a beautiful fabric.

DIY coffee table made of wicker

In order to make a small wicker coffee table, stock up on a set of necessary tools:

• plywood sheet;
• 4 boards for the frame and the same number of bars for the legs;
• plywood upholstery plates;
• 4 rods for fastening table legs;
• rods and tapes for braiding.

Manufacturing technology:

1. From thick plywood sheet cut out a rectangle with a jigsaw the right size.
2. Using ribbons and willow rods, weave a fabric that fits the size of the plywood table top.
3. Carefully and inconspicuously nail the canvas to the tabletop with small nails and set it aside.
4. Now start making the base. Make a table frame from 4 boards, nail 4 bars to it - the legs of the structure.
5. Using additional branches, fasten the legs together approximately in the middle, crosswise. After this, wrap the structural parts with willow tapes.
6. Nail the tabletop to the frame.
7. Dry the wicker table and then coat it with a layer of varnish.

DIY grocery basket made from wicker

On a picnic or on a hike, a compact basket made of wicker will always come in handy; besides, even novice craftsmen can make such a simple product. Let's talk about the basket weaving technology in order:

1. First, make a hoop from a thin willow rod. Bend it to the desired diameter, tie the ends together with willow tape, and cut off the excess with a knife.
2. To create the base, start weaving vertical rods into the hoop one at a time at equal distances from each other. Maintain a right angle when doing this.
3. Loop the tail of the rod around the hoop and the riser rod and press with your fingers.
4. Following the sequence, weave in another riser rod. As an example, weaving technology on initial stage reminiscent of weaving a wreath of flowers.
5. The result is an approximate frame for the future basket. Start braiding it using the rods. Press the rows of rods closer together.
6. When you reach the bottom, bend the riser rods and trim off the excess ends that are too long.
7. After this, braid the bottom of the basket with a thin vine.
8. Make the handle of the product from several rods woven together. The base of the handle is a thick knitting rod; it must be wrapped with thinner rods.
9. Tie the ends of the bow and fold them over both sides of the basket.
10. As an additional decoration, you can use willow ribbons of different colors to weave them into the process of making the walls of the product.

Do-it-yourself openwork bread box made of wicker

To make a bread box, you will need to prepare one round wicker bottom (diameter 15 cm), a crosspiece (4x4), risers 55 cm long (19 pcs), thin rods-ropes, a blank template (diameter 20 cm), plywood stand (diameter 14 cm). From the list of tools, take with you an awl, a screwdriver, 20 mm long screws, twine, and varnish.

Manufacturing stages:

1. Moisten the finished bottom to avoid damage to the weaving and attach it to the blank with screws. The height from the bottom to the blank can be determined independently. It is expected to be 6 cm.
2. Sharpen the thick ends of the riser rods with a knife and insert them into the bottom next to the sticks.
3. Using pliers, squeeze the risers at the base, lift the tops of the heads up and tie.
4. Then, directly at the bottom of the basket, braid the risers with a rope of three rods, and make the walls with one rod 60 mm high.
5. Bend the risers in the form of an arc and weave the excess ends together.
6. When working with vines, do not forget to wipe the twigs with a damp cloth to prevent them from breaking.
7. Align the height of the sides of the bread box and the bending of the risers along the upper side of the template attached to the bottom at the very beginning.
8. When you finish weaving the sides, the blank can be removed.
9. Coat the finished product with varnish for durability.

You can take into account all the nuances when making wicker furniture, and also remember the sequence of the procedure for weaving various furniture from wicker by watching the video.

Caring for wicker furniture

The durability of wicker furniture made from natural materials is directly affected by proper care. There are three basic rules that must be followed when caring for wicker furniture:

1. To prevent cracks on such furniture, it needs to be slightly moistened about once or twice a month. Simply cover your chair or table with a damp blanket or sheet.
2. If your wicker set gets wet in the rain, leave it overnight in a dry and preferably ventilated area until completely dry.
3. Clean the vine from dust regularly. This can be done with a regular soft, dry or damp cloth.
4. Greasy and dirty places can simply be removed by any soap solution. Fat can also be removed using talcum powder.
5. Under no circumstances should wet wicker furniture be loaded with anything. Otherwise, it may change its shape.

To produce high-quality wicker furniture with your own hands, you must comply with certain requirements in order to make an armchair or stool quickly enough. The use of natural materials for weaving requires compliance with all design features of the type of furniture being manufactured, for example, a chair.

A wicker chair made from natural materials is easy to care for and fits perfectly into any style of room.

Weaving furniture is an exclusive type of activity for creating interior items. If the design is chosen correctly, wicker furniture will look original in an elegant style, being particularly reliable and easy to care for and use.

Since the number of cottage owners and country houses, then their desire to decorate the premises in a naturalistic style requires appropriate furniture, which can also be wicker.

Materials for making a wicker chair

You should pay attention to the differences in weaving methods. The following methods are distinguished:

1. Single.
2. Openwork.
3. Combined.

The entire process of making wicker chairs involves making original patterns, combining in various ways or using only one type of weaving.

The durability of wicker furniture is determined not only by the nature of the assembly of all elements, which can be detachable or non-detachable, but also by the material. When using permanent connections, glue or nails are used during the assembly of wicker elements, which gives the finished products special durability.

Most tree species are suitable for the production of wicker furniture. Willow, bird cherry, alder, hazel, raspberry, willow, etc. are used. The creation can be woven from grapevine, etc., it can be covered with rattan. For beginners, we recommend weaving from bird cherry twigs, which are optimally bendable.

You can always prepare pieces of twigs from bird cherry small sizes or ribbons that will have a natural shine and a spectacular shade. To simplify the process of assembling wicker furniture, detachable elements are used, but their number will be quite limited depending on the type of furniture.

Return to contents

How to properly prepare rods for weaving?

Typically, the preparation of rods for weaving begins from October until winter, when frost sets in, as well as in the spring. These seasons are due to the fact that wooden rods can be easily cleaned and kept dry for a very long time. The openwork weaving of the chairs is associated with the use of thin rods, which are cut in the spring.

If the core of the twigs is thin, this indicates the quality of the weaving material. If the rods have a thick core, then frames for wicker buildings, for example, gazebos, are made from them. The width of the sheet may indicate the flexibility of the rods; the narrower the sheet, the greater the bending of the material, the more delicate the product will be.

The effectiveness of the products depends on the processing technology of the rod from which the white rods are produced.

The method involves boiling the material in a large container into which hot boiled water is poured. Place the rods in the container and cook them for about an hour over high heat. To obtain light shades, you can cook the rods for about two more hours, and dark color The material is obtained by boiling it in the same water for 4 hours or more.

When the twigs are already boiled, you can begin to peel off the bark from them. Otherwise, the future material will lose its aesthetic shade.

To remove the bark, use a wood chip or rough gloves. The product will be most effective if you use glossy ribbons together with the rods, planed from rod blanks, which are divided into 2 or 4 parts using a knife or a small cleaver.

Return to contents

How to create a chair with your own hands?

Additional braiding of the bottom base: a-general view; b-braiding of the bottom posts with willow tape ( front side); c-fastening the ends of the willow ribbons (non-front side).

Wicker designs of lounge chairs include several elements, ranging from backrests to seats with armrests. The frame can be made from sticks of sufficient thickness. In this case, the braid is left in those places where the parts are articulated.

Decorative designs have certain features, since the functions of the armrests are related to convenience. Comfortable stay in the chair will be provided. To make the seat comfortable, the frame is made by strengthening the legs to the leg, that is, its cross.

After this, work should be done to tighten the chair leg. Then the backrest is installed in its upper part, the seat of the chair is made of rods running across. The formation of the armrests of the chair can be done using pre-treated elements, which are soaked willow sticks that are curved.

This is how they do it original chairs from rods. For example, you can make your own hanging wicker chair. It will be combined with the use of willow rods and synthetic rope.

During the weaving process you will need the following tools and materials:

1. Secateurs.
2. Glue.
3. Ruler.
4. Twine.
5. Metal-plastic hoop (hula hoop).
6. Willow twigs.
7. Synthetic rope.
8. Rope for slings.

First, they prepare willow branches.

They can usually be found near ponds or rivers. It's good when they are not too far from country house or dachas. You can collect branches by first cutting them from trees. The diameter of the rods should be from 10 to 20 mm, about 300-400 of them will be needed. After preparing the material for weaving, they begin to work.

Do-it-yourself wicker furniture made from natural natural material(vines) in Lately comes into fashion. This is due to the fact that the idea of ​​environmental friendliness has become popular home furniture, besides, she is not just beautiful, but practical. At the same time, how comfortable armchair, and the homeowner has the opportunity to weave more complex furniture independently to suit his needs.

Wicker furniture has recently become fashionable.

Making wicker furniture with your own hands involves selecting at the initial stage suitable materials for weaving. For example, today they include:

1. Banana leaves or abaca. Leaves for weaving are suitable in lengths from 75 to 350 cm. Not only ropes can be made from them, but also furniture, as well as a variety of ropes. This is a very durable and lightweight material with a natural brown color.

Wicker furniture made from banana leaves

2. Bamboo. Due to difficulties with weaving various products (due to rigidity) this material is not very widespread, but if you master the weaving technique using bamboo shavings, you can make very original decorative items from it.

Bamboo Wicker Furniture

3. Water hyacinth. Despite the fact that we are accustomed to consider this plant just decorative flower, from it it is quite possible to weave very interesting furniture. For this collected material dried, and then pressed and rolled into rolls. The advantage is that it is not subject to fading in the sun, but its preparation for weaving takes at least six months.

Water hyacinth wicker chair

4. Rattan. It is considered a fairly popular material for making wicker furniture. Rattan is durable and highly resistant to wear and moisture, which is why it is often found in saunas.

Rattan furniture

5. Furniture woven from seaweed can be very unusual. For all its unusualness, it is very durable, since it is braided with ribbons of algae. wooden frame furniture. So there is nothing surprising here, because some originals even manage to make such a product as do-it-yourself wicker furniture from newspaper tubes.

Furniture woven from seaweed can be very unusual.

6. The most popular material for weaving in the Russian Federation is willow. Despite the fact that it is prone to cracking and does not have a high degree of strength. Willow grows everywhere, so it is available to everyone who wants to get into willow weaving. To perform weaving, rods 50 cm long are usually used, and before weaving they have to be steamed in hot water.

The most popular material for weaving in the Russian Federation is willow

There are other materials from which furniture can be woven. This is a hollow, alder, bird cherry and even nettle. Bird cherry is best suited for weaving due to its increased ductility and flexibility.

Advice! If you are interested in DIY wicker furniture for beginners, it makes sense to start with wickerwork from the more common alder.

Wicker frame furniture

Types of wicker furniture

Do-it-yourself wicker furniture comes in several types:

1. Frameless type. Here, when creating furniture, only strong branches are used, playing the role of rigid ribs to support and form the structure from rods.
2. Frame furniture. In this case, the chair has a base of steel and iron rods, and the weaving itself is carried out on top of such a frame.
3. Wooden frame, which differs from the above-mentioned type by replacing metal with wood.

For the eco style, wicker furniture will be very relevant

At the same time, wicker furniture of any type has both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:

1. Light weight, making it easy to move from place to place and lift.
2. No need for special care, as well as ease of operation. Here it is enough to carefully wipe it with a damp sponge in order to prevent cracking of its surface.
3. The ability to fit perfectly into almost any interior, for example, for eco-style wicker furniture will be very relevant.
4. Strength and durability with proper and high-quality weaving.

Wicker products do not tolerate increased humidity very well.

As for the disadvantages, they include the following:

1. Wicker products do not tolerate increased humidity very well, so you need to be very careful to ensure that chairs and tables woven from wicker are not exposed to precipitation.
2. The braided cat is also afraid of equally drying out and direct exposure to solar radiation, which makes it possible to use it not in all cases.

On a note! You can decide whether you need such furniture or not only when you decide what type of interior will be used in your room.

For example, the use of such structures is uncharacteristic for a classic interior. In addition, they are not suitable for high-tech rooms.

The use of such structures is uncharacteristic for a classic interior.

If you still want to have a set of wicker furniture, you should turn your attention to rattan products that are not afraid of the sun, humidity, and are very strong and durable. However, you should work with such material only after you have mastered the basics of wicker weaving; before that, it is better to work with simple willow or alder first. They are accessible because they grow almost anywhere, and there is a large set of weaving tutorials freely available.

Basic techniques for making wicker furniture

If you are a beginner and you need wicker furniture made by yourself, you should watch a video on how to create it. At the same time, you should start such work by preparing the material that is suitable for you.

So, in order to properly trim the vine twigs, it is necessary to collect them before the buds begin to appear on the branches of willow or alder. A branch of suitable length and curvature is cut exclusively at an angle of 40°. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to ensure that new ones grow in place of the cut rods in the near future. This will allow you to have your own material base for your crafts.

It is best to harvest material for weaving in the fall.

It is best to prepare material for weaving in the fall. If the dose is cut at another time, it may germinate while already woven into the furniture. For this reason, you should not use freshly cut willow twigs for work. It is better to wait a little, without allowing the wood to become too hard.

Once you have cut the vine, you will need to bend it to determine its flexibility. Only those rods that will not break during this procedure are suitable for work. Those that break are subject to rejection.

On a note! Experienced wicker weaving experts advise choosing a rod that has a thin core, since branches with a thick core bend very poorly.

They make especially good small parts and elements of wicker furniture. Thicker branches with dense cores are best used to frame your furniture.

The finished vine should be prepared directly for weaving in the spring

If we talk about the time of year that is best to choose for harvesting, then it is best to do this in the fall, when the movement of sap in the trees has stopped, but before the onset of severe frosts. If you cut the twigs at this time, the leaves from such a branch will be perfectly cleaned, then long time will be kept dry. The finished vine should be prepared directly for weaving in the spring, when it becomes most flexible and elastic.

As for other materials for weaving, they are usually purchased in special stores, since seaweed or banana leaves do not grow in Russia. Therefore, if you need wicker rattan furniture made by yourself, try to find an appropriate specialized site on this topic. There, by the way, you can find tips on working with this unusual material.

Wicker furniture in the interior

Making wicker furniture

In order to understand how to make wicker furniture with your own hands, before starting work, it makes sense to consult on this topic with experienced craftsman wickerwork. The fact is that he can suggest some subtleties of working with vines that you cannot find in the public literature. As a result, your furniture will be made with high quality, and its service life will be long.

Do-it-yourself wicker furniture made from wicker is very original

Do-it-yourself wicker furniture made from wicker is very original. The process of its creation begins with the finished rods being placed in a container and boiled in boiling water, covered with a lid. The water should boil for at least an hour, and remain on medium heat for about another hour. It is worth noting that dark-colored vines will need to be cooked a little longer than light color(3 hours). At the same time, as soon as the vine is boiled, immediately remove it from the heat.

Wicker weaving originated in ancient times. Over the long centuries of its existence, from the production of objects necessary for human life, it has turned into real art. Weaving is practiced all over the world. Rattan and palm fiber, even pine roots and paper are used for this activity, but the most common material is willow twigs. The variety of materials has led to the emergence of various weaving techniques; objects created in different parts of the world are unique and different; they are united only by beauty and environmental friendliness.

Willow twig is an indispensable material for creating extremely useful household accessories. Containers woven from willow are good for storing cereals; they absorb and remove excess moisture and do not interfere with air circulation. In addition, willow contains bactericidal substances that prevent rotting. Since ancient times, wine bottles have been woven with willow to preserve it. Thanks to this “case” it is supported optimal temperature, the drink does not overheat or cool too much. Jugs braided with willow are also used for preparing fermented milk products. Fruit baskets, candy bowls, and bread bins are made from willow; they are very beautiful and functional. Items made from wicker are easy to clean without losing their shape.

Wicker Storage Boxes kitchen utensils- interior decoration Wicker vases and candy bowls - interior decoration Candy bowls, bread bins and vases made of wicker - table decoration

Accessories woven from willow are also very good for storing things. Their variety is impressive - these include small boxes and huge chests. Things in them do not cake and do not acquire unpleasant odor. Wicker boxes and storage boxes greatly decorate the interior.

Wicker baskets for storing things - beautiful and functional Wicker chests - interior decoration

Handicraft baskets allow you to neatly store numerous balls, spools, scraps, and ribbons.

Wicker furniture

Wicker furniture is an interior decoration. It is appropriate in the country or in winter garden, and in a luxurious living room. It is suitable for home and restaurant. Furniture woven from wicker was used both in palace interiors, surprising with its exquisite decoration of silver and gold, and in simple houses. Classic English and French interiors are unthinkable without it. But the willow vine allows you to create a wide variety of forms that will fit into the most radical interior without violating the concept. Wicker furniture includes cozy armchairs, majestic sofas, laconic stools, tea tables, bookcases, and even beds and playpens. Wickerwork is used as finishing for cabinets, cabinets, and chests of drawers.

Wicker armchairs, a table and a floor lamp - interior decoration. A rocking chair made of wicker and an openwork table - coziness in the interior. Wicker whatnot - lightness in classic interior A wicker table will decorate any interior

Wicker furniture goes perfectly with wood and stone, with animal skins. It makes any room warmer and closer to people. It is not without reason that it is traditionally used in rooms intended for recreation. Such furniture is very functional, it is very light, and you can rearrange it at any time. She is never cold. It is convenient for people of all ages - it’s a grandmother’s rocking chair, a cradle for a baby, and some strange object in a teenager’s room.

Wicker furniture - a cozy corner for drinking tea Wicker furniture - decoration of a garden, veranda, room Wicker chair - a feeling of warmth in the interior Wicker bed for a classic bedroom Original wicker chairs - the highlight of the design Original wicker chair for modern interior Wicker stool in the interior - beautiful and practical

Wicker houses for animals in the interior look very stylish, make the room cozy, and are usually very popular with pets.

Wicker cat house - interior decoration

Wicker decorative items

Lampshades woven from wicker for floor lamps, chandeliers, and sconces greatly decorate the interior.

Any painting or photograph in a wicker frame looks like a masterpiece.

Mirror frames made of wicker add solidity to the room without depriving it of coziness.

Floor and table vases made of wicker greatly decorate your home. They are ideal for dry arrangements, but can also be used for live bouquets on a special moisturizing base. Flower pots and tubs look beautiful in the interior and are comfortable for indoor plants.

Wicker floor vases- for different design styles Wicker flower pot and hanging vases for decorating rooms Wicker amulet for the kitchen - drive away evil spirits from the room

Wall panels made of wicker look very exotic, and floor mats are pleasant on the feet.

Wicker sculptures for home and garden

If the backyard of your country house is decorated with wicker sculptures, it will become more pleasant and lively. Wicker sculptures are distinguished by size and design features models. These include: statues, columns, crafts of animal figures, people or characters from fairy tales.

Animal figurines made from wicker are a wonderful decoration for the garden or large room. Made by hand, they seem to live: under the influence of conditions, they slightly change their poses and move.

Peacock made of wicker - the work of a Donetsk master

Wicker toys

A special place is occupied by wicker toys for children - sleighs, horses, carts. Unlike sculptures, they are woven from stronger rods; the ends of the rods are connected especially carefully so that the product does not fall apart and does not scratch the child.

Animals made from wicker - baskets for toys

All wicker items are made by hand, each of them is unique and each contains a piece of the master’s soul. Therefore, rooms filled with such things become very cozy.

A car made of wicker - to decorate the garden Did you like the article? Share on social networks!

In this article:

Wicker furniture is used not only for relaxing in the countryside and in country houses. Graceful openwork products made of wicker or rattan will be appropriate in cafes, summer areas, ethnic restaurants, baths and saunas, and even more so in the setting modern apartment(for example, in the kitchen, loggia, recreation area, hallway, hall, winter garden). Originality of the author's manual labor and the high environmental friendliness of the material is what makes products made from wicker rods so in demand. And therefore expensive.

But, despite the high profitability of products and the lowest cost of all types of wooden furniture, the market for wicker products is far from saturated and is filled mainly with expensive imported models. Therefore, it makes sense to start production and develop in the middle and low price segment. Fortunately, there are no problems with either raw materials or equipment. It's only up to talented craftsmen.

Types of wicker furniture

If we consider wicker furniture from the point of view of the materials used, it can be divided into:

• made entirely from plant materials (stick furniture with various types of weaving;
• solid wood furniture with decorative braiding);
• combined - furniture in the production of which, in addition to weaving rods, chipboard, plywood, frames made of wood, metal, plastic and soft elements for sitting and lying are used.

With the help of weaving they make:

• chairs, stools – mostly hard, non-dismountable;
• armchairs, chaise lounges, sofas, couches, beds, cradles - can be either soft or hard;
• tables – coffee tables, dining tables;
• shelves, chests of drawers, cabinets, chests.

Raw materials for the production of wicker furniture

Wicker furniture is made from any climbing plants with a fairly dense and flexible base.

For the production of wicker products the following can be used:

• willow raw materials– the general name for preparations from a number of plants, which include: vine, willow, willow, shelyuga, willow, sedge, willow. Three-year-old twigs (and older) are used for the furniture frame, and one-year-old vine is used for the weaving itself. Therefore, two types of raw materials are in demand in production: willow sticks for the frame, with a diameter of 10-40 mm and flexible stems-rods with a root thickness of up to 10 mm (Fig. 2);
• roots of pine, spruce, fir, cedar– harvested in cutting areas and uprooting areas;
• birch bark– a layer of birch bark, used for weaving decorative elements furniture. Birch bark strips, 20-40 mm wide, are harvested in the spring and summer from growing trees intended for felling or just felled. This birch bark has a beautiful natural shade (pink, yellowish-white), which lends itself well to coloring and goes well with other plant materials: vine, cattail, rattan;
• rattan– shoots of rattan palm;
• bamboo– tropical (subtropical) grass of the grass family;
• linden bark– bast in the form of ribbons of various widths is used both for decorative weaving and for connecting individual parts of the product into a single whole;

Today at industrial production Rattan and willow raw materials are widely used. Production full cycle includes independent preparation of rods with subsequent processing (sanding and drying). But you can also use ready-made raw materials, cleared of bark and processed to give the desired size and shape (round, flat, flat-convex rods-blanks). There is also a special ready material for the manufacture of seats for sofas, chairs, armchairs - reed fiber or rattan bark, which is split into fibers, “spun” on special machines into linens and sold in rolls.

The advantage of doing business in wicker furniture- in its availability: you can produce products on an industrial scale or organize piece production to order - it all depends on the volume of sales and the number of working craftsmen.

Wicker furniture market development trends

Reasons for growth and world leaders

According to data for 2012, the volume of the wicker furniture market in Russia exceeded 50 million rubles. It is necessary to take into account that many handicraft industries and “at-home” craftsmen do not officially register their business, so real indicators differ significantly from statistical ones. Of course, on the big side.

But, undoubtedly, the domestic wicker furniture market is actively developing. In 2011-2012 alone, its volume increased by more than 35% (in monetary terms). The reason for this growth was the increase in the volume of dacha and cottage construction. At the same time, owners of new private houses prefer to immediately purchase sets and sets of wicker furniture for furnishing premises and personal plots. And among “old” owners there is a tendency to abandon plastic (which until recently was considered the best option for country and garden furniture) in favor of much more comfortable, strong, environmentally friendly and wear-resistant wicker furniture.

In the world market of wicker products, leadership traditionally belongs to Asian countries: Indonesia, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines. And Russia is an exception here: domestic production occupies no more than 35% of the market volume. Everything else is import.

Undeniable competitive advantages in the form of low cost of raw materials (rattan and bamboo), large quantity Asian manufacturers have supplemented their labor force, which is cheap and trained in weaving techniques, with the active introduction of machine weaving, which reduces the quality of products, but allows them to increase volumes and reduce costs. In addition, most Asian countries prohibit the export of raw materials or impose strict restrictions on exports. Therefore, the domestic manufacturer uses mainly local raw materials - willow vine.

Structure Russian market wicker furniture:

• rattan furniture – 58%;
• wicker furniture – 31;
• bamboo furniture – 7%;
• furniture made from other materials for wickerwork – 4%.

Market prospects

Industry development trends:

• replacing expensive imported raw materials with independent procurement of domestic ones;
• reduction in imports. In 2012, the Indonesian government announced a moratorium on the export of rattan raw materials. This has significantly reduced the production of wicker furniture by other countries that do not have their own raw material base. Many factories even in the Asian region (for example, China) have converted to the production of furniture from bamboo or artificial rattan. European manufacturers - for the production of furniture from solid wood with decorative rattan braiding, remaining in production reserves;
• use of machinery for mass production of wicker furniture;
• tracking fashion trends– unlike Asian manufacturers, local entrepreneurs have the ability to quickly respond to changes in consumer demand;
• development of new furniture designs that would allow us to move away from the stereotype that “wicker” is outdoor furniture for cafes and furnishings for a summer house, as a result of which sales have a pronounced seasonality. In Europe, wicker furniture has long been recognized as comfortable and environmentally friendly for furnishing apartments - products from famous Italian and Spanish furniture companies(Roberti Rattan, Bonacina, Gabar, Rattan Wood, Rattan Deco) cost like luxury furniture. The price of an imported chair is about $450, a two-seater sofa is from $1300, a set of a pair of armchairs and coffee table– from $2000. In our country, the direction of “wicker furniture for the home” is just beginning to develop.

In general, over the next 5 years, experts predict the growth of the domestic wicker furniture market by 25-30% annually.

Equipment for the production of wicker furniture

Depending on the complexity of the technological process, in the production of wicker furniture they use hand tool and machines. Workplace braider is a stable table 750 mm long, up to 65 0 mm high and 400-450 mm wide with drawers for storing tools.

Manual equipment for mechanical processing of furniture includes:

• hand saws;
• shmol (for sharpening ribbons to width);
• plows;
• clamps (steel plates for bending or straightening rods);
• bit;
• iser (a cone-shaped steel plate for aligning rows in products and thickening the weave);
• chisels;
• drills, drill bits;
• screwdrivers;
• emery skins;
• knives and other tools.

Regarding automated production- at the moment this does not exist. There are only machines, the prototype of which was weaving ( Loom technologies), but for natural raw materials such technologies were not justified in terms of quality: even the weaving of a simple fabric after stitching is prone to deformation, and precise fit of the frame with uniform tension of the braid along the entire length can only be achieved by hand.

Technological process for manufacturing wicker furniture

Modern wicker furniture is not just a piece of furniture made from natural plant materials. The design can combine wood, leather, various accessories and even glass.

But the classic technology for the production of wicker furniture consists of the following stages:

• mechanical processing of wood (cutting, bending, planing, grinding, joining parts with screws, knitting);
• heating wood;
• drying;
• weaving;
• gluing;
• decoration and varnishing.

Stages of weaving furniture

Let's take a closer look at how wicker furniture is made from wicker:

1. The cheapest and most accessible raw material in our latitudes is willow vine. It is collected in forests, swamps, and river backwaters. It is very simple to check whether willow is suitable for weaving or not: before cutting the rod, bend it at a right angle. If it doesn’t break, it means the raw material is suitable for harvesting.

Willow harvesting ends as soon as buds appear on the vine. Depending on the period of cutting, the color of the raw material also changes: in the cold season the vine has a creamy tint, and in the summer it is white, the most sought after. But cutting willow in warm weather is not recommended: the butt (remnant of the twig) does not heal for a long time and does not produce new shoots. Therefore, the official harvesting period for vines is late autumn (from the end of October), winter and early spring. And to achieve a snow-white shade, the raw materials are bleached.

2. Stage of cleaning the rod from bark

After cutting, the rod is sorted and sent for debarking. Cleaning is possible in two ways:

• cold– to “revive” the rods, soak them in ordinary cold water to cause the movement of juices. This method does not require any special equipment; the rods can be soaked both in bathtubs and natural reservoirs. But for this method, raw materials that have retained at least 25-30% of the original moisture content are suitable. Therefore, on an industrial scale, the hot cleaning method is more in demand;
• hot. Without “cooking” it is almost impossible to peel off the bark without damaging the rod. Therefore, the sorted rods are loaded into a special container cage and lowered into a boiling “bath”, in which the raw materials are kept for about 2 hours. During this time, the hard bark softens and swells (Fig. 4).

The second method, more suitable for small production, is boiling in a boiler on outdoors. A small ditch is dug under the metal container and a fire is built in it. Water is boiled and rods weighed down are immersed in it so that they do not float above the surface.

3. Sanding the rod

Next, the steamed rods are sent for sanding. The barked rod should be completely clean along its entire length, with a creamy shiny surface. A high-quality rod cannot have breaks, scratches or other mechanical damage.

And such sanding can only be done manually, in the old fashioned way, with the help of special pincers through which the rod is “driven” along its entire length, which makes subsequent cleaning easier. The whiteness, elasticity and density of the rod depend on the method of its cleaning and subsequent drying.

4. Whitening process

To bleach the rods, use a special solution: bleach (1 part) is mixed with water (15 parts) diluted with two percent sulfuric acid. Bleaching with sulfur is also known. To do this, take 60 grams of sulfur per 1 m 3 of wood, set it on fire and place it in a sealed chamber for 3-6 hours.

5. Drying prepared rods

The debarked rods are sent to dryer- a special room where the temperature is maintained at about 60-70 C°. Here the raw materials are kept for at least 20 hours, after which they are ready for use.

In the warm season, the cleaned rod can also be dried in the sun (at the same time using the natural bleaching mechanism). True, drying in such conditions will last at least 3 days, but it will not require special equipment. During the rainy season, the rods are dried under canopies for at least 6-7 days.

6. Manufacturing of furniture frame

Next they make furniture frame. To do this, a large-diameter vine is leveled with a sapling, bent or bent (depending on design features furniture). Using the same jig, the rods are bent to necessary details. Then legs, crosses and other structural parts are nailed to the frame.

7. The frame is braided with split vines

Afterwards the frame is braided vine, split on a special machine into three flexible dense strips along the length of the rod. Manual separation is also used: for this, the rods are soaked in water for 4-7 hours (depending on the thickness), after which they are split into 3-4 parts (tires) using splitters.

8. Choosing a weaving technique

The craftsman, when creating a piece of furniture, takes into account its purpose, shape and permissible weight load. Based on these parameters, he selects the most optimal weaving technique.

Moreover, even in one product several types of weaving can be used at once:

• simple (Fig. 8);
• thick;
• solid;
• rare;
• openwork (Fig. 9);
• layer-by-layer (Fig. 10);
• in rows (Fig. 11);
• squares (Fig. 12);
• string (Fig. 13);
• bending (Fig. 14).

In order for the rods to bend well, during the weaving process they are moistened with water, after which finished goods dry again.

9. Connecting wicker parts

After weaving, the parts are connected in one of the following ways:

• simple overlay or trimming of wood by 1/3 or 1/4 of the thickness of one part in relation to the width of another part;
• corner connections (onlay);
• overlay with cutting and bending;
• connection of two parts using an oblique cut;
• girth fastening;
• connection by fire;
• tricks;
• leggings

8. Varnishing of wickerwork

After processing the frame with braid, forming parts using various weaving techniques, assembling and subsequent drying and grinding, it’s time for the next stage - varnishing of the product. For this purpose, nitrocellulose varnishes are used (for example, NTs-218,222,223,224), as well as paraffin-free polyester (PE-232,247,250). Such varnishes dry well and make the surface glossy and shiny.

After drying for 18-24 hours, the product is sent to the warehouse finished products. Since weaving rods are, in fact, the same wood, they can not only be varnished, but also stained and painted in any color, which gives ample opportunities in terms of design.

Features of organizing a business for the production of wicker furniture

1. Legal form of business

For legal registration, it is enough to register an individual entrepreneur, because the end consumer is mainly individuals.

2. Official type of activity

To conduct business activities, you must indicate the following OKVED codes:

• 36.14 – Production of other furniture;
• 52.44.1 Retail sale of furniture.

3. Room

In a workshop for the production of wicker furniture it is necessary to provide:

• a room for drying vines (outside - in the warm season, in a well-heated drying room - in winter);
• room for painting and varnishing;
• main production workshop.

There are no special requirements for the premises: heating, communications, access roads.

4. State standards

To get started, familiarize yourself with GOSTs:

• 25552-82 — Twisted and wicker products. Test methods
• 13025.5-71 Household furniture. Functional dimensions of tables
• 13025.2-85 Functional dimensions of furniture for sitting and lying
• 19120-93 Furniture for sitting and lying. Sofa beds, sofas, chair beds, lounge chairs, couches, ottomans, benches, banquettes. Test methods

5. Increasing benefits

The production of wicker furniture is a highly profitable business, especially if you procure the raw materials yourself. A finished furniture rod costs about 150-200 rubles/100 pieces (depending on the thickness and category).

6. Financial indicators

The cost of a finished wicker chair made according to GOST standards and sizes is 1-1.5 thousand rubles. (includes labor costs and purchased materials). At the same time, the sales price of the product starts from 3,000 rubles. and higher (depending on the region).

It takes about 3-5 days to make a chair or stool by one craftsman (depending on the complexity of the weaving).