Twig Crafts

Twig Craft Projects From Natures Supply Cupboard - DIY Ideas

Escaping into the fresh air became a thing in the late 1800's, with families traveling away from the cities to be in nature. Their porches would be filled with twig furniture created by itinerant artisans, crafting wild branches and sticks into funky furnishings. If you have some of these original chairs, side tables and couches, hang onto them!

Using natural (and free) materials in unusual ways was essential - these traveling artists worked for a meal, or a place to stay for a few days before moving on, carrying little more than a bedroll and a folding knife.

Twig furniture such as twig chairs and rustic benches, highly decorated armoires and tables, as well as light fixtures and lamps decorated the guest accommodations of western hunting cabins.

At the beginning of the 20th century in the early 1900's, it was a long lived fad to have your picture taken with a twig chair or other twig craft as a backdrop, and many wedding pictures and other family portraits from the time show this trend.

Displayed with pride, possibly in a twig picture frame, these photos or daguerreotypes would have been a valuable memento of a beautiful time.

In the intervening decades, twig crafts became passé, and faded from popular fashion.

Today, the interest in producing art from nature’s bounty is growing in leaps and bounds.

There are farms which grow willows, or Salix twigs and other shrubs that thrive on coppicing for use in baskets and fencing.

You'll find skilled twig artisans at craft fairs and farmers markets, showing off their wares. They'll have displays of little twig chairs, baskets and easels with signs to pique your interest.

Christmas trees made from twig pieces, a picture frame to display your favorite pen and ink drawing or some rustic twig stars can be exactly the right garden decor for your home.

Get rid of the ordinary planters; make some twig projects instead. It's winter, so decorate your cozy home with pine cones and other natural materials to give it a rustic and cabin-y look.

Other awesome crafts are twig wreaths, like maybe a starburst twig wreath made from birch twigs - add a little bit of color with beads or fake flowers attached with the help of a hot glue gun.

Get out there on a nature walk and pick up some thinner twigs and thicker branches to make your own decorations. There are so many interesting ways to make different designs for your living room.

Be ready - inspiration can strike at any moment. There's lots of twigs in the basket by the door, or in the shed, and you'll be able to grab exactly what you need.

Native aboriginal people have re-learned some of the old ways, and produce incredible native art - this link opens in a new window - enjoy!

Some of the twig crafts you can make yourself with only a few simple twig craft techniques are twig obelisks, a twig ball or two and twig tuteurs as well as many other simple and useful crafts such as willow baskets.

Fruit wood twigs can be made into fruit wood tool handles and hair sticks, Amelanchier twigs into spectacular and unique twig walking sticks - keep your eyes open for twigs to use in your next twig craft.

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Want some more inspiration?  Check out the video;

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