Wicker refers to thin, flexible branches or reeds that have been woven together to make furniture, baskets, and other useful objects. Picture a basket where strips of material crisscross over and under each other in a tight pattern: that's wicker weaving.

Wicker furniture has been made for thousands of years because the woven design is surprisingly strong while staying lightweight. Ancient Egyptians made wicker chairs, and people today still use wicker for porch furniture, laundry baskets, and picnic hampers. The material flexes slightly instead of breaking, which makes it perfect for items that need to be both sturdy and portable.

The thin strips used in wicker can come from different plants. Willow branches, rattan vines, and bamboo stems all work well because they're bendable when fresh but become rigid as they dry. Craftspeople soak the strips in water to make them pliable, weave them into shape, then let them dry into their final form.

When you see a wicker chair on someone's porch or a wicker basket at a farmer's market, you're looking at a weaving technique that's older than most countries. The word wicker can describe the weaving method, the finished product, or something made in that style.