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Activities / Palm Leaf Craft / Palm Leaf Fan

Palm Leaf Fan

Palm Leaf Hand Fan: A Simple Folded Fan from a Dried Leaf

Level
Beginner
Duration
20 - 45 mins
Budget
₹50
Age
8+
State
Andhra Pradesh

Materials

  • Dried fan palm leaf (palmyra or date), about 30 to 40 cm across
  • Sharp scissors, a needle and strong cotton thread
  • Thin cloth strip for the handle, about 2 x 40 cm
  • Bucket or tray, towel, heavy book, clothes peg and thin gloves

Steps

  1. Get a dried fan palm leaf and wipe it clean
    Choose a dried leaf from a palmyra, date or other fan palm that has spread out like an open hand, about 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) across. Local markets and flower sellers in India often have them for a few rupees, and a fallen frond works too. Wipe both sides with a damp cloth to remove dust. Put on thin gloves, because dry leaf edges can cut. Common mistake: using a leaf that is broken or very brittle.
    Tip: Bend a leaf tip slightly: if it snaps at once, choose another leaf.
  2. Soak the leaf in water for 20 minutes and pat it dry
    Lay the leaf flat in a large bucket, tray or bathtub of cool water, weigh it down with a plate, and leave it for 20 minutes. Lift it out and pat it with a towel until it is damp, not dripping. The leaf should now bend without cracking. Dry palm leaf is brittle, so skipping this step is the most common reason fans split. Do your next steps while it is still damp.
  3. Trim the tips into a neat semicircle and cut the handle to 10 cm
    Lay the leaf flat with the stem towards you. Using sharp scissors, trim the ragged tips so that the top edge forms a smooth, even curve like half a circle. Then cut the stem down to about 10 cm (4 in) long, which becomes the handle. Cut in short snips, turning the leaf as you go. Common mistake: cutting too deep into the leaf, which makes the fan smaller and lopsided.
    Tip: Trace round a large plate lightly with a pen for a perfect curve to cut along.
  4. Fold the leaf along its creases into pleats and press them flat
    The leaf has natural ridges running outwards from the stem. Gather it and fold along each ridge, like folding an accordion, so the pleats lie one over the other, each about 1 cm wide. Press the folded leaf flat under a heavy book for 10 minutes. This sets the pleats so the fan opens evenly. Common mistake: folding across the ridges instead of along them, which cracks the leaf.
  5. Bind the base tightly with thread, 2 cm above the stem
    Cut a 1 m length of strong cotton thread. Starting about 2 cm above where the stem begins, wrap the thread round the pleated base 8 to 10 times, pulling firmly each time, and tie it with a double knot. The wraps should sit side by side, with no gaps, and make a tight neck. Trim the ends to 1 cm. Common mistake: wrapping loosely, which lets the pleats slip apart.
    Tip: Hold the pleats together with a clothes peg while you wrap.
  6. Open the fan and sew a thread through the pleats to hold the spread
    Gently spread the pleats into a half circle. Thread a needle with a 60 cm cotton thread and sew a running stitch through all the pleats about 5 cm (2 in) from the base, passing the needle through every pleat in turn. Pull it just snug enough to hold the fan at a half-circle shape, then knot it and cut the thread. This keeps the fan from closing or opening too much. Do not pull hard, because the leaf can tear.
  7. Wrap the handle with cloth strip and let the fan dry
    Tear a strip of thin cloth about 2 cm wide and 40 cm long. Starting at the neck, wrap it round the handle in a tight spiral, overlapping each turn by half, and finish at the end of the stem. Tie the end with thread or a small knot. Leave the fan open in a shaded, airy spot for a day, away from strong sun, which makes the leaf brittle. After drying you can wave it for cool air.

Sustainability

High - made from dried leaves and thread; biodegradable, reusable and low-waste

Safety

Dry leaf edges can cut, so wear thin gloves; use child-safe scissors; wash hands afterwards