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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Author:antoniraj
I like to make things more simple with easily available resources. My favorite quote: A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion,
butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders,
cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer,cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly.
Specialization is for insects.! - Robert A. Heinlein
The Hats and Headpieces Challenge gave me an idea to make a Hat from the coconut fronds. I have never woven a hat using coconut fronds. My search on the web led
to few youtube videos where professional weavers made some amazing looking headpieces using coconut fronds. At first it was very confusing. I repeatedly watched
those videos many times, practised with few coconut fronds and finally made this hat. This may not be as good looking as those woven by professional hat makers, but it
is a craft I have learned on the way.
This hat is something that definitely turns heads and also protects the wearer from sunlight. No special tools are required other than a machete or a sharp knife.
In this step-by-step instructable, I have tried my level best to explain how to make the coconut palm hat from scratch. Please read on. Your comments and suggestions
are most welcome.
Here I have harvested two portions of fronds, each containing about 25 leaflets on each side, from our coconut tree in the home garden. I can split these two into halves
and will have four fronds for weaving the hat.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 2: Split the Coconut Fronds
The harvested coconut fronds can be split at the middle rib. Use a machete or a good knife to split the fronds. Each portion of the split frond can be used to make one hat.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 3: Soak the Fronds in Water
Initially I tried weaving the hat from freshly harvested coconut fronds, but the leaf sticks broke in many places, unsuitable to continue the crown. Please see the first
picture here. After weaving a beautiful rim, I had to discard the piece due to broken sticks.
Then I soaked the freshly harvested coconut fronds in water for about 24 hours. This made the sticks more flexible and I did not face problem of breaking sticks.
Image Notes
1. Soak the fronds in water for 24 hours
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 4: Prepare the Coconut Frond
After soaking the frond in water for about 24 hours, you will find the leaf sticks are more flexible. But still you can not bend the frond due to the excess thickness of the rib.
Use a machete or a sharp thick knife to thin out the rib as much as possible. Do it till you can bend the frond to form a circle as shown in the last picture.
Image Notes
1. Use a machete or thick knife to thin out the rib
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Image Notes Image Notes
1. Shave as much material as possible from the rib 1. Perfectly thinned rib will make the frond to bend like this
In the first picture you can see that this frond consists 20 leaflets. We will use 17 of the leaflets to weave the hat.
Trim three leaflets from bottom end of the frond. You can just pull them off one by one without damaging the frond.
Shave off the knots where the leaflets were attached to the frond and make it even.
Now, when you fold the frond, the shaved off portion will go inside and you can tie it firmly between the leaflets to make a circle.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Image Notes Image Notes
1. Thin out the portion from where we removed the leaflets 1. Frond with 17 leaflets
The last two pictures show the top and bottom views of the coconut frond ready for weaving
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Image Notes
1. Frond ready for weaving the hat
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 7: Weaving the Rim: Part 1
Weaving the hat from coconut fronds will be done in two parts, the Rim and the Crown. First we will start with weaving the rim of the hat.
If you look at the circular frond carefully, you will see that the leaflets are slightly turned towards the left in a clockwise direction. The leaflets from other portion of
the frond split from this one will run in the opposite direction, that is in the anti-clockwise direction. You will start weaving the hat towards the direction of the
leaflets.
For easy understanding of weaving the rim, I have numbered the leaflets from 01 to 17 in the clockwise direction as you can see in the first picture.
Now take the Number 01 leaf, pass it below the Number 02 leaf, pass above Number 03 and finally pass below the Number 04 leaf. Do not weave very tight,
make it slack.
Now the Number 01 leaf will be below the circle. Hold it firmly with your left hand.
Follow the same procedure with the Number 02 leaf, that is below Number 03, above number 04 and below Number 05.
Repeat the same procedure with all leaflets up to Number 15, which passes below 16, above 17 and below Number 01 leaflet. You can see this exactly in the last
picture with the numbers marked on each leaflet.
Image Notes
1. Leaflets numbered in clockwise direction
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 8: Weaving the Rim: Part 2
Now you will find that the Number 16 and Number 17 leaflets are standing free.
Now we have completed weaving the Rim portion of the hat as seen in the last picture.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 9: Arrange the Leaflets for Weaving Crown
Weaving the crown is the difficult part. Many people find it easier to weave the rim but they could not finish the crown properly. The following few steps will guide you on
how to arrange the leaflets and weave the crown.
After completing the rim, the remaining portion of the leaflets are at the bottom side of the rim.
Now pull each leaflet separately towards the top side of the rim as shown in the picture.
Arrange the leaflets in order and tie them about 12 to 15 inches above the rim. Professional weavers do not tie the leaflets, but for non-professional hobbyists like
us, tying will avoid confusion during weaving the crown.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 10: Weaving the Crown: Part 1
Here again I have numbered the leaflets from 01 to 17 in a clockwise direction. If you are using the other portion of the frond split from this this one then it will be in an
anti-clockwise direction.
We will split the leaflets in three portions. Half the number of total leaflets in the first portion. Here our total number of leaflets are 17, so you can take 8 leaflets in
the first portion.
The second portion will consist of the next three leaflets, that are Number 09, 10 and 11.
The remaining leaflets from Number 12 to 17 will form the last portion.
Now take the Number 01 leaf, pass it over all other leaflets in the first portion. Also take care to keep the stick facing down as shown in the first picture.
Pass the Number 01 leaf below Number 09, above Number 10 and below Number 11. Please refer the last two pictures on how to do this
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 11: Weaving the Crown: Part 2
Repeat the same procedure with the other leaflets in the first portion.
Leaflet Number 02 will over 03 to 09 and pass below 10, above 11.
Now take the Number 12 leaflet from the third portion and pass the Number 02 below 12. Please see the first picture for reference.
Repeat this step with all other leaflets till the 07th leaflet is passed below the Number 17 leaflet. The last picture shows the exact position at this stage.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 12: Weaving the Crown: Part 3
At this stage the leaflets from Number 01 to 07 are weaved through other leaflets and the leaflets from Number 08 to 17 are yet to be weaved.
Now take the Number 08 leaflet, pass it below 16 and above 17.
This leaflet should now pass below number 01 which has already been weaved. Lightly lift up the Number 01 leaflet without disturbing the weave and pass
Number 08 below this one.
Continue this process till all standing leaflets are weaved through others. This may be little confusing, but take your time, Identify each leaflet and weave through.
The completed crown will look something like this in the last picture.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 13: Weaving the Crown: Part 4
Now pull down all the leaflets one by one lightly to make a tight crown. Do not apply force. You can use your hand to push down the leaflets one by one from top of crown
and pulling them down simultaneously.
Now you have a perfectly woven crown. My weaving is not pretty but I made a somewhat reasonable one.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 14: Trim Excess Length of Leaflets
Once you complete weaving the crown, you will find excess length of leaflets protruding around the hat. Insert the excess length securely through the weaves and trim
excess length.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
Step 16: Epilogue
It took me about 10 days to learn the basics of weaving the hat from coconut fronds. The half-done things you see in above photographs are my repeated efforts in
learning. There are few videos available in youtube but most of them are done by professional weavers. I had watched those videos repeatedly and admired the way
professional hat makers weave a hat in less than half an hour. Now I could weave a hat with coconut fronds in about two hours, but the quality and look may not be same
as done by professionals.
In this instructable I have explained the basics involved in weaving the hat from coconut fronds in easy to follow steps. Wear it when you go out and it is sure to make
heads turn to admire the headpiece.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Coconut-Palm-Hat/
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