DIY

How To Create a Rattan Webbing Wardrobe

If you’re craving chic cane furniture, then we’ve got the perfect home project for you. Rattan furniture is the simple and stylish way to bring natural beauty to your interiors, so why not make it even more useful by combining it with storage options too? Using our simple step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to create a beautiful wooden wardrobe draped in rattan webbing. Just grab your power drill and we’ll get started…

What you’ll need

  1. The perfect place to start is by cutting out your pieces for each part of your wardrobe – namely the wardrobe frame (10 wooden boards at 30.6cm, 4 wooden boards at 80cm x 40cm, 4 wooden beams at 130cm, 1 wooden beam at 70.6cm), doors (4 wooden slats at 97.5cm x 3.5cm, 8 wooden slats at 33cm) and slats (8 wooden slats at 39cm, 8 wooden slats at 79cm).
  2. With your wood cut and ready, it’s time to start putting the carcass of your wardrobe together. It’s up you whether you want to use screws with a power drill or just dowels – but dowels are the best choice if you plan on dismantling or moving your wardrobe later down the line. Grab 2 of your longest frame beams (the 130cm ones), then measure, mark and drill a hole every 32.5cm along them to about half the depth of your dowels.
  3. With your dowels placed in both beams, colour in the top of them with a pencil and press them against your short (30.6cm) boards to leave a mark, ready to be pre-drilled. You should have 5 holes to match up against 5 dowels on each side once you’re finished, as well as your bottom beam too – so power drill them all.
  4. Before you start assembling, you need to cut the shelves to fit inside your wardrobe. Take 3 of your 4 boards and mark a square corner cut of 5cm on each corner, then cut them off with your jigsaw, sand down and put aside.
  5. With your dowels placed in both beams, colour in the top of them with a pencil and press them against your short (30.6cm) boards to leave a mark, ready to be pre-drilled. You should have 5 holes to match up against 5 dowels on each side once you’re finished, as well as your bottom beam too – so power drill them all.
  6. Once your staining has fully dried, it’s time to start building the wardrobe. Pick up one of your large beams, put the dowels in your pre-drilled holes and slide your short boards onto the other end from top to bottom. Now, you can do the same with your large beam on the other side – which should leave you with a ladder shape. Repeat the whole process with your other beams and boards until you have two of the same shape – then attach your bottom beam with a power drill for added strength.
  7. Despite the bottom beam, the whole thing is probably still a little wobbly, so prop it up against a wall and we can get the shelves in for extra sturdiness. Starting from the bottom, line up your corner cut-outs and place each shelf on their side boards, keeping them symmetrical all the way up to the top – where your un-cut board will sit. Once they’re all placed, use long screws to fix them in place at the corners. TOP TIP: Want to make sure your wardrobe is rock solid? Now’s your chance to fix the beams and boards together with construction plates too.
  8. Let’s take a step back – what is your wardrobe still missing? The doors and rattan webbing, of course! Much like the wardrobe sides, each of your doors are constructed by taking two of your long wooden slats (97.5cm) and spacing them out with four of your shorter (33cm) slats down the middle ladder-style – either gluing or nailing them in place and repeating for the other door.
  9. Next up, your rattan webbing. For the easiest way to cover your wardrobe doors, lie the frame flat on the floor and unroll your rattan over the top. Using a nail gun or staple gun, fix the webbing in place to the door, then trim with scissors on all sides until it’s neat. Now just repeat the step for your other door. TOP TIP: Your rattan webbing should be fairly pliable – but soak it in lukewarm water for about 45 minutes to soften it up first if it’s not.
  10. Before you put the doors on, you’ll want to attach your rattan to the rest of your wardrobe too. Starting at the bottom, roll your rattan up the side and rest it on top. Then fully staple it down and trim as before – repeating on the opposite side, but not the open back.
  11. Let’s get those doors on, shall we? You’ll need two hinges either side, so break out the tape measure and mark up where the holes need to be top and bottom on your wardrobe, and the doors too. Then power drill all of them and screw on your hinges to the doors first. Once they’re in place, get someone to hold your doors level so you can attach your hinges to the frame of the wardrobe.
  12. Last but not least – we need to close up the back of your wardrobe too. No rattan webbing here, just your thin sheet of MDF cut to fit as a back plate. Just nail in place all the way round and you’re finished! All that’s left to do is stand back and admire you hard work, before filling the wardrobe with books, clothes or whatever else takes your fancy.


Homebase

Homebase

Writer and expert