7 Decorating Ideas Using Vintage Rattan

Make something old new again and enjoy a piece of history throughout your home and garden. Rattan accents offer a classic, beautiful style and whether you use an actual vintage piece or a newer vintage inspired one, embrace rattan's everyday elegance and beauty. Here are 7 home decor accents to create with rattan.

Showcase your knick-knacks with a classic rattan suitcase.

Pack It Up With A Vintage Suitcase

Whether you stack 'em, pack 'em or store 'em, vintage rattan suitcases offer plenty of decor ideas. Open one up, drape a piece of seasonal fabric inside and showcase a lantern, candle trio, beloved photo or other special momentos. Stack two or three on top of one another and create a clever, eye catching end table. Don't worry if the colors and weave styles don't match. That just makes the creation more interesting.

With a little patience you can turn unused baskets into light fixtures or lamp shades.

Turn a Rattan Basket Into a Light Fixture

This is a great project for a do it your-selfer. Turn a variety of rattan baskets upside down, add a light fixture and a decorative cord or braided rope and you have a gorgeous light fixture. Hang three or four at the same level over a kitchen island, hang two at different heights in an office or turn one basket upside down, attach dangling beads and transform it into an original lamp shade.

Mix an match wicker with artwork and mirrors to make a unique wall collage.

Create Wall Art

Tell a story of old and new by creating a wall collage of wicker baskets, photos, artwork and mirrors. Create the display above a sofa, seating area, mantle, bedroom head board or on a wall along a staircase. Mix sizes, shapes and colors to add to the vintage appeal. Hang some directly on the wall and hand some from decorative ribbon for the "high, low" look.

A wicker hamper can double as a side/end table with the added benefit of storage.

Vintage Hamper Makes a Two for One Table

A vintage hamper may be shabby thanks to its many years of service, but renew it's life by making a one of a kind, chic table. It's like a two for one. Store blankets, towels, or seasonal decor inside and display favorite collectibles on the top. We like the shabby look, but if that isn't your style, paint it your favorite color, decoupage a border or sponge paint away the years.

Rattan chairs are easy to clean and repaint for a lifetime of use.

Have a Rattan Seat, Please

There's something about a collection of different rattan chairs around a lovely table that speaks volumes about your sense of style. Start with sets of two, then four. They can be mixed in with other chair styles for an original eclectic and over the top vintage feel. If you find a set you love, paint them different colors and find coordinating seat cushions for a retro feel. Talk about a conversation starter.

Multiple mirrors can make a splash on an otherwise drab wall.

Reflect Your Style With Rattan Mirrors

There are multiple uses for vintage rattan mirrors so let your creativity reflect your good sense of style. Lay one flat on your dining room table and arrange different vases filled with freshly cut flowers for a gorgeous centerpiece. Use one for a serving tray behind on a buffet. Hang multiple mirrors side by side behind a bed for a retro head board or focal point above a sofa. The wonderful thing about vintage mirrors is they can be creatively used over and over again throughout the years.

Dress up the entryway to your home with a maibox made from an old wicker planter.

First Class Mailbox

Add some character and design to your front porch or entrance. Transform an old rattan planter with a flat back into a creative mail box. Simply hang it by your front door, paint on your house number and you've instantly updated your curb appeal with a vintage flair everyone, even the mail carrier will enjoy.

Using any of the above decorating ideas can add a fresh look to your home decor. Cheap and easy to repurpose, accessorizing with rattan can be a creative and fulfilling process for any homeowner.