I am all about the rattan/cane trend that’s popping up everywhere. Cane webbing sheets are pretty cheap and lend themselves to some amazing DIYs! While real rattan furniture might be out of budget (and be completely destroyed by pupper), this DIY rattan teabox is an easy way to bring in the trend and get rid of the mess of cardboard boxes currently overtaking the pantry.
Most tea boxes out there just aren’t big enough or crazy expensive. To find your perfect base box, bring some teabags with you to the craft store! I knew I wanted my box to hold 8 boxes (we try to have a variety for hosting game nights) and I found this 12x9x3.25 box at Joann’s that perfectly fit the bill!
You’ll Need
base box
basswood
cane webbing (soak according to directions to flatten)
sandpaper
paint
wood glue
paint brush
utility knife
utility scissors
Trim your basswood into dividers with a utility knife. If you cut them just a tad too big, you can always sand them down!
As with anything you’ll be touching daily, sand the box and dividers for a silky finish, working from low to high grit.
I painted the lid white to make the cane pop more, but you can always stain it too! Just let dry completely before gluing on the cane.
Brush on the wood glue and apply the top cane first, leaving a bit of overhang on each side. Let dry with weights on top then trim the overhang with scissors. Repeat for the sides, making sure to line up rattan pattern for a polished finish.
Now you’re ready for the dividers! I chose not to glue mine in so I can rearrange the inside whenever I want, but if you want them more secure use a tad bit of wood glue.
The finished tea box comfortably holds 8 full boxes of tea and now I won’t have to direct guests to our embarrassingly messy pantry ever again. 🙃🙂
P.S. if you have any leftover caning or really want rattan to run your house, check out Heju’s rattan cabinet, Monsterscircus’s egg cups, & September Edit’s IKEA cabinet upgrade!
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Love it I am going to try this. Where did you get your box from?
Hi Karen! I got my box at Joann Fabrics, their unfinished wood section. I’ll try to hunt down a link, but their online site is pretty terrible and there’s usually better coupons in store.
Very Nice! What are the dimensions of your box and did you find your caning at Joanns too?
Hi Julieann! I used a 12x9x3.25 box. I just check my local Joanns last weekend (I’m making another one of these) and it’s actually cheaper on Amazon for the exact same box. The link doesn’t stand out, but if you click “base box” and “cane webbing” in the materials list, it’ll take you right to the items I used!