Rattan & Wicker furniture will never go out of style. Summer and woven furniture seems seems to go hand in hand for patios and porches. The they also bring unexpected texture and functionality to your space. Natural woven materials like rattan, cane, and jute have proven to be household staples.
If you are interested in adding woven furniture and accessories to your decor, you should know the actual difference between wicker, rattan, jute, and cane.
What Is Wicker?
Wicker is not actually a material, but a process of weaving. Dating back to 3000 B.C. in ancient Egypt, wicker is a type of weaving historically made of reeds, palms, willow, and swamp grasses. It wasn’t until the 1800s that rattan became the ideal material for weaving wicker items. Today, wicker furniture and decor are made from natural and artificial materials. Indoor wicker furniture is often made from rattan, cane, seagrass, bamboo, and husks, while outdoor wicker furniture uses synthetic and plastic fibers to withstand moisture and extreme weather.
What Is Rattan?
Rattan is a natural material sourced from rattan palms found in southeast Asia. With over 600 different species, rattan is a type of climbing palm that grows up and along tree trunks in pursuit of sunlight. After rattan vines are cut, they are straightened into logs and made into furniture, baskets, and other home decor items.
Similar to bamboo, rattan is lightweight but also very durable. It is easy to manipulate and comes in multiple shades of warm browns. Depending on the furniture design, rattan logs are boiled, shaped, dried, and allowed time to harden to create curves and arches.
What Is Cane?
Cane is a natural material created from the stalks of a rattan climbing vine. While rattan is sourced from the inside of the palm, cane is taken from the outside bark. Compared to logs of rattan, cane is made into strands that are woven or webbed to create furniture.
What Is Jute?
Jute is a strong, natural fiber, sourced from corchorus plants found in India and Bangladesh, that is used in the wicker process to create items like rugs, placemats, and upholstery. The stalk of the corchorus plant is soaked for up to 30 days in order to separate the jute fibers from the stalk. After the fibers are washed, dried, and sorted, they are spun into yarn or twine, or woven into wicker furniture or burlap.
Jute is a popular material for home and outdoor items due to its strength, durability, and eco-friendliness. In fact, jute is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable.
Source: Better Homes & Garden
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