Natural woven baskets buy baskets in bulk

7 Qualities Of Good Natural Woven Baskets – Guide To Buy Baskets In Bulk

Buying Tips12/12/202212/01/2023

Natural woven baskets garner a unique, original quality from a mix of materials and weaving details, offering a practical storage & display solution in various spaces. However, all of this comes at a price. Made with natural materials by the locals, the handicrafts may have potential defects after mass production. And this is where quality inspection comes into play.

Why Might Natural Woven Baskets Have Defects?

The reasons why natural woven baskets can be faulty are manifold. First, most natural materials possess a hygroscopic property, making them fragile and susceptible to mold. Rattan and bamboo, in particular, are highly vulnerable to termites – tiny little bugs that can cause big damage to basket quality. Each material owns a distinct color tone that varies according to harvest season, region, and species.

Secondly, 100% consistency cannot be achieved due to the nature of handicraft production. It is often acceptable to include subtle variances (below 5%) in size, shape, and color among products. Weaving techniques and craftsmanship standards also differ depending on region and local craft village.

Finally, each production area has different ways of processing materials. Bleaching, oil curing, and thermal steaming do not happen in the same manner. There are often no standard formulas to add colors on natural woven baskets, namely dyeing or painting. The inspection criteria for basket quality might also diversify according to in-house quality control (QC) staff or third parties.

How To Identify Quality Natural Woven Baskets Wholesale

Baskets should conform to general requirements

Here is the first important thing to know when you buy baskets in bulk. The final products must be identical to the pre-production sample which the order is based on. Good baskets should follow exact specifications as what both sides initially agree, including dimensions, shape, color, texture, weaving style, pattern, lid type, and basket handle.

More specifically, the iron frames (if any) must be rust-proof with solid joints. This factor will make a sturdy shape – which means baskets will not get deformed over time, and can withstand weight, environment, as well as day-to-day wear and tear. If natural woven baskets consist of nails, they should be hidden carefully to ensure the aesthetics and safety to users.

Baskets should have no molds and pest attack

If you leave natural woven baskets wet for a few days, you will see black or white mildew growing on the surface, which consequently affects their quality. Hence, make sure that your suppliers process and preserve baskets properly, so that they have no mold and mildew when they arrive at your location.

What’s more, wholesale woven baskets must be well processed to prevent pest attack. It is mandatory for producers to treat rattan and bamboo such as oil-curing or steaming. Otherwise, termites and pests will likely appear and do harm to baskets. In case of termites, fumigation is required to eliminate them from baskets.

Baskets should reach the standard moisture content

Each material has different standards of moisture content, and they vary vastly according to the import region. To illustrate, the moisture content recommended for seagrass and water hyacinth homewares is 12-23%, while the figure for rattan and bamboo products is 8-16%. The excessive moisture can cause baskets to get mold and weak in quality.

Asides from having suitable moisture content, natural woven baskets need to be dried and stored well. Prolonged sunlight exposure or intense temperature in the drying room can make some materials become too brittle and shorten their lifetime.

Baskets should be highly durable and functional

A visible sign of a durable basket lies in its fine weave. For example, with coiled seagrass, woven baskets should leave no gaps between seagrass circles, or have even space between coiling threads. Poor and broken weaving indicates that a basket won’t stand the test of time and typically has a sloppy, inconsistent appearance. In some cases, loading test should be implemented to make sure the baskets have strong weave and function well for storage.

When you buy baskets in bulk, also take into account of glueing. Natural woven baskets must be dipped with a sufficient amount of glue to make their structure stand firm. The gluing technique is applicable to all types of materials, especially ones without iron frames and solid joints.

Baskets should be well trimmed and cleaned

The process of trimming should be employed for most of woven baskets wholesale. It involves cutting off redundant parts of main materials or sub-materials, namely seagrass strands, bamboo fibers, plastic strings. The final product, moreover, must be cleaned in a thoughtful, comprehensive manner with no dirt such as soil, sand, ink stains, or strands of hair.

Baskets should have good coloring

As required, colors must be applied evenly and do not smear. The paint finish must not peel or display a patchy color coating. Having said that, colors dyed on natural materials might be uneven and deviate from the required standards.

Color smearing can also occur when producers weave natural strands with color-dyed ones together. Moreover, the paint finish will be susceptible to peeling, whether it is applied on flat surfaces (pressed seagrass) or rough ones (e.g. twisted/ braided seagrass).

Baskets should have good-quality accessories

There’s more to a quality woven basket than just the basket itself. With designs featuring extra touches such as handles, brass hinges, or other decorative elements, the accessories must meet the required quality specifications, which are as follows:

Metal accessories do not rust and are firmly attached.
Plastic, cloth, and wool accessories are attached securely as requested.
Plastic linings perfectly fit the product and are stitched tightly with evenly distributed stitches and without any perforation.
Wooden legs are firmly installed and have a uniform color.

buy baskets in bulk natural woven baskets

How To Buy Baskets In Bulk With High Quality?

To easily choose a reliable producer, the first thing is to find areas specializing in production and materials. For instance, if you plan to buy seagrass products, we recommend working with suppliers that source this material from Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, and Thai Binh. The provinces have large production of high-quality seagrass – with even stem diameter, great plasticity, and wonderful natural hues.

Also, you should work with suppliers with expertise in handicrafts production and export. They have well-trained labor, efficient planning and accurate quality control, which will reduce the possibility of production errors or extended lead time. Here are several famous craft villages: Kim Son (Ninh Binh), Phu Vinh (Ha Noi), and Ngoc Dong (Ha Nam), where you could find experienced producers in basket weaving.

Finally, natural woven baskets necessitate much attention to detail and ability of the craftspeople, thus they are subject to workmanship defects. Therefore, in order to establish a relationship and avoid miscommunication, fully clarify the standards and all specifications, including material, design, color, weaving style, pattern, finish, labeling, packaging, and shipping when you start to buy baskets in bulk.

Keys Takeaways

Quality inspection is crucial in any product sourcing. We are offering the above information so that you can better understand what is considered truly high quality in natural woven baskets wholesale. Consider these criteria before all else as they play a crucial role in ensuring they meet your expectations when you buy baskets in bulk.

What Is Wicker? – 10 Things To Know About Wicker For Weaving

Buying Tips07/11/202208/12/2022

Wicker is considered a timeless weaving technique which can create a wide range of durable homewares products for indoor and outdoor spaces. This blog will provide you insights about two types of wicker, and how they apply into different corners. Have a read!

What is Wicker?

The term “wicker” describes a technique of weaving to create furniture and homewares, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. The use of flexible plants like rattan and marsh grasses was first observed in ancient Egypt, but in current times, people make use of other malleable plants such as seagrass, water hyacinth, corn husk for natural wicker products.

Today, wicker is probably among the primary choices for indoor and outdoor decoration. Wicker not only looks good with its natural color palette, but it can also create vibrant shades, from basic sun-inspired décor to ocean breezes.

Aside from handcrafted in Vietnam furniture, wicker is now put into use for both decor and storage like wicker baskets bulk. Wicker has also been widely applied in a broad assortment in the home industry. Some popular products such as wicker hamper basket, wicker mirror round, wicker pots for plants, and wicker tray decor can be found in the bedroom, kitchen, living room, patios, and other outside spaces.

What is Wicker Made Of?

Natural wicker is traditionally made from plant origin. It can be weaved with bamboo, rattan, seagrass, water hyacinth and many diverse natural plants. Meanwhile, outdoor wicker (all-weather wicker) is produced from synthetic fibers like Resin and Vinyl, with a uniform aesthetic impression. The man-made materials, when combined with aluminum frames, do not corrode and are simple to store and preserve when not in use.

Differences between Natural vs Outdoor Wicker

Obviously, the properties of natural wicker don’t suit outdoor use, especially in case of dampness, rain, snow, and other types of bad weather. Therefore, natural wicker products shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight and should be kept out of damp, high-humidity areas. Otherwise, they will lose their original color, become moldy, or get excessively dry, brittle, and break.

In contrast, synthetic resin wicker (outdoor wicker) can be utilized both inside and outside the home. Outdoor wicker closely resembles traditional wicker (such as rattan or willow) in appearance and maintains best features such as durability and flexibility. Synthetic wicker is immune to external elements as it is extremely robust, moisture-resistant, and resistant to fading, staining, and cracking. Additionally, synthetic wicker is less expensive and easier to clean than natural wicker.

	Natural Wicker	Outdoor Wicker
Definition	a weaving technique using natural pliable materials to manufacture homewares and furniture	a type of weaving using synthetic, plastic fibers to manufacture outdoor homewares and furniture
Materials	seagrass, water hyacinth, bamboo, rattan, corn husk, banana leaf/bark, etc.	HDPE, PVC
Appearance	having a earthy color; soft, rustic texture;	having a similar look to rattan; different colors.
Properties	– Advantages: eco-friendly, relatively durable, visually appealing; – Disadvantages: subject to mold, affected by inclement weather; careful preservation.	– Advantages: extremely durable, moisture-resistant, little to no maintenance; – Disadvantages: limited textures, not as good-looking as natural wicker.
Applications	Mainly indoor use: large wicker baskets, trays, indoor planters, lights and lamp shades, pet beds, etc.	Mainly outdoor use: wicker patio furniture, tablewares, chairs & table, and outdoor portable lanterns, daybed, dining set, etc.

Is Rattan and Wicker the same thing?

Many people mistakenly think that rattan and wicker are the same thing but in fact, they are two different things. Rattan is a natural material for making homewares and home goods wholesale. However, wicker is actually a type of weaving or a process for making household items out of pliable plants. Let’s learn more details about Differences between Rattan vs Wicker.

Is Wicker Eco-friendly?

Yes, natural wicker is. This type of wicker is typically made from rapidly renewable, biodegradable plants. A common water hyacinth, for instance, can double in size in just five to fifteen days, making it one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. Water hyacinth and many other materials for natural wicker can grow without the use of pesticides, which helps reduce carbon footprint or environmental impacts.

What Material is Outdoor Wicker?

PE wicker and PVC wicker are typical materials for outdoor wicker. PE stands for polyethylene, and PVC is polyvinyl chloride, both of which are high-molecular polymers.

Two Main Materials

In today’s home furnishings, according to Leisure Touch Rattan, 90% of outdoor wicker for weaving is made of HDPE (high density polyethylene), an upgraded polymer with excellent performance. HDPE is a thermoplastic resin created through ethylene polymerization. The substance HDPE has a light-specific gravity and is opaque white in color.

PVC is an amorphous substance that typically takes the shape of a white resin or a light yellow powder. It cannot be utilized independently, thus it must first be adjusted before it can be used. During the production of wicker with the use of PVC material, stabilizers, lubricants, auxiliary processing aids, colors, reinforcing agents, and other additives are frequently used.

These materials are often processed into uniform flat, oval strands, and these are woven over iron frames into furniture and other products. In the weaving, the strands are moved horizontally in an over-under pattern between vertical spokes to achieve a durable piece. Synthetic wicker is available in a variety of colors.

Comparison: HDPE vs PVC

Although both HDPE and PVC are plastic, they differ in hardness, transparency, applicability, strength, etc. When used for outdoor furniture, HDPE wicker is more durable than PVC wicker due to its increased strength. The quality of HDPE is not influenced by changes in temperature and other weather conditions, so HDPE wicker products may be placed outside year-round without experiencing any issues.

Furthermore, HDPE wicker has increased moisture resistance without doing harm to human health. Last but not least, HDPE wicker rattan has a more elegant and natural appearance than PVC wicker. As a result, HDPE wicker and rattan are becoming more and more common in the outdoor furniture sector.

Will Wicker Last Outside?

As mentioned before, outdoor wicker is invulnerable to the inclement environment. As regard to synthetic wickers, UV light poses no problem; their function can last long even when exposed to outdoors 24/7. Not only patio furniture, all-weather wicker has been used in various products for outdoor spaces, including planters, lampshades, lanterns, birdhouses, and garden decor items.

Meanwhile, natural wicker is susceptible to moisture and UV damage. The impacts of continual UV exposure and moisture retention first appear as faded colors, damaged surfaces, and straining on products. There are still several natural wicker products which can be used for outdoor decor such as party tablewares, patio chairs, and portable lanterns. Be sure that your customers use natural wicker for porches, patios, balconies, and sheltered gardens, and keep it out of intense sun heat and direct rain at all times.

Can Wicker get Wet?

The response depends on the type of wicker itself. All-weather wicker doesn’t actually get affected when exposed to water. This wonderful property has made outdoor wicker a favorite material in every home use. On the other hand, natural wicker can be adversely impacted by high humidity, especially soft, fibrous plants such as seagrass and water hyacinth. In case natural wicker is soaking wet, it is best to dry it out as quickly and thoroughly as you can to avoid mold and damage like crack or losing its original shape.

Why does Wicker go Moldy?

Although natural wicker has many outstanding advantages, it is highly susceptible to mold due to the hygroscopic properties. Even natural wicker products are already dried and processed properly, mold on wicker basket still can appear over time if maintained in a moist or humid atmosphere. These microorganisms will leave stains and unpleasant odors on homewares and furniture.

Mold removal from wicker furniture can be accomplished with either ammonia or bleach. To clean the furniture of any loose dirt, use a feather duster. Then, use a soft-bristled brush dipped in a mixture of 50% water and 50% bleach to scrub all affected areas to remove mold. If you choose to use ammonia, mix two tablespoons of it with one gallon of water to create a cleaning solution.

After that, apply the solution by using the spray method or the wet cloth approach. Do not forget to scrub it with a fresh, damp sponge. Finally, be sure to let the wicker furniture air dry in a shaded, non-humid part of the yard.

How Do You Maintain Wicker?

If you want to extend the life cycle of natural wicker homewares and furniture, you should follow the careful preservation required, even if these natural wicker products are designed to stay inside. Be careful to keep natural wicker homewares and furniture clean by removing as much surface dust as you can with a vacuum or a brush.

In case that these products have stubborn stains or mold, we recommend that you use a soft brush and water that has been soapy-added with one or two tablespoons of ammonia, and then wash the wicker. Rinse the items thoroughly and allow it to air dry in the sun. To clean hard-to-reach areas, you can also use a soft toothbrush. Your wicker furniture should stay quite spotless if you incorporate this vacuuming and dusting into your normal cleaning routine. Additionally, periodic touch-ups with a fresh coat of paint or replacing frayed strands helps keep it looking good.

Outdoor wicker might be a perfect material for those who detest maintenance schedules and expensive cleaners. When wicker furniture is dust-covered, you just need to gently wipe it with a soft brush and the product will look like new again. What if it becomes stained? Gently wipe it away with a little warm water. Unlike natural rattan or iron outdoor furniture, the products does not corrode or generate mold.

Conclusion

Traditional or natural wicker cannot be used outdoors for extended periods of time, however, all-weather wicker can. Both two types of wicker have different appearance, distinctive properties and suitable applications, just consider the categories you plan to buy first and then materials!

A Basic Guide To Buying Wicker Pots For Plants Wholesale

Buying Tips03/08/202214/03/2023

Post-pandemic, global consumers are getting more concerned about health, wellness, and sustainability. They continue their habit of indoor planting and gardening, and also give priority to eco-friendly materials. Getting started to source in-demand wicker pots for plants? – Here is what you should know.

What is Wicker?

Let’s explore about wicker first. Wicker is the technique or the style of making homewares, especially furniture and baskets, from pliable materials. Wicker refers to not only the thin wood strands that are twisted together. There are many more weaving styles, depending on each specific material.

People traditionally use natural plants for producing wicker products, but nowadays, wicker homeware products are also made from synthetic materials. That’s why there are two main types of wicker: Natural wicker and Synthetic wicker.

Synthetic wicker planters outdoor - Wicker pots for plants wholesale — *Synthetic wicker planters outdoor*

Natural Wicker

Natural wicker is the material of plant origin, such as bamboo, rattan, willow, seagrass, and water hyacinth. These natural materials have some physical characteristics in common: Natural wickers are commonly lightweight, sturdy, but shouldn’t be exposed to outdoor environments all the time.

Synthetic Wicker

Synthetic wicker (or resin wicker) closely resembles the look of natural willow or rattan. However, it is much more durable and versatile than natural wicker, suitable for both indoor and outdoor uses. This material can withstand almost all outdoor conditions, that’s why synthetic wicker homewares have a longer lifespan.

What are Natural Wicker Pots for Plants?

Natural wicker pots for plants are the planters made from natural, flexible materials such as rattan, bamboo, seagrass, and water hyacinth. Made from these materials, these products have a unique look that you might easily notice. Earthy tones, a rustic or contemporary touch on the outside.

Coiled Seagrass - Wicker pots for plants wholesale

Most wicker pots for plants come with an inner plastic lining to pot plants with ease. It is a necessary way to protect the underlying surface from water and dirt, and guarantee that moisture don’t occur to natural woven products. The lining inside wicker planters is often a removable plastic liner, or PE plastic lining glued or sewn tightly to the planters.

Applications of Natural Wicker Pots for Plants

As to wicker pots for plants, their indoor applications are not limited . Wholesale indoor planters can be:

Floor planters
Hanging planters
Planters on stand
Display racks

It is thus recommended that natural wicker baskets for plants are used indoors for longer function and durability. The quality of wholesale indoor planters won’t be much affected in outdoor environments, as long as they’re kept out of water, high heat, too humid or too dry conditions.

Wicker pots for plants are a great addition to various spaces. The planters can seamlessly incorporate into living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, hallway, patio, as well as other spaces like home office, restaurants, hotels. Moreover, they work well for many types of indoor plants such as succulents, parlor palm, and monstera.

Materials for Natural Wicker Pots for Plants

In Vietnam, top popular materials for making natural wicker pots for plants are seagrass, water hyacinth, bamboo, and rattan. If you’re not experienced in sourcing natural wicker pots for plants, keep in mind that each material has distinctive features with different required moisture content and preservation methods.

Material	Properties	Moisture Content (suggested)	Required Treatment for raw materials
Seagrass	Thin, durable, pliable fiber	12-23%	Dry raw materials completely before processing and weaving into a product
Water hyacinth	Spongy, soft, pliable stalk	12-23%	Dry raw materials completely before processing and weaving into a product
Bamboo	Hard, hollow, robust stem	8-16%	Carry out water-dipping, oil-curing for raw material to prevent fungi and insect attacks
Rattan	Solid, relatively flexible stem	8-16%	Carry out water-dipping, oil-curing for raw material to prevent fungi and insect attacks

Seagrass

Seagrass is among the most used fibers in making wicker baskets for plants in Vietnam. Seagrass is non-toxic, durable, and flexible, which means wholesale home decor vendors don’t have to put in much effort for processing. It is also easily subject to moisture because of adopting water from natural air. Therefore, having an inner plastic insert for seagrass planters is a must.

Seagrass is harvested, split and then dried completely in 3-4 days. This is the crucial step of processing to ensure better quality seagrass for weaving. Seagrass itself is transformed into diverse weaving styles, and all of them can be used in making wholesale wicker pots for plants.

As seagrass weaving styles are generally processed in a different manner, their structure and costs are not the same. Wholesale home decor vendors in Vietnam also combine seagrass with other materials (water hyacinth, cotton) for more aesthetic planters.

Water Hyacinth

For making wicker planters indoor, producers use water hyacinth stalks (stems) for processing and weaving. Water hyacinth is soft, durable and aesthetically pleasing with its honey brown color. Similar to seagrass, water hyacinth requires special care during the period of production and warehouse storage to not develop mold.

Water hyacinth is processed in various different manners. Most weaving styles of water hyacinth can be used in producing wicker pots for plants, but it is essential to include the plastic lining inside as a protective layer for the natural materials. These popular water hyacinth weaves are just in their look and pattern, and their properties are mostly alike.

Bamboo

Bamboo is one of the most versatile materials in the world with a broad range of livelihood applications. Bamboo embodies a hollow, woody stem that delivers high strength and durability. Not acquiring a pliable stem like seagrass and water hyacinth, bamboo stems need to be split and then processed in various techniques.

Laminated bamboo
Woven bamboo
Spun bamboo (Coiled bamboo)

Above are three suitable material choices for wicker indoor planters in Vietnam. While woven bamboo and spun bamboo are preferably made into indoor planters, laminated bamboo is more used for making the rack for holding, storing planters.

Laminated Bamboo

Bamboo stems are split into strips, then layered and pressed into a leak-proof laminated wood. This highly industrial technique gives laminated bamboo a smooth appearance and good tensile strength. It is perfectly utilized in making indoor pots for plants and plant racks (stands). However, laminated bamboo may be susceptible to fungi and insect attacks, especially if not thermally treated.

Woven Bamboo

Woven bamboo is a popular material in Southeast Asia for manufacturing indoor wicker baskets for plants. After being split from stems and treated, bamboo slivers are manually woven into a product, thanks to their high flexibility and low thickness. Woven bamboo indoor planters often have the lowest price, but an excellent quality and resilience.

Spun Bamboo (Coiled Bamboo)

Spun bamboo is made from bamboo silvers which are curved, then glued and finished. This material often has an earthy hue, and might be painted with other colors applied for aesthetic quality. Spun bamboo planters can live up to 5 years and more if used indoors. Suppliers commonly provide a plastic lining inside to protect planters from water and soil.

Rattan

Rattan is a natural climbing palm that grows naturally in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in Southeast Asia. Rattan possesses a solid, flexible woody stem that can be bent and processed into different homewares. The outer appearance of rattan is a mixture of orange and brown color.

Rattan stems can be kept intact, or peeled off, or split into thinner strands for weaving making products. Rattan canes are mainly for producing racks, stands or shelves for holding planters. Meanwhile, rattan strands are often used for making wholesale indoor planters.

Key Takeaways

The cost is also different among natural materials. As regards to a certain material, the production process also involves different steps. In general, seagrass, water hyacinth, split rattan strands (rattan core) and bamboo slivers (woven bamboo) are easy to bend and weave; therefore, their labor cost will often be lower, and their production time is also shorter.

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Homewares Differences

Water Hyacinth Vs Seagrass: Key Differences You Should Know

Materials & Production, Buying Tips18/05/202208/11/2022

Many people confuse water hyacinth with seagrass and use the terms interchangeably. They can all be considered as wicker, since wicker refers to a technique for making products woven from pliable plants. But specifically, water hyacinth vs seagrass are two different natural materials used in making homewares. Continue reading for more details!

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Materials

Properties of water hyacinth vs seagrass

About physical properties, seagrass has a smaller diameter than water hyacinth. It looks more rustic and shiny with a greenish undertone which turns khaki or beige over time. Not just bigger than seagrass, water hyacinth stalks are softer with a warm golden brown outside. These two materials bring different tones and decor vibes.

Both water hyacinth vs seagrass are naturally biodegradable and non-toxic. They are pliable, flexible and durable for weaving, not as rigid as bamboo and rattan. For homewares production, they need to be well dried before the weaving stage.

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass properties — *Water hyacinth vs Seagrass woven homewares have different physical properties.*

Water hyacinth vs seagrass are not waterproof and weather-resistant, so the wicker homewares are just for indoor use. The range of moisture content for seagrass and water hyacinth products is often from 10% to 19%, if there is not any moisture standard provided from buyers.

Color fastness of water hyacinth vs seagrass

Can products made of these two materials be dyed or painted on? Our answer is yes, but there are some differences here. Thanks to their softer texture, water hyacinth stalks are better at color fastness than seagrass fibers.

Seagrass itself features a protective oil surface which is a bit shiny and smooth. It’s the reason for uneven color and even discoloration (color fading) in dyed seagrass products. What’s more, dark, bold dye colors work better on seagrass than light ones.

As regard to the painting method, the paint on seagrass is easier to peel off than that on water hyacinth.

A closer look to Water hyacinth vs Seagrass products dyed with black — *A closer look to Water hyacinth vs Seagrass baskets with natural and black-dyed colors.*

Material costs of water hyacinth vs seagrass

The material costs and qualities actually depend on specific areas. Aside from specialized areas of each material, the cost of weaving styles also contributes to final prices of products.

Thanks to the favorable climate conditions, seagrass has been cultivated widely along the Vietnamese coastal provinces. However, seagrass has better quality, lower cost and larger production volume in the Northern area, especially Thanh Hoa and Thai Binh province.

Meanwhile, water hyacinth is a popular aquatic plant spreading in water ponds and aquariums throughout Vietnam. This plant in the Southern areas commonly delivers better quality at a lower cost.

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Weaves

Local skilled artisans develop from one material into many weaves. Depending on specific weaves, seagrass and water hyacinth may undergo simple or complicated processing. Each one has different appearances, physical properties, production costs, and lead time.

Wholesale seagrass baskets with twisted seagrass woven

6 Seagrass Popular Weaving Styles

• Split seagrass
• Twisted seagrass
• Braided seagrass
• Pressed seagrass
• Coiled seagrass
• Wrapped seagrass

Coiled seagrass is the most expensive weaving style. It creates a thick weave with a lot of seagrass and needs much effort from artisans.

9 Water Hyacinth Popular Weaving Styles

• Rolled weave
• Twisted weave
• Rice nut weave
• Arrow weave
• Braided weave
• Asterisk weave
• Hexagonal weave
• Zigzag weave
• Flat weave

Of all water hyacinth weaves, rolled weave costs the most because of its complex production process and more material usage. The most inexpensive weaves are Asterisk, Hexagon and Flat weave. Interestingly, some certain weaves of water hyacinth and seagrass can be combined in one product.

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Applications

Both these two materials have been used to produce a wide range of homewares and home furnishings. Specifically, water hyacinth vs seagrass do a great job for some certain categories.

Storage & Organization (hampers, baskets, bins, cubes, boxes), Home Decor & Wall Decor (indoor planters, wall decor baskets, mirrors, vases), Lighting (lampshades, table lamps, pendant lights, lanterns), Kitchen & Dining (caddies, trays, placemats), Pet Accessories (pet beds, pet houses), Indoor Furnitures (stools, chairs, tables), as well as Travel & Outdoor Activities (handbags, picnic baskets).

*Wholesale seagrass baskets with black dyed seagrass*

*Square seagrass storage cubes also organic storage bin*

*Water hyacinth wicker trays with handles*

*Seagrass round mirror with decorative patterns*

*Cat dog house / Seagrass wicker dog bed*

Seagrass and water hyacinth are perfect as a decorative element in any space, no matter their specific functions. Highly durable and sturdy, a water hyacinth or seagrass homeware product can work well for 5 years and more, as long as it is given with proper care and protection.

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Problems

Being crafted by hand, natural woven homewares are not exactly alike, offering each product unique characteristics. However, both water hyacinth vs seagrass products perhaps have several workmanship problems if not processed, woven and stored carefully.

Here’re common problems that you should know for inspection, especially pre-shipment inspection when working with wholesale home decor suppliers:

Stain mark: It can be a stain of dust or mold that develops if the products are kept in an environment with a high level of humidity. As you know, both water hyacinth vs seagrass can absorb moisture from the air well. Also, products may get stains from outside during the gluing stage.
Uncut weaving: Trimming is essential for both water hyacinth vs seagrass products. It is even compulsory for specific weaves such as braided seagrass, twisted seagrass, pressed seagrass and twisted water hyacinth.
Peeled paint: This commonly happens on seagrass products that have a rough surface, particularly those made with twisted, braided weaving styles.
Deformed: If woven products come along with iron frames, their sturdiness will be ensured, and there is little chance of deformation. Deformation often occurs for products without iron frames, and their weaves are not so thick and tight. Sometimes, not given proper care and storage before shipping, water hyacinth vs seagrass products can be deformed too.
Broken weaving: The broken weave of products might be the result of low-quality water hyacinth vs seagrass materials (not well sorted before) or careless weaving process.
Poor weaving: Poor weaving here means that the weaves are not formed tightly. That causes not-good looks and inconsistent quality, and need artisans to re-do the weaving for products.

*Common defects of wholesale homewares woven from water hyacinth vs seagrass*

Care Instructions of Water hyacinth vs Seagrass

As water hyacinth and seagrass shares some natural traits in common, below care instructions can be applied for products made of two materials.

Store: Store products in a dry, well-ventilated environment with a low level of humidity. That enables woven products to prevent from developing mold.
Clean: If there are stains or dust on water and seagrass products, wipe with a dry clean cloth, or wipe with a damp cloth then dry in the direct sunlight completely (about 2-3 days).

If you are a new or inexperienced buyer of natural woven homewares, the information of water hyacinth vs seagrass differences will be of some use to you. The insights help you communicate and work effectively with wholesale home decor suppliers in Vietnam.

>>> Explore more: Differences between Wicker vs Rattan vs Cane vs Willow

Should you take an interest in natural woven homewares, especially made from water hyacinth, seagrass, rattan and bamboo, kindly view our Homeware Selections 2022 for reference. Please feel free to contact us for further details and quotations!

Download Homeware Selections 2022

How to import home decor wholesale ocean freight rates saving

Ocean Freight Rates 2022: Efficient Ways To Import Home Decor Wholesale

Buying Tips, Home Decor, Industry News15/03/202206/07/2022

Updates About Current Ocean Freight Rates

Ocean freight rates on main trade lanes

Ocean freight rates have shown remarkable and significant surges for all trade routes since September 2020 and it still hasn’t shown any sign of going down due to ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation.

According to data provided by Freightos Baltic Index (FBX), as of March 3, 2022, global maritime transport continued to witness an increasing pattern on main trade lanes.

Global ocean freight rates ascend to $9,745/FEU.
Asia – US West Coast costs rose to $16,155/FEU, 204% higher than last March.
Asia – US East Coast rates witnessed an increase to $18,250/FEU, 218% higher than its level a year ago.
Asia – North Europe prices also reduced marginally to $13,509, which is 71% higher than the previous year’s pricing.
North Europe – US East Coast rates rose modestly to $6,886/FEU, roughly 228% higher than their previous level last March.

Reasons for increased ocean freight rates

There are some key factors which led to the rise in ocean freight rates 2022 and also the delays of end-to-end days, such as:

Lack of empty containers

When COVID-19 broke out, it brought along travel and transportation restrictions from every country into effect. Due to this reason, the delivery of everything has been interrupted which eventually results in the scarcity and unavailability of containers. When the demand soared but supply dropped, price will inevitably increase.

Labour shortage

The Great Resignation has brought forth serious issues of labor shortage due to the outbreak of COVID. All industries are severely affected, including the logistics industry. The impact has led to a global supply chain crisis and its inability to operate as efficiently and proficiently as they were before.

Ocean Freight Rates 2022: Efficient Ways To Import Home Decor Wholesale — *The scarcity of empty containers is a key cause for increasing ocean freight rates.*

New wave of COVID-19 in several countries

The world was not ready for Delta and now a new wave of COVID-19 (i.e Omicron) is appearing in several countries and continuing to spread widely; making it harder for the economy to bounce back. Due to this very reason, country borders are tightened along with new restrictions and lockdowns are required causing ocean freight rates to soar.

Near Lunar New Year

Near Lunar New Year is when sales always hit the roof and products are in high demand. Many companies rush to have shipments delivered before the Lunar New Year Holiday. Together with scarce vessels, tight capacity and heavy restrictions on soaring demand, it all added up to ocean freight rates skyrocketing for a long time.

Ocean Freight Rates: Difficulties For Home Decor Wholesale Buyers

Prolonged transportation time

According to Freightos, transit time is now longer mainly because shipping vessels get clogged up at the start and destination ports, causing significant congestion. This also leads to shortage of empty containers due to heavy restriction forcing the vessels to sit at port while the stream of wares from Asia heightened.

*Transit time is now longer mainly because vessels get clogged up at ports.*

Risk to the quality of home decor wholesale

With their hygroscopic trait, sustainable materials for making home decor wholesale such as seagrass (sedge), rattan, water hyacinth absorb moisture from the air naturally. Thus, when home furnishings are kept in warehouses or containers stuck at ports for quite some time, it may result in the product being moldy and the appearance of pests.

The main reason for this problem is due to the standard humidity of the environment being uninsured. It goes the same for containers when they are en route. During that period, the temperature within the containers can be fickle, potentially leading to the risk of humidity within the steel box’s space.

Natural homewares can get moldy due to longer transportation time — *Natural homewares can get molds due to uninsured humidity inside containers.*

This situation might give you and other buyers a headache. Why, you ask? Because if products get moldy sitting at suppliers’ warehouses, you will incur additional costs for having suppliers finish the moldy items before they get to customers. Even worse, if wholesale home decor has mold and pests due to long time at destination ports, it can result in zero sales because you can’t sell goods that are already damaged.

Recommendations: 3 Efficient Ways To Buy Home Decor Wholesale

Go FCL instead of LCL

If you’re familiar with shipping or ordering merchandise overseas, you might have heard of LCL and FCL. These are two common terms used within the logistics industry for export and import freight cargo by sea. When ocean freight rates are still on the rise, it’s advisable that you choose FCL over LCL.

LCL = Less than Container Load
FCL = Full Container Load

FCL is more beneficial to importers buying natural home decor wholesale — *FCL offer more benefits for you when buying wholesale home decor*

Regarding the current situation, FCL offers more benefits especially for homewares made from natural fibers. Here are three highlights you’d definitely love to check out on:

Shorter delivery time: If LCL takes a pretty long time to group and separate shipments at a destination port, it isn’t the same for FCL. With FCL, your cargo within the container isn’t mixed with other shipments, so the transit time is sped up one or two weeks faster, making you’ll receive your purchase sooner.
Minimize risk of goods: Because your cargo isn’t crushed and smushed by heavy shipments and those that are liquid, it won’t have to face contamination, spillage, or damage when the vessel is en route. This is really crucial for you because customers will always want goods that are not damaged due to shipping.
Cheaper shipping cost: For an average shipment, a LCL cost is often double an FCL charge when broken down by per cubic meter (CBM). In addition, for larger shipments, it often makes more sense to upgrade to a 20-foot container and go FCL. The tipping point is typically somewhere around 15 cubic meters to start ocean freight shipping, as it is a much more cost-effective measure.

FCL benefits you more than LCL during the times of increasing ocean freight rates. — *FCL benefits you with shorter transit time, lower costs and less risk of damage*

Choose space-saving home decor wholesale

So, we’ve got to know how to deal with international ocean freight rates economically. But how to make the most out of your container space? The answer is to choose space-saving home decor products. By doing it, you can increase loading capacity, reduce packaging time & carton boxes, and also optimize ocean freight shipping.

Here are our recommendations of some home decor wholesale to buy during the times of soaring ocean freight rates:

Buy Foldable or Collapsible Homewares

Foldable or Collapsible homewares normally feature a soft design that can be folded in half (such as Seagrass Belly Baskets). So when it comes to packaging, they can be stacked in piles, then helping you get a larger loading capacity for more items in one container. Plus, other foldable home furnishings consist of separate pieces. That allows you or your customers to fold flat when not in use, when not on display or during transit time.

Seagrass belly baskets are space-saving home decor wholesale — *Belly baskets are space-saving options among home decor wholesale*

Several products having foldable/collapsible structures: Storage baskets, Storage bins, Lamp Shades, Pet houses.

Foldable Round Water Hyacinth Storage Bin Wholesale — *Foldable Round Water Hyacinth Storage Bin*

Collapsible White Rattan Pet House Wholesale — *Collapsible White Rattan Pet House*

Foldable Rattan Ceiling Lampshape Wholesale — Foldable Rattan *Ceiling* *Lampshape*

Buy Tapered or Flat Homewares

Tapered or flat designs can be applied to all homewares’ shapes: round, square or rectangular. With signature tapered or flat designs, wholesale home decor can be neatly placed and stacked in piles within a carton box. This can help a big deal in space-saving and enables you to load more quantities of goods within one ocean freight shipping container.

Flat homeware products: Wall decor plates, Placemats, Rugs & mats, mirrors.

Seagrass wall decor baskets wholesale — *Artex Nam An offers you a wide variety of flat designed home furnishings*

Tapered products: Storage baskets/bins, Laundry baskets, Bamboo bowls, Trays,..

*Water Hyacinth Arrow Weave Tapered Bin*

*Bamboo Serving Bowl for Fruits & Salads*

Buy Homewares in sets

Apart from foldable and flat designs, you can now choose to buy in sets. It’s among good ideas when importing home decor wholesale, as the set consists of multiple sizes of a product, so these items can come nested or stacked together. This will diversify your product portfolio with different sizes while still making full use of shipping space. Not only space-saving, but also super convenient.

Products in set for reference: Storage baskets, Indoor planters, Trays, Lampshades, Bowls, Boxes.

*Set Of Three Tapered Split Seagrass Storage Bins*

*Coiled Seagrass Storage Trays with Rattan Handles*

Buy Homewares with Removable or Foldable legs

These types of home decor wholesale products are born to make life easier as it not only saves you a ton of space (be it shipping, delivering) but also quite the fun to put together all the components. In addition, removable or foldable legs also help control the risk of screws in the stands that can fall off or be broken during transit.

Homewares having removable or foldable legs: Indoor planters with stands, Furniture (Tables, chairs).

Rattan Side Table With Removable Legs handicrafted in Vietnam — *Rattan Side Table With Removable Legs*

Have seasonal order plans for home decor wholesale

Here’s a few pieces of advice from home decor manufacturers for you to have the ideal seasonal plan prepared in advance:

Buyers and importers should have seasonal purchasing plans of home decor wholesale, and inform suppliers about that. It’s all about quantity preparation on a large scale.
Home decor manufacturers can forecast and adjust the timeline to get the best material cost for each season, which can result in better prices for you. Based on your order placement schedule, suppliers will prepare materials in stock, avoiding shortage of materials during mass production.
The perk of seasonal purchasing plans is that you can have a better vision of what’s next to come, when and where to allocate your merchandise. Moreover, it helps big time in reducing ocean freight rates per item, especially at the peak times.

Explore Home Decor Trends 2021 / 2022: A Big Focus On Comfort

Blog30/06/202121/07/2021

Comfort is the most important ‘home decor trend’ at the moment, particularly when the pandemic is still getting sophisticated in several regions. With lots of time spent at home, it is truly for living and beyond. More people now started working at home since the pandemic, so they are aware of decorating the home with a focus on comfort. This article will give you specific home decor trends 2021/2022, let’s explore!

1. Basic colors

When it comes to choosing colors, people are mostly preferring neutral, basic and earthy tones because “naturalness” is continuously a big trend until 2021. As we all know, the pandemic still takes an enormous toll across the globe. People are forced to spend much more time at home, so people desire peace and comfort in their living space. Whereas, bright details and intense colors in bedrooms or offices could influence the mood.

neutral palette and natural shades in home decor trends 2021 — *Many prefer the neutral palette and natural shades bringing a sense of relaxation.*

About home decor trends 2021, many prefer the neutral palette and natural shades – bringing a sense of relaxation that people are longing for. These consist of basic colors such as black, white, shades of gray and also many muted and earth tones. The tones offer a calm appearance for the interior.

More specifically, beige is considered to continue its popularity streak in the next season 2021-2022, both in cold and warm shades. That’s also the reason why Dulux, a well-known paint brand, has chosen Brave Ground as the color of the year 2021. And, it will likely be trendy in 2022.

neutral and earthy tones bring calm and inviting touch — *Neutral and earthy tones bring a calm and inviting touch to the living space.*

Also, micro-trends in colors should be taken into account. A typical example is Pantone Color of the Year 2021 that includes PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating. They are two independent colors which highlight how different elements come together. One is a bright and cheerful yellow that presents positivity while the other highlights resilience and an ability to stand the test of time.

>>> Homeware collection for reference: The Neutral Accents 2021

2. Rounded shapes

When people are prioritizing comfort over others, softness and feminine forms are at their peak today: rounded shapes and curved lines. They lie in not only architectural solutions, but also the choice of furniture and decor.

Though curvy shapes were formed a long time ago, this trend is increasingly popular as home decor trends 2021 and 2022 as well. Strict lines and layouts are softened by furniture without harsh angles.

curvy lines and rounded shapes keep home comfortable — *Curvy lines and rounded shapes make homes more inviting & comfortable.*
*(Source: Pods)*

The furniture contains soft items, for example: sofas, chaise lounges and benches. What’s more, other items for homes such as tables, lamps, chairs, stools and poufs should have softened bodies and curvy lines, rather than right angles and a rigid, straight structure.

As regards to home decor, there are several products for decorating the interior such as coffee tables, vases and candlesticks. Their designs that imitate waves, circles and curves offer a softness that is in demand today. Curvy lines and rounded shapes will transform the home into a more inviting and functional space.

3. Minimalism

Minimalism will grow in importance and become trendy for homes in 2021-2022. Due to the pandemic and financial downturn, people start to adopt an essentialist mindset. Many have tried to find a space for calm, and remove old things that are no longer functional when it comes to the wardrobe and also the home.

*Consumers are driven by a need for minimalist vibes and beautiful simplicity.*

Consumers are driven by a need for minimalist vibes and consider beautiful simplicity such as Japandi style for their home. It is key to have minimal decoration and furniture use, that’s about creating the presence of air and free space.

But it’s important that they have an interesting shape that still adds comfort. Otherwise, the design will look incomplete and too simple.

*It’s enough to decorate one wall with paintings or other accessories.*
*(Source: RISMedia)*

The principle of rational consumption underlies the trend. People desire to avoid waste and impulse buying, so it’s not necessary to decorate all the walls. Marking one wall with accents: with paint or with the help of paints and other accessories is enough. According to Trend Bible, archaic markings and alchemist symbols will be prefered in print and pattern this season, especially in pictures or furnishings.

Minimalism is directly linked to color. As we mentioned above, besides basic ones such as black and white, a soothing palette of beige and gray will be well suited in the home for comfort and peace.

4. Inspiration from nature

One of the main trends in the interior of 2021-2022 is nature, here we mean natural materials and textures. Insulation in the home drives us to realize the importance of surrounding ourselves with natural things from decoration to furniture in our home.

There’s a warm and inviting atmosphere about using natural materials and textures throughout the home. These natural products flawlessly fit in and complement the space. They are subtle enough to blend in the decor, but awe-inspiring enough to make the house stunning.

natural materials blend in any decor — *Natural materials are subtle to blend in any decor, but awe-inspiring to make a home stunning.*

The most popular textures are stone: onyx, marble, granite and wood (especially light-colored wood). The materials can be used in decoration and furniture to become perfect accents. A typical instance is wood paneling on the wall or floor with a natural stone effect.

There are also many other pieces made of natural materials that add visual interest — from various woven baskets, pendant lights, bamboo vases, jute rugs to the solid wood coffee table, and the leather pouf. Textiles will also complement the overall picture: linen and cotton, as well as ceramics.

5. Multi-functional spaces

In uncertain times post-pandemic, the number of people working and studying at home is still on the increase. That’s why they are in need of creating a multi-functional space for daily activities with more flexibility. Paying attention to the alignment of the space is essential. Many combine rooms and transform them into a hall kitchen living-dining room because separate kitchens and living rooms are no longer popular.

multi functional space for daily activities — *People need to create a multi-functional space for daily activities with more flexibility.*

Pandemic is proving the need to care about functionality and ergonomics. Due to the pandemic and its impacts, restaurants and cafes were all closed; consequently, people had to cook their own food in the house. Aside from a kitchen with a comfortable table for cooking and dining together, people ask for spacious space for entertainment time as well. The house has now become a gym, work space, recreation and hobby area. Most daily activities take place in the living room.

house becomes mutifunctionality — *The house has now become a gym, work space, recreation and hobby area.*

When we mention home decor trends 2021/2022, even in a combined room, personal privacy always matters. Every family member has their own favorite and needs their own me-time. The need for privacy and separate zones has increased. So basically, we can try some analogs of glass, metal doors, and simple elements in the form of thick curtains.

6. Equipped home office

As a consequence of the pandemic, home offices are obviously more in-demand than ever. When people work for long hours, they cannot just sit at the kitchen table or on the sofa – both are inconvenient as well as do harm to physical and mental health. With the rising popularity of working remotely, it is essential to have a productive and functional space for work and recreation.

productive functional workspace — *It is essential to have a productive, functional workspace in the home today.*
*(Source: Viva NZ)*

About home decor trends 2021, equipping a comfortable home office is a top priority. Aside from equipping the space with a small table and comfortable chairs, consider determining the height of the desk. The home offices for great productivity should be well organized and lit with natural lighting from windows or artificial lighting. Try to rearrange the space in the home for the workplace – remember it needs tranquility and privacy, so consider the bedroom or in the living room with good layout, free corners or niches.

the private space in the balcony — *The private space in the balcony is a great idea for a home office*
*(Source: Balcony Decoration).*

Options on the balcony are also very ideal. The space is already private, so it will be a good fit for your work, recreation and relaxation time. Make sure that the balcony is not insulated and not glazed. If there is no room at all, a folding table is a good solution. It is, of course, not as functional as a well-equipped separate work place, but it will be a good temporary measure when working remotely.

7. Home garden

The latest home decor trend 2021/2022 is home gardening. As environment-consciousness is growing at the top of mind, more and more householders choose to bring nature into their home.

Besides natural materials, indoor plants will be a practical addition to make the home new and fresh. Moreover, most feel much more comfortable in a space with indoor plants, especially during the period of isolation. When we are not exposed to greenery and fresh air outside due to the pandemic, indoor plants are of huge importance. Taking care of indoor plants also can be a hobby for many people nowadays.

indoor plants will be practical addition — *Indoor plants will be a practical addition to make the home new and fresh*
*(Source: Modsy).*

But it seems not so easy to implement this trend because, first of all, the plants need a lot of attention and care. Kindly consider: pick up non-capricious specimens such as sansevieria, monstera or ficus elastica. Also, remember that the abundance of plants is not always beautiful as the home will become a greenhouse.

Kindly choose suitable plant pots (in terms of shapes, sizes and materials) for the homes and different spots for placing indoor plants. It is also important to analyze the place itself: lighting in winter and summer, humidity and traffic.

Above are 7 main home decor trends that you as retailers, wholesalers or consumers can consider to better prepare for new product development or product launch. We do hope the information about home decor trends 2021-2022 will be of some help to you.

Source: Interior Decor Trend

Care Guidelines For Your Business: How To Preserve Wicker Baskets

Blog09/06/202118/07/2022

Durable & sustainable, wholesale wicker baskets bring both function and style to your customers’ homes. With natural characteristics, woven baskets require special care — that’s to maintain high quality and aesthetics, even when in your warehouse. Let’s discover how to preserve wicker baskets properly!

1. Features of natural materials for woven baskets

It’s easy to notice that dried natural fibres used for baskets are more sensitive to moisture. So wholesale baskets woven from natural fibres can get moldy. It happens much easier in the weather with high humidity.

*Natural fibres used for woven baskets are more sensitive to moisture.*

Most natural materials have soft, flexible and sturdy features — ideally used for woven baskets. But their quality would be affected if those fibres aren’t processed well, or you don’t care for baskets properly. Here are several DON’T guides you can follow:

Don’t soak wicker baskets in water. It will cause the swellings and color fading of natural fibres.
Don’t let wicker baskets expose to strong sunlight. High temperature easily makes natural fibres get brittle, break and change colors.
Don’t use strong detergents and hard brushes for cleaning, which will affect the quality of woven baskets.

2. How to preserve wicker baskets in your warehouse

In your warehouse, wholesale woven baskets should be looked after carefully. From the view from manufacturers, we’d like to give you specific care guidelines for your wholesale wicker baskets made from natural materials. That can help you ensure product quality significantly.

2.1 Where to place wicker baskets in your warehouse

Put wicker baskets on shelving units in a dry, cool environment — consider using warehouse dehumidifiers to control humidity.
Avoid storing baskets in sealed plastic bags and wet areas such as: on floors, against walls or near air conditioners.
Keep baskets away from fire and heat sources such as direct sunlight for so long.

How to preserve wicker baskets? They need to be placed on shelving units in a dry, cool environment — *Wicker baskets need to be placed on shelving units in a dry, cool environment.*

2.2 How to clean wicker baskets properly

If wicker baskets get wet

Avoid making wicker baskets deformed.
Let wicker baskets air dry in the mild sunlight.
Only move baskets back to your warehouse when completely dry, having a natural smell.

If wicker baskets get dusty, stains or mold

Clean wicker baskets with a slightly damp 100% cotton cloth or a soft brush.
Leave wicker baskets in the mild sunlight, or use a hair dryer (small mode) until they are completely dry.

In case of stubborn stains

Mix one to two drops of dishwashing liquid in a large bowl of water.
Lightly damp a soft toothbrush with a little soapy water, then gently scrub deep stains.
Air dry wicker baskets in the mild sunlight, and place them back inside when completely dry.

*The sunlight not only dries natural fibres, but also kills mold on baskets.*

Caring for woven baskets is not so complex. But with proper guidelines, you will find it easier to maintain the quality of natural wicker baskets in your warehouse. Should you be looking for wholesale woven baskets for your business, find out diverse designs made from Vietnam here!

3 Things You Should Know To Buy Wholesale Seagrass Baskets From Vietnam

3 Helpful Things You Should Know To Buy Wholesale Seagrass Baskets From Vietnam

Buying Tips05/06/202118/07/2022

Wholesale seagrass baskets are growing in popularity across the globe. It’s because sustainability is going top of priority of consumers, so natural fibers are preferred. This article will serve as a guideline about how to source seagrass baskets from Vietnam. Get started now!

Seagrass For Production

Seagrass (or sedge) is a pliable plant that grows naturally in South-East Asian coastal areas. For making woven baskets, we mainly use cultivated seagrass from field areas which have previously been flooded by the sea.

Nga Son is known for best-quality seagrass & largest areas — *Natural seagrass field in Nga Son, Thanh Hoa—the area famous for best-quality seagrass & largest areas (Source: smithsonianmag)*

Seagrass characteristics

Once harvested and dried, seagrass looks smooth, silky, quite soft and has a light brown color. Seagrass is known for its great plasticity and durability—making it most favorite for producing baskets.

Seagrass, like other natural fibers, is very hygroscopic (able to absorb water well). Thus, the baskets need to be stored under dry, cool conditions. For exportation, the required moisture content of seagrass baskets ranges from 18% to 22%.

Coloring & weaving styles

Wholesale seagrass products can be decorated by either dyeing or painting. About dyeing, seagrass is more suitable with dark colors, and they might fade over time. Meanwhile, seagrass can be painted with various colors; however, paints on seagrass can peel off quite easily.

Vietnamese weavers also apply different techniques of weaving into the production process. Here are 6 popular seagrass weaving styles for baskets as well as other home products.

6 seagrass weaving styles for wholesale seagrass baskets made in Vietnam — *6 popular seagrass weaving styles for wholesale storage baskets*

Seagrass material cost

In Northern & Central Vietnam, seagrass has lower material cost than other materials (water hyacinth, rattan). That’s because these areas have the largest seagrass production capacity. If your customers prefer wholesale woven baskets, kindly consider seagrass — reasonable prices and high quality!

The costs are different among seagrass weaving styles. Normally, the highest one is Coiled seagrass & Wrapped seagrass while Split seagrass has the lowest cost.

In Northern Vietnam, seagrass has lower costs than rattan and water hyacinth. — *In Northern & Central Vietnam, seagrass is sourced at the lower costs than rattan and water hyacinth.*

Wholesale Seagrass Baskets’ Quality

Are wholesale seagrass baskets safe?

→ Yes, seagrass baskets are surely safe for both consumers & the environment. Seagrass is fast-growing, sustainable and biodegradable. Also, there are almost no chemical uses in the production process. The use of gluing is required to make some kinds of baskets well-shaped and mold-free, and this glue is totally safe for consumers’ uses.

Are wholesale seagrass baskets waterproof & weather resistant?

→ No. For indoor uses only. Not given enough protection from water, seagrass baskets will lose their shape and develop mold. In case seagrass products get wet, let’s dry them completely in the sunlight or using drying machines, then store them in warehouses equipped with dehumidifiers.

*Wholesale seagrass baskets can hold and carry up to 25 kg.*

How durable are wholesale seagrass baskets?

→ Strong, stylish and sustainable—that’s how we would describe wholesale seagrass baskets. Seagrass delivers a high level of durability and plasticity for long-time storage. Based on our testing, seagrass storage baskets can load up to 25-30kg.

Are wholesale seagrass baskets likely to get deformed?

→ It depends on specific seagrass weaving styles. Some styles should have iron frames to not lose form, such as Twisted seagrass, Split seagrass, Pressed seagrass, Braided seagrass. Others (Coiled seagrass & Wrapped seagrass) make baskets sturdy and well-shaped, without the use of iron frames.

Wholesale seagrass basket features iron frames to make it well-shaped. — *The twisted seagrass basket features iron frames to make it well-shaped.*

What To Know Before Buying Wholesale Seagrass Baskets

3.1. Find & Verify seagrass basket manufacturers

Seagrass thrives most in Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Seagrass of Vietnam is not only used for domestic production, but also exported to neighboring Asian countries. Therefore, you should look for manufacturers based in this region.

If you would like high-quality seagrass, we suggest working with suppliers that source this material from Nga Son (Thanh Hoa, Vietnam). Seagrass of Nga Son is estimated as of the best quality, with even stem’s diameter, great plasticity and beautiful natural brown.

*Vietnam has various manufacturers specializing in wholesale seagrass baskets.*

Verifying suppliers is also of great importance. For online research, consider their websites, Alibaba pages, or rely on supplier directory sites (Yellowpages) or trade data sites (Panjiva, Import Genius). Have a read for some tips to find trusted wholesale home decor suppliers!

3.2. Choose the right time to order from Vietnam

Seagrass can be affected by constant heavy rain in flood seasons. Floods happen from October to December in Central Vietnam, which will cause bad-quality or rotten seagrass—cannot be used for production. It is the reason why there might be an insufficient supply of seagrass during these months.

It is also crucial to pick the right time to order wholesale seagrass baskets from Vietnam. The right order time enables you to get better prices (thanks to lower seagrass costs), shorter production time and more convenient delivery as well.

Factories often outsource dried seagrass and other accessories for production. — *Bad-quality or rotten seagrass caused by flood cannot be used for production.*

3.3. Quotations & Samples from wholesale seagrass basket suppliers

Not only sourcing dried seagrass, producing companies also need to purchase other materials and accessories from sub-suppliers. In Vietnam, a large part of seagrass baskets are made by local weavers (villagers), then collected and finished by producing companies. The process is relatively long and complex, so it takes a few days for suppliers to calculate and update you (buyers) on exact prices.

Wholesale Seagrass Baskets - Coiled Seagrass and Pressed Seagrass — *Coiled Seagrass has the longest lead time while the time for making Pressed Seagrass is shortest.*

As to seagrass basket samples, production time (lead time) depends on shapes, sizes, designs and weaving styles. The more add-on accessories and patterns, the longer production time. Among all seagrass weaving styles:

Pressed Seagrass has the shortest lead time (commonly used in foldable belly baskets).
Coiled Seagrass takes weavers the longest time to complete.

Hope that our information is of some help to you in purchasing seagrass baskets from Vietnam and working with Vietnamese suppliers.

tips find trusted wholesale home decor suppliers vietnam

3 Tips To Find Trusted Wholesale Home Decor Suppliers From Vietnam

Buying Tips26/05/202129/09/2022

Are you looking for wholesale home decor suppliers in Vietnam? Do you struggle to find trusted ones for long-term partnership? In this article, we can help you out with detailed guides about where and how you can find reliable Vietnamese home decor manufacturers.

1. Why you should buy wholesale home decor from Vietnam suppliers

In recent years, Vietnam is the second-largest exporter of home decor products to the U.S and European markets, just behind China. And benefiting from the US – China trade war, Vietnam is considered as a promising manufacturing destination for global businesses.

Labor costs in Vietnam are lower than those in China and other developing countries such as Thailand and the Philippines. Also, with traditional handicraft and an increasing population annually, Vietnam gets young, highly skilled workforces for high production volume of home decor.

inexpensive young skilled workforces — *Vietnam gets inexpensive, young, skilled workforces for high production volume.*

Vietnam is well known for a variety of natural materials throughout the country. So, it is not hard for you to find suitable natural fibres for manufacturing natural home decor products from bamboo, seagrass, water hyacinth to rattan, jute, palm leaf and so on.

2. Where to find wholesale home decor suppliers

2.1. Online B2B marketplaces

Alibaba

Despite its main focus on China suppliers, Alibaba is still a B2B marketplace with many Vietnamese suppliers in diverse ranges, especially the home decor category. Therefore, finding a wholesale home decor supplier on Alibaba is quite easy. Just start with “Supplier by Regions”, then choose Vietnam and then select the “Home & Garden” category!

Global Sources

Similar to Alibaba, Global Sources has databases with most China suppliers, but you will still find a variety Vietnamese suppliers on this website. For the home decor category, choose “Home Products” and “Supplier List”, also with “Vietnam” by country to see more Vietnamese suppliers specializing in home decor products!

2.2. Directories

Vietnam Handicraft Exporter Association

Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association (VIETCRAFT) is the representative organization of all handicraft, home décor, home textile and gift manufacturers and exporters in Vietnam. Choose “Handicrafts and Home Decoration” in the “Find by product sector” to explore a list of wholesale home decor suppliers in Vietnam!

VIETNAMEXPORT

As an official business information channel, Vietnam Export Portal (VIETNAMEXPORT) offers information about verified exporters in different categories. That means it enables you to look for reliable Vietnam-based suppliers in the home decor category. Let’s click on “Verified Exporters”, then select “Handicraft” for further specific information of these suppliers!

Vietnam Yellow Pages

Another resource is Vietnam Yellow Pages – the largest trading channel where you can find quality manufacturers and suppliers based in Vietnam. If you are looking for wholesale home decor suppliers or manufacturers in Vietnam, visit the website and then choose “Vietnam Handicraft” for the list of reliable ones!

Global Manufacturers

Global Manufacturers is a wholesale trade platform for both global buyers and suppliers for over 13 years. This platform provides you with a list of various Vietnamese suppliers in different categories that include home decor. To find home decor suppliers or manufacturers for your business, choose “Vietnam” by country and “Home & Garden” by category!

2.3. Google keywords

It doesn’t sound viable, but Google can give you great help when it comes to searching for trusted wholesale home decor suppliers in Vietnam. How will we make full use of Google? Try several long-tail keywords – and they will be able to show direct results for your needs!

Here are some of our suggestions:

wholesale home decor suppliers Vietnam
wholesale home decor manufacturers Vietnam
wholesale home decor vendors Vietnam
home decor wholesale suppliers Vietnam
home decor manufacturers Vietnam

google keywords — *Use long-tail keywords when searching for wholesale suppliers in Vietnam.*

2.4. Tradeshows

If possible, we suggest participating in trade shows and fairs specialized in wholesale homeware, home storage, home decor products. These will give you great opportunities to get to know many Vietnamese wholesale home decor suppliers, see their products in person and easily evaluate quality as well. Let’s check out several exhibitions or fairs that you can attend!

Lifestyle Vietnam
Hanoi Gift Show
Mega Show Hong Kong
New York NOW
Ambiente Frankfurt

2.5. Referrals

If you have friends or colleagues who already worked in the category, don’t hesitate to ask them for more information about trusted suppliers!

Particularly, they communicated with suppliers’ Sales Representatives, received quotations and placed orders. So basically, it means they can give you direct feedback from those suppliers’ product quality, prices and services for your reference.

3. How to evaluate Vietnamese wholesale home decor suppliers

When finding new suppliers, it is of great importance for you to evaluate properly before reaching any business decision. In the home decor category, we have some suggestions that you can give a try to value a wholesale supplier or manufacturer. Discover now!

3.1. Check suppliers’ website

Website is one of their main online channels that you can easily access to Vietnamese wholesale home decor suppliers. After getting the website URL, consider contact information, product page and also check the age of the website domain as well!

Please keep in mind that not all experienced manufacturers or suppliers in Vietnam have a good website. Many of them have worked in the field for decades, but not invested in their website yet.

3.2. Evaluate product portfolio

Aside from looking at the product pages on their website, you should ask for catalogues from wholesale home decor suppliers. It is an easy way to assess their design and manufacturing expertise – an important factor to consider carefully when finding new suppliers.

3.3. Check certificates

Find information about suppliers’ certificates on their website, or ask them directly about their certificates such as BSCI, ISO 9001, CTPAT. It is about verifying suppliers’ performance from manufacturing technology, factory equipment, to production capacity. Also, you can make sure products are made by skilled workforces in safe, healthy working conditions.

3.4. Directly contact with suppliers

We highly suggest you should directly contact suppliers, ask about MOQ, lead time, working process and request for quotation, samples. In particular, sampling is very helpful for your business to evaluate product quality before reaching decisions. What’s more, you will be able to access their communication style, attitude, and support service as well.

>>> Learn more about Best time to order eco-friendly products wholesale from Vietnam

Looking for new wholesale home decor suppliers in Vietnam is not hard, but it can get easier if you try some tips about where to find and how to evaluate suppliers. That not only helps you accelerate the process but also reach out to trusted suppliers with specialist expertise.

reason buy wholesale storage baskets natural materials

Reasons To Buy Wholesale Storage Baskets Made From Natural Materials

Blog18/05/202118/07/2022

In recent years, the market for storage baskets is growing. The growth for storage basket markets is driven by consumers’ concern about wellness and their interest in sustainability. That’s why the demand for storage baskets made from natural materials is increasingly strong. Let’s discover the potentials for buying natural wholesale storage baskets!

1. Product description

1.1. Function

Baskets with natural materials function well as an effective storage solution. Whether it’s the office or any room in the home, eco-friendly storage baskets are suitable to store the essentials and keep the space organized.

natural fibers storage baskets — *Storage baskets made from natural fibers add natural vibes to the living space*

Besides storage purposes, baskets add a decorative accent into the interior. Made from natural fibers, those baskets give a natural feel and easily fit into any existing decor style.

1.2. Material

Wholesale storage baskets can be woven from a variety of natural materials. Typical fibers which can be listed are rattan, water hyacinth, bamboo, seagrass, paper, wood, cotton, corn husks, cane, banana leaf, palm leaf and so on.

Particularly, local manufacturers often combine natural fibers with other materials such as metal, wood and recycled plastics to make storage baskets more durable.

natural storage baskets with strong structures — *Natural fibers are combined with metal frames to create strong structures for baskets*

1.3. Design

Using natural materials, storage baskets still vary in many colors, weaving styles, shapes, structures and dimensions. Commonly, wholesale storage baskets should come in several basic shapes (round, rectangular, square) to maximize storage space for many items in the home.

Due to the limited living space, many householders prefer nesting, stackable, collapsible and flat-pack designs that are easily stored when not in use (CBI-EU, 2021). These designs also will allow you to gain lower shipping costs for your business.

storage baskets with collapsible designs — *Collapsible designs, easily stored when not in use, are gaining in popularity.*

1.4. Durability

Natural materials are gaining in popularity for wholesale storage baskets since these wild fibers deliver great durability for daily uses. However, as natural materials are not water-resistant, cleaning natural storage baskets is harder than those made of artificial fibers.

>>> Discover more Storage baskets made from natural materials

2. Why choose natural wholesale storage baskets to sell?

2.1. Current demand

european imports basketry — *Most natural baskets that EU imports are produced in developing countries*

The market for baskets has grown steadily in recent years. According to CBI-EU, European imports of wholesale storage baskets rose from €467 million to €552 million between 2015 and 2019, with an average yearly growth of 4.3%. Importantly, about 80% of the basketry that Europe imports is made from natural materials.

Currently, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic, the demands for storage products are still on the increase because people are spending more time at home (HomeWorld Business®, 2020). Let’s dive into specific trends offering opportunities for natural storage baskets!

2.2. Trends that offer opportunities for natural storage baskets

2.2.1. Wellness

Due to increasing urbanisation, ageing populations and the COVID-19 crisis, consumers are more aware of improving their physical and mental health. They are more focused on maintaining a tidy home with storage baskets, enabling them to de-stress and relax.

storage baskets interior space — *Consumers are more aware of improving their physical and mental health.*

As they put their priority on their mental and physical wellness, consumers increasingly prefer maintaining connection with nature. That’s why they want to bring natural materials and natural colors into their homes.

2.2.2. Sustainability

With the impacts of COVID-19, the sustainability trend continues to grow and shape how people consume. More and more people are striving towards a better world and trying to produce less waste into the environment. Renewable natural materials is mainly prefered for their homeware products that include storage baskets. Therefore, making baskets from natural fibers with a proper production process allows baskets to be environmentally and socially sustainable.

natural materials for storage baskets wholesale — *Renewable natural materials is prefered for storage baskets*

Natural materials can be woven into many styles, shapes and size of storage baskets no matter their purposes. They are non-toxic, durable and diverse in neutral color variations, fitting in consumers’ interest in sustainability and wellness. This actively promotes the impressive market growth for storage baskets made from natural materials.

Why Might Natural Woven Baskets Have Defects?

How To Identify Quality Natural Woven Baskets Wholesale

Baskets should conform to general requirements

Baskets should have no molds and pest attack

Baskets should reach the standard moisture content

Baskets should be highly durable and functional

Baskets should be well trimmed and cleaned

Baskets should have good coloring

Baskets should have good-quality accessories

How To Buy Baskets In Bulk With High Quality?

Keys Takeaways

What is Wicker?

What is Wicker Made Of?

Differences between Natural vs Outdoor Wicker

Is Rattan and Wicker the same thing?

Is Wicker Eco-friendly?

What Material is Outdoor Wicker?

Two Main Materials

Comparison: HDPE vs PVC

Will Wicker Last Outside?

Can Wicker get Wet?

Why does Wicker go Moldy?

How Do You Maintain Wicker?

Conclusion

What is Wicker?

Natural Wicker

Synthetic Wicker

What are Natural Wicker Pots for Plants?

Applications of Natural Wicker Pots for Plants

Materials for Natural Wicker Pots for Plants

Seagrass

Water Hyacinth

Bamboo

Laminated Bamboo

Woven Bamboo

Spun Bamboo (Coiled Bamboo)

Rattan

Key Takeaways

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Materials

Properties of water hyacinth vs seagrass

Color fastness of water hyacinth vs seagrass

Material costs of water hyacinth vs seagrass

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Weaves

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Applications

Water hyacinth vs Seagrass Problems

Care Instructions of Water hyacinth vs Seagrass

Updates About Current Ocean Freight Rates

Ocean freight rates on main trade lanes

Reasons for increased ocean freight rates

Ocean Freight Rates: Difficulties For Home Decor Wholesale Buyers

Prolonged transportation time

Risk to the quality of home decor wholesale

Recommendations: 3 Efficient Ways To Buy Home Decor Wholesale

Go FCL instead of LCL

Choose space-saving home decor wholesale

Buy Foldable or Collapsible Homewares

Buy Tapered or Flat Homewares

Buy Homewares in sets

Buy Homewares with Removable or Foldable legs

Have seasonal order plans for home decor wholesale

1. Basic colors

2. Rounded shapes

3. Minimalism

4. Inspiration from nature

5. Multi-functional spaces

6. Equipped home office

7. Home garden

Scandinavian woven flower pots

1. Features of natural materials for woven baskets

2. How to preserve wicker baskets in your warehouse

2.1 Where to place wicker baskets in your warehouse

2.2 How to clean wicker baskets properly

Seagrass For Production

Seagrass characteristics

Coloring & weaving styles

Seagrass material cost

Wholesale Seagrass Baskets’ Quality

Are wholesale seagrass baskets safe?

Are wholesale seagrass baskets waterproof & weather resistant?

How durable are wholesale seagrass baskets?

+84 2463 274 333
[email protected]