Coir Weaving: How to Use Coir to Make Your Own Basket

Coconut coir has countless applications for crafts, design, weaving, and gardening. Coir fibers are retted from the husks of coconuts to create strong, beautiful, and durable yarn and string. Coir is relatively coarse, holds its shape well, and is resistant to rot and water. It can be bleached and dyed to produce a beautiful material for weaving. In addition, coir is an eco-friendly, sustainable, and completely natural product. Try using coir to make a basket of your own. 

The Strength of Coir

Of all of the plant fibers, coir has one of the highest concentrations of lignin. This substance makes it stronger (though less flexible) than cotton. Other plant fibers such as ramie, flax, hemp, and sisal contain significantly less lignin. In general, coir is the thickest and toughest of the commercially available natural fibers. 

White coir, which comes from immature coconuts, is spun into yarn and used to manufacture rope, fishing nets, rugs, and many other commodities. Coir weaving is a common practice in places where coconuts grow abundantly, and it has also become more popular as a home craft. Coir weaving is simple, but it results in beautiful and resilient products.

Coir Weaving

Weaving is an excellent way to use this sustainable resource to create an attractive product for your home. It usually takes beginners between two and three hours to make a coir basket. To make the process easier, use two colors of coir string or rope. Decide how tall you want your basket to be and cut the coir so that it’s slightly more than twice that height. Cut four lengths of each color. Make a cross by laying the two colors across each other. You can watch videos that will show you how to use a simple twisting method to make your basket. 

You can also use a bucket as a template for your basket. Cut eight 3-foot lengths of coir of any color. Take three of the lengths and cross them over each other in the center. Use your hand or a clothespin to hold the center. Weave a cord around the other five, going under and over each alternating length until you have used the entire length of the cord. You can follow these instructions to finish weaving your basket. 

You can find many no-sew options for making coir baskets. While these are worth trying, it is much more satisfying when you make a coir basket on your own. If you desire, you can paint or dye your coir. 

Basket weaving is an ancient craft. Archaeologists have discovered evidence that suggests that Egyptians were weaving baskets as early as 12,000 years ago. Weaving your own baskets is an excellent way to acquire a new skill and produce a useful, yet attractive item. Coir rope, yarn, and string are great choices for this project. Coir baskets are relatively easy to make, they are durable, and they look fantastic in your home. They also make great gifts. Use our tips and try your hand at weaving a coir basket today.