Twig Furniture for your
Rustic Country Decor
From Classic Bentwood Chair to Rustic Driftwood Bench
Making twig furniture is very satisfying; not only do you have the fun of collecting your twigs, but then you can make a useful, functional and beautiful piece of art.Rustic country decor wouldn't be the same without twig furniture on porches and decks in country settings. If you’re fortunate enough to have access to a hedgerow where you can collect willows, maples and other suitable trees and shrubs – better yet, is your own hedgerow or shelterbelt and manage it specifically to provide the right kind of growth for twig furniture making. The best growth is long and whippy, and can be between 3cm and 8cm thick. These ranges can provide the right thickness of wood for most twig furniture. Pruning back hard every year and then providing enough water throughout the growing season will give the best growth. Willows in particular thrive on copious amounts of irrigation – make a mulch bed to grow them in, or grow them on the side of a seasonal creek or ditch. They sometimes are seen as windbreaks on the edge of roads where they capture a lot of snow blown by the prevailing wind. This ensures that the plants get lots of water when the snow melts to produce the fast growing long whippy growth that you need. Plans for the popular bentwood chairs and loveseats are available in books, and once you know the right dimensions for comfortable seating heights you can adapt almost any style to make it with twigs. Driftwood collected from the beach and old recycled weathered barn boards are favorite materials to adapt to rustic furniture building too.
Techniques for successfully building your twig furniture are much different from those used in furniture building using seasoned lumber. Twigs are most often used green, with the bark on, although in some cases they can be peeled. The best time to peel your willows and other twigs is in early spring, just before they bud out. Then the sap is running high, and the bark will peel easily. At any other season, it's much harder to remove the bark, and you may damage the twigs instead of peeling them. I find that the sap will encourage the growth of black mold, but wiping them down with a dilute solution of bleach will stop it. Assemble all the tools you need ahead of time, such as a rasp for finishing the ends of the twigs, and a small finishing hammer for the ardox or twist nails. Decide on the techniques that will suit your project before starting. I pre-drill all the holes to attach the bigger pieces of the frame, using a slightly smaller drill bit than the twist nails that I use. I have occasionally used drywall screws to attach the main parts together too. It’s important not to mar the delicate bark of the twigs. The smaller pieces can be attached with twist nails, or if they’re too small, regular common nails work too. Be aware that twist nails are impossible to get out without destroying your twig, so be really sure where you are putting them.
Once your piece is finished, you can use linseed oil diluted by about half with turpentine to wipe on the twigs with a rag. Once this soaks in which could take a week or two, do it again with linseed oil diluted with about a quarter of the amount of turpentine. Make sure that your piece is kept undercover while the linseed oil is drying as rain and heavy dew can mark it. The linseed oil gives a glow to the finished product, and the smell will dissipate if you do this in the summer and allow to dry thoroughly. You can make pillows to go on the furniture pieces, or use sheepskins or quilts as cushioning. Striped wool blankets look nice too, as well as providing a cozy cover when reading on the porch in the early morning. Winter storage under a porch or cover is essential, as the weather will make the twigs deteriorate quickly. Don’t wrap your furniture tightly with plastic as condensation can do as much or even more damage. A place with good air circulation and above freezing temperatures is best.
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