How to Make Twig Furniture

Take a walk around any flea market or antique show and you're sure to find twig furniture. Sticks from Mother Nature have become hot decorating accessories in recent years, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. But before you plunk down hard-earned cash to buy a pre-made piece of this natural art, consider making it yourself.

Materials and Tools:

twigs (find sticks that are uniform in diameter for the legs, the cross runners, etc., and others of differing sizes)
thin-gauge wire (something one step above floral wire, available at your local hardware store)
sisal twine
glass
nail gun/compressor
saw
wire snips
rubber bumpers

Steps:

1. Determined the size of the base and cut the four legs. Use twigs that are uniform in diameter, and cut them to the same length.

2. Assemble the ends of the table. For the end crosspieces, use a slightly smaller-diameter twig, and cut it to size. The length of the crosspiece is determined by the width of the table. The crosspieces can extend beyond the legs about an inch without becoming a problem.

3. Place the crosspieces across the legs about 4 inches from the top, and tightly wrap wire around the joint. Repeat this several times to ensure that as little movement as possible occurs. Do this to both ends of the table base.

4. Connect the ends with twigs of the same diameter as the end crosspieces. The length of the table base is determined by the length of your glass top. The end connectors should rest above the end crosspieces. Wrap these joints tightly with the wire to secure.

5. Add X's to each side for stability. Use the smallest-diameter twigs for this step. Nail the "X" together where the two twigs cross for greater strength.

6. Rest the glass on rubber bumpers on the top of each leg. You can also add non-scuffing bumpers to the bottom of each leg to prevent floor scratches.