How this started
The workshop started on a back porch with a bundle of palm leaves and a stubborn refusal to throw them away. Fifteen years later we still work the same way: gather, soften, weave, trim, and check every piece by hand before it leaves the bench.
What changed is that we started writing things down. Every technique we were taught, every mistake we made, and every shortcut we found is now published as a free tutorial. If a step is fiddly, we say so. If a material is wrong for a job, we say that too.
Why natural materials
Palm and coconut leaves are abundant, renewable and completely biodegradable. Working with them produces no plastic waste and keeps a set of traditional weaving skills alive that would otherwise be lost within a generation.
We are honest about the trade-offs. Natural objects need a little care, they change colour over time, and they will not outlast a plastic tub in a damp shed. We think that is a fair exchange, but it is your call to make — read our comparison guide before you decide.
How we work
From garden clippings to finished craft
-
1
Collect
We gather fallen and pruned palm and coconut leaves from local gardens and smallholdings, always with the grower’s permission and never by stripping a tree.
-
2
Prepare
Leaves are cleaned, softened in water and cut into strips of consistent width. Consistency here decides whether the finished weave sits flat.
-
3
Weave
Each piece is woven by hand following traditional patterns. A small basket takes around two hours; a large laundry basket takes the better part of a day.
-
4
Finish
Edges are trimmed, the rim is locked, and the piece is checked against the same list every time before it is packed in plastic-free wrapping.
What you will find here
- In-depth tutorials, from a twenty-minute coaster set to a full laundry basket.
- Honest material guides that compare natural and synthetic options without the hype.
- A small shop of finished pieces, for anyone who would rather buy than weave.
- Every tutorial tested by hand in our own workshop before it is published.
A basket that looks right on the bench and sags within a week was never finished properly. Tension is everything.
Theo Nakamura, Workshop Lead
Romen Roy
Romen has been weaving with palm and coconut leaves for over fifteen years. He founded LeafCraftPRO to keep traditional leaf craft alive and to teach it in plain, honest language.
Start with the beginner’s guide
If you have never woven before, this is the article we send everyone to first.