Willow crafts showed their best for gift giving

Willow crafts is woven or plaited with thatch grass, stems of straw, corn fibers, or willow and others. It originated in Chinese countryside, which initially is used for practical purposes mainly, and then for appreciation-oriented applications. Since 1978, Chinese willow  and straw handicrafts get exported in volume. Thus greatly promoting the development of willow straw crafts, leading the phenomena of growing types, styles changing every year, along with the expansion of production scale.

Quality characteristics of Chinese willow straw handicrafts

Chinese willow straw arts and crafts is characterized by full range, of different fashion styles, durability, fine workmanship. Both high in practical value, also good things for art appreciation. Straw arts and crafts include: basket, bread boxes, pots sets, fruit basket, rectangular plate, hanging plates, hanging baskets, wall baskets etc.. Willow arts and crafts have set of pots, bread basket, flower baskets, fruit plate, gift basket, cattery for cats, nest, egg basket etc..

Product processes of wicker crafts

Production processes of straw plaiting and willow weaving are basically the same, which can be divided into the seven parts: material selection, coloring, soaking, weaving or plaiting, fumigation, drying, painting all made by hand.

(A)Material selection. When choosing corn husks as one of raw materials, keep removing the outermost layer of old husks and keep them in the same white color. For straw supplies, make sure willow stems in their natural colors, determining the thickness, length according to need. For thatch grasses, choose that are old and long as top choice. On willow strips, summer willows are the best.

(B) Coloring. According to design requirements, evenly cover with a variety of colors above the materials' surface, and then dry then.

(C) Soaking. Put the colored materials into the water. Maize peel only need slightly colored, otherwise, if it's colored for a little longer, it will become yellow. Thick willows need to be soaked for 20 minutes, slim willows for 10 minutes. The purpose of soaking is to make it soft, easy to bend, and strengthen the intensity level.

(D) Weaving or plaiting.

(E) Fumigation. Use washing powder to scrub finished willow & straw arts and crafts. The purpose: first, to clean; the second, to increase humidity. And then, put the finished products into the containers, and fumigate them for 2 hours.

(F) Drying. To dry them is to protect them from being moldy and prevent deformation.

(G) Painting. After it's dried, brush the varnish to make it durable, and not easy to fade.

See more crafts on Wickerchina.com.