My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Weaving a gift box with a lid from palm leaves

Cut the thick part from the leaf

Cut the rigid, thicker part of the leaf to give you a long pliable strand to weave with

Split the palm leaf in two

Split the palm leaf in two

Start weaving the gift box

Start weaving a basic weave pattern for the gift box

Add leaves to build up the base of the box

Add leaves to build up the base or bottom of the box

Keep the leaves tight to create a firm weave

I use the firmer blunt side of the leaf to weave in and out of the strips. Keep the weave pattern tight.

This will be the bottom of the gift box

This will be the bottom of the gift box. Let the strands extend on all sides

Firmly fold the palm leaves over the create a neat side

Firmly fold the palm leaf strands over to create a sharp and neat bottom side. Do this for all four sides.

Start weaving the sides

Lift the side strands and continue the in and out weaving pattern on the sides

Continue the weaving pattern around the box

Continue the weaving pattern around the box

Weave the last side of the box

Hold the long strands up while weaving. You can also clip it together with a washing peg. Weave the last side of the box to close the shape

Start to weave all the loose strands in to the design

Add the next strand. By the third strand the box shape will be stable and much easier to weave

Gently hold the box and tug all the end pieces to firm up the shape

Gently hold the box and tug all the end pieces to firm up the square shape. Tuck the left over strands of palm into the design by following the weave pattern

Cut the leaves at an angle and weave it through on itself to create a neat overlap

Just continue to weave the palm leaf in and over untill the end peices are neatly incoprporated.

Weave the loose leaves by catching the top vertical leaf either over to the front or to the inside of the box

Weave the loose strands at the top by catching the upper most palm leaf. If the leaf end inside the box, fold it over the leaf and tuck it into the weave pattern

Weave the loose strands back in to the box

The loose strands that ends outside the box needs to be cut short and then woven over and into the box.

Inside the palm leaf gift box

Tuck these strands into the weave pattern inside the box

Palm leaf gift box

Neaten all the palm leaf strands by pulling it tight and weaving it back into the weave pattern

Start weaving the gift box

The lid is woven in the same way

Weave the sides of the gift box lid

Only shorter than the box on the sides

Gift box lid or base

You can place the lid on top of the box or as a base

Or tuck the lid in to the box

or make it slightly smaller than the box.

The box is now ready to decorate. It is quite strong and will dry to a grey green

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

8 June 2011 Foliage Weaving

For this tutorial I focus on a simple weave pattern that does not require you to soften or prepare the leaves to be more durable or flexible. This is the starting point in...

Favourite Flowers

Phormium

Flax, New Zealand flax

Typha

Cattail, graceful, ribbon grass

Related Designs

20 December 2011 Our finest gifts we bring,

A small, all natural gift box woven from palm

7 April 2011 Weaving with Flax

Here are a few more examples of woven flax. I also use Typha, palm, iris leaves, Kyogi paper, boat orchid leaves and aspidistra to weave with.

12 April 2011 "On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... two turtle doves"

Flax Christmas tree "cake" for the Floral Trends Design Group end of the year function.

12 August 2015 Catch of the Day

Weave a loose basket to display a single flower... or three

23 December 2015 Dear Santa,

Gift boxes from skeleton leaves

13 July 2016 Woven

Weave a canopy or parachute shaped armature for orchids to perch on

25 January 2017 What is in a basket of spectacular?

Weave a basket with dangling edges for a single orchid display

17 May 2017 Nobody move!

Weave a small basket with a lid to keep fluffy treasures in

27 February 2019 It’s a trap!

Weave a trap to keep your floral details suspended in a square container.

26 June 2019 “Ok wow”

A design so fine you can easily miss it... if it were not for the interwoven pebbles catching your eye.

22 April 2020 Yes… but what would she put in it?

Some floral fashion inspiration: weave a pretty clutch purse

7 December 2022 Making spirits bright

A twig sleigh... to collect your twig Christmas tree, of course!

1 May 2024 Favourite Take-Away

Basket weave container for some Spring floral treasures.