Where is raffia made

I hear ya! Raffia is made from the segments of the leaves on the Palmyra palm, a tree native to Madagascar. Yep, on a palm tree, the 'leaf' is actually what many of us might look at and call a 'whole branch' - so the leaves on the raffia palm are typically 10 metres long or more, and the segments are dried and shredded 'leafy bits' becoming the raffia fibre we use. These vary in length depending on their position on the leaf. Segments range in length from metres; with the shortest strands coming from the base and tip, and longest, best quality strands coming from the middle.

So, taking these segments, and skipping over particulars of raffia leaf processing almost entirely, we end up with a bunch of long, strips of raffia palm which is ready to use for myriad crafts.

When you buy smaller lots, generally they will still be tied in a bundle at one end but it won't be this tidy. The raffia leaves bundled this way in Madagascar are done so when they're still a bit wet to achieve the excellent compaction you get in a hank.

As you'd know, if you've ever just opened up one kilogram of raffia to have it amazingly and instantly take over the interior volume of your home. Take a strand of raffia. Where the segments were once attached to the petiole the branchy bit of the tree , you should notice towards one end of the raffia is thinner and harder and the end might have a little hairy bit.

See how this end is different to the other end, which was possibly cut? This harder, thin part towards the end will fold over easily and make a hard point. Like this, below:. At the other end, the fibre will look thinner, flatter, wider, and feel much fluffier. I didn't really take a picture of that end.

If you're using it for giftwrapping, you won't care about any of this. If you're interested in using raffia in basketry, all these properties will be something to notice, eventually. The raffia leaves can grow up to 65 feet long and comprise at least 80 leaflets.

The leaves' fibres are torn into small strips and dried in the sun; its soft, pliable, strong nature is perfect for all kinds of uses. The natural colour of the fibre is yellow-tan hue, which is eye-catching.

However, today the fibers are often dyed in other colours, thus making the material perfect for a variety of crafts. There is certain kind of exclusivity associated with raffia fabric, as it has long been linked with elitism and royalty.

In some cases special ceremonial costumes are made from raffia fabric and this practice is popular among some ethnic groups of Central Africa from the coast of the Gulf of Guinea.

There have also been some recent developments in use of raffia fabric. The areas where predominantly cotton fabrics are produced, some ethnic groups weave raffia for their adulthood ceremony and raffia fabrics exist as the 'authentic' fabric of these tribes prior to cotton fabrics as well as bark fabrics.

The raffia fibres are still widely used and are sold in various places from the savannah region at the South end of the Sahara, in which raffia does not grow, to the coastal region of Guinea. The decline in use of raffia fabric can be attributed to the rise in use of imported synthetic fabrics. However, the fashion world continuously relies upon using raffia fabric in modern day designs of garments, footwear, bags, hats and also in home furnishings.

This year spring season will definitely witness a lot of fresh prints and fabrics , and many bigwigs in the fashion world have shown inclination towards using raffia fabric in garments to come up with innovative and fresh look. The flawless straw-like natural raffia material is a perfect choice for the designers who want to experiment with ethnical and tribal prints. While the raffia fabric is a natural selection for floppy hats and beach bags, there are also unexpected ways to wear this trend.

Structured dresses made out from raffia fabric for beachside cocktail parties to casual tribal-print dresses and shirts are something to look forward to this season. Such innovations involving the natural raffia fabric have been an instant success in past also.

As you have read in our previous article about the production of our raffia shoes, natural raffia is a straw-like material that is gained from a palm tree. Its origin is Madagascar, but over the years raffia palm trees can be found in other parts of Eastern Africa too after successful transplantation.

They look similar to many other palm trees yet a bit funny too — the trunk is quite short and the leaves are huge in comparison — in fact, the raffia palm tree holds the largest leaves of all plants on planet earth: 25 meters long and 3 meters.

Its fruit has a shiny brown colour. Each one of the palm branches is made of nearly one hundred leaflets, which yield the magic ingredient not just for our fashionable summer shoe but for many other items you surely have come across in your daily life.

But more about that later…. They turn into strands and the green colour of the fresh raffia palm leaves turns into beige raffia strings. The light and resistant spines are used for the construction of huts, or furniture and light chairs since the time of colonization around In the present era, raw fibers dried and pressed into bales are the main object of a large export trade.

In raffia fabrics, the fibres of leaf of raffia palms are woven by archaic technique of vertical loom or oblique loom. The growth is mostly confined to tropical rainforests, banks of the river Savannah and some other marshes or wetlands. The dominance of raffia belt can easily be noticed in alongside these areas. The textile industry employs fibre extracted from six different varieties of raffia plants like raffia vinifera, raffia ruffia, etc. Paper Raffia is also known as: Paper Wraffia or Rayon Raffia, is an eco-friendly product that is biodegradable and recyclable.

Without a doubt, Paper raffia is perfect for the environmentally conscious companies to fulfil their social responsibility needs. This is perfect for your green-friendly gift packaging to wrap your gift boxes and bags.

In addition, Paper wraffia is perfect for arts and crafts industry, whether it may be for stationery, card-making, and scrapbooking. The Raffia process is one that is time-consuming, though the local expertise and knowledge ensure only the finest Raffia fibre. The creamy-brown coloured lengths come from a specific palm tree that originally grew only on the island of Madagascar.

Raphia farinifera actually has the largest leaves of any palm tree, so it is a logical source for fibres. The fibrous leaves are cut off and torn apart in parallel lines to yield very long strips of material. The tree is now cultivated specifically for harvest and export in East Africa, as well.

The fibres that are used in woven fabrics are gathered from the back of the new leaves that have just emerged from the stems and are still closed in a spear shape. The raffia fibres that are to be used for the purpose of woven fabrics are not twisted. The raffia leaves can grow up to 65 feet long and comprise at least 80 leaflets. The natural colour of the fibre is yellow-tan hue, which is eye-catching. However, today the fibres are often dyed in other colours, thus making the material perfect for a variety of crafts.

The dried strips of the raffia fibre will be sorted and the uneven fibers will be removed based on length, color, etc. This is the moment when you can dye the raffia in large pots with pigments.