Pandanus Leaf Bookmark

This is a small sample of the kind of pandanus leaf weaving that is done in Vanuatu, a tiny island country in the South Pacific Ocean. Pandanus trees look like Dr. Seuss trees, with lots of roots above the ground helping hold up the trunk, and with lots of long leaves poofing out from the top. The leaves are cut, dried in the sun, and used for weaving projects. They are used for floor mats, sleeping mats, book covers, handbags, hats, and decorations. On most islands, women do the weaving, but sometimes the men help, too. You can see pictures of pandanus trees and people working with them here.

You can order pandanus leaves by emailing Bruce Whearty at lbwhearty@vanuatu.com.vu or you could make your own long strips of paper by cutting up brown paper bags.

Make yourselves Vanuatu bookmarks for your Bibles, or as gifts for kids in your congregation when they get their first Bibles, or for your grandmother!

The numbers in these instructions match the numbers on the drawing.

1. Cut a piece of leaf between four and eight inches long, however long your bookmark should be.

2. Split it into narrow slices, about seven of them, leaving at least one inch on the end unsplit. It doesn’t matter if the number is odd or even.

3. Choose a “weaver,” a narrow split piece of leaf about 3 or 4 feet long. You can split six or seven of them from one leaf, so share with your friends.

4. Leaving a little end sticking out, about one inch or so, begin weaving back and forth with the weaver.

5. When you reach the end of the first row, fold the weaver straight down, so that it makes a slanted (45 degree) fold

.6. Fold the weaver under so that it points back across the bookmark. This finishes one row, with a point on the end.

7. Now you are ready to finish. Fold half the tails up and weave them back under the weaver at least once. This is easier if they are pointed, and if you pry up the weaver a little bit with the point of a knife or scissors. Do you like it with the tails hanging down? If you do, then you are finished with the bottom. If you don’t like the tails, then fold up the rest of them and poke them under the weaver, too. Then the bottom will be straight.

8. Fold the end of the weaver under and weave it back on itself at least once.

9. Remember the first weaver end, up where you started? Cut it off so that it doesn’t stick out, or weave it back under, too.

10. Decorate as you want to, by writing or drawing or painting, or by trimming the end to a point.