For those of us who take our woodworking a little too seriously, here’s a chance to have some fun, forget the carpenter’s square and bend some rules. Rustic furniture became quite popular in 19th-century England, when a longing for simpler, pre-industrial times prevailed. The garden became a retreat and rustic furniture helped reacquaint oneself with natural surroundings. This style also flourished in the New World, particularly in the Adirondack area of upstate New York. I live in the Kootenay region of British Columbia—about as far away from New York as you can get—but rustic furniture makes sense here too. No matter where you live, willow is a popular choice of materials for this sort of work. There are more than 250 different species of willow around the world.
You will need:
| PART | SIZE | QUANTITY |
| Back legs | 1 1/2" - 2" dia. x 28" | 2 |
| Front legs | 1 1/2" - 2" dia. x 12" | 2 |
| Side & cross braces | 1 1/4" dia. x 22" | 6 |
| Rear seat cross brace | 2" dia. x 20" | 1 |
| Back cross braces | 1 1/4" - 2" dia. x 16" | 2 |
| Back bender braces | 1 1/4" - 2" dia. x 14" | 1 |
| Top cross member | 1 1/2" dia. x 28" | 1 |
| Armrest nailer | 1 1/4" dia. x 20" | 1 |
| Front & seat braces | 1 1/2" dia. x 24" | 5 |
| Arm benders | 3/4" dia. x 60" | 10 |
| Hoop benders | 3/4" dia. x 96" | 5 |
| Seat bars | 3/4" - 1" dia. x 20" | 13 |
| Back benders | 1/2" dia. x 40" | 10 |
| Finishing nails * | 1", 1 1/4", 2" | 1/2 lbs. each |
| Deck screws | #8, 2" & 2 1/2" & 3" long | 15 each |
| Cup washers ** | #8 | 45 |
* galvanized or stainless steel ** brass
Gather your wood
The first rule here is to minimize the environmental impact of your harvesting. Try not to thin a particular area; instead, take a little from a few neighbouring sources. The sort of wood that grows in the undergrowth of hardwood forests, called “coppice wood,” makes for attractive twig furniture because it’s long, straight, pliable and generally easy to work with.
The materials list and instructions are flexible; they’re just a guide. Rustic furniture must be your own design because no two sets of building twigs are the same. And don’t be afraid to use found objects in place of twigs. I’ve seen old oars used as arms and back legs. Rusted tools such as hoes and shovels or even old skis and fishing poles are also worth considering, depending on your tolerance for these things.
You can gather wood at any time of the year, but early spring is best because the leaves aren’t out yet, so you can find suitable pieces more easily and you can then see the entire length of what you’re cutting. The ground is still hard and bugs are also dormant—a fact worth considering because willow is usually found in marshy areas.
When gathering for the backrest (called the “hoop benders”) and arm parts, look for the longest and straightest pieces with no bends or crooks. Always gather more than required because some will break and some won’t be as straight as they appeared in the forest. Store your wood with their ends in a bucket of water and they’ll stay pliable for a couple of weeks. While I try to keep the front and back legs fairly straight, the sides and cross members can be irregular as long as the length is correct. I like to find pieces with Y’s in them to create visual interest. As you work, bevel the ends of frame members using a sharp blade. Most break-off type knife blades aren’t strong enough. A good jackknife or a razor-sharp chisel works well.
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