What can you do with raffia?

Crafters value raffia for being soft, durable, and easy to dye. It can take the place of cord, grass, leaves, fabric, ribbon, stuffing, floral string, and even paper. A wide variety of hats, mats, baskets, bags, and twine are made from this natural material.

Can you weave with raffia?

The minimal materials make it easy to transport, and the whole process of winding and weaving is very meditative. Once you’ve learned the technique of making a coiled raffia basket, you can make any shape – like a ring dish, a bowl or a vase (just pop a jar inside) – and any size.

How is raffia prepared for working?

To create the raffia fibre, local collectors cut the raffia palm tree’s leaves vertically and give them a nice little sunbath to dry. They turn into strands and the green colour of the fresh raffia palm leaves turns into beige raffia strings.

What’s the best way to make a piece of raffia?

Another way of using raffia to make chunky, substantial articles is to braid. Decide how thick you want the braids and assemble the necessary number of strands. Knot and attach to a hook, or hail to a board to make the work easy to manage, divide into three and braid in the normal way.

What can I do with a coiled raffia basket?

If you’re looking for a relaxing and portable craft, making coiled raffia baskets and bowls might be the craft for you. The minimal materials make it easy to transport, and the whole process of winding and weaving is very meditative.

How do you change the colour of raffia?

Change colours of both the base raffia and the raffia stitches to add interest. To change the base raffia, just overlap the ends of the old and new colours by about 5cm. Trim the ends of both so they are staggered in length to avoid having a thick section where they overlap.

What kind of flowers do you use for raffia?

Plastic flower looms are also used in raffia craft. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make raffia flowers. You can also attach them as decoration to other work or join the flowers together to make mats or baskets. Coiled raffia creates really firm, substantial mats and baskets that will stand up to use well.