How To Make Crafts From Water Hyacinth

Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial plant that can grow to a height of 3 feet. It has striking light blue to violet flowers located on a terminal spike.

Water hyacinth is a very aggressive invader and can form thick mats. If these mats cover the entire surface of the pond they can cause oxygen depletions and fish kills. Water hyacinths have to be controlled so they do not cover the entire pond. The positive qualities of water hyacinth are it is abundantly available, it grows readily without any need for sowing, weeding or fertilising, it does not require any land space. It costs nothing and to harvest it is an act of doing an environmental favour.

Water hyacinth plant grows vigorously and abundantly to produce a large biomass. Has leaves rich in protein, being as valuable as that in potatoes or clover. The plant has a fibrous stem, and a high potassium concentration. Water Hyacinth is actually edible, not only for animals but for people too. Stalks and leaves are added in soups in Thailand. It has tough, fibrous roots that purify water, by absorbing the nitrogen and phosphorus on which it thrives, and also many other substances that pollute fresh water, including minerals. It absorbs toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury and strontium 90 in concentrations 10,000 times that in the surrounding water.

In the past, water hyacinth was a plant that usually only becomes a pest in the waters. But, nowadays, with creativity and hard work, it can be transformed into a craft that has a high selling value you know.

The water hyacinth of his life is in water, sometimes there is also root in the soil. The height of this plant is about 0.4-0.8 meters. It does not have a single stem and leaf and is oval in shape. The tip and base are tapered, the base of the leaf stalks are bulging. The leaves are green and the surface is slippery.

Water Hyacinth Crafts

Some crafts that turned out to be made with water hyacinth raw materials are bag, sandal, hat, and tablecloth. Its craft is no less the same as handicrafts from cardboard, handicrafts from paper, handicrafts from used bottles, and handicrafts from straws.

How To Make Crafts

Now, what if we learn how to make crafts from water hyacinth.

1. Look For Water Hyacinth

Looking for it is the first job we have to do. Actually, you can buy something that is already dry and ready to be processed, but it’s not really fast.

We can look it along the river. If you don’t want to bother asking for help with the people around, but don’t forget to give something as our gratitude.

2. Washing

Well, after we get the water hyacinth, then the next step is to cleanse itself of the dirt that is attached and eliminate the unpleasant odor.

Washing it is also easy, just spray it with clean water and the dirt that is attached is shattered by slamming.

3. Separating It From Stems

After cleaning, separate the stems from the leaves, this stage aims to classify which materials will be made into bags or other crafts.

Separation can using a large knife or scissors. Use that tool because if you separate using your bare hands it will be difficult. Water hyacinth is resilient and hard.

4. Drying

After the stems and leaves separate, the next ledge is drying. The easiest way to dry it in the sun, you can also sunbathe to accompany the water hyacinth. In addition to the easiest, drying by drying will also produce it that is of better quality than those dried using an oven or other dryer.

5. Making Craft Patterns

After we get a dry it, we make the craft pattern that we want to make. This pattern is to facilitate the manufacture of a product. If there is already a pattern, our work will be easier, just follow the pattern.

6. Weaving

Well, after there is a pattern we just make it plait or maybe knit from water hyacinth that is dry. The pattern is usually used if we make woven, but if you want to make a bag or knit like that, we can design using ordinary pictures.

So all we have to do is copy the existing picture or pattern to produce the same product. Producent manufacturers usually make different designs, so each product is only made a little.

7. Finishing

At this stage we just need to add accessories, colors and maybe give cloth so that the craft becomes even more beautiful.

Well, that was some of the crafts, benefits and negative effects of this green plant called water hyacinth. Hopefully useful.

Safimex supplies beautiful handicrafts made of water hyacinth. Please feel free to contact us for more details of our water hyacinth handicrafts.

Lucy (Ms.)
Export Executive
Email: Sales2@safimex.com
Skype: gautrucluca | HP/WhatsApp: (+84) 396802832

SAFIMEX JOINT STOCK COMPANY
Head office: 216/20A Duong Ba Trac street, Ward 2, District 8, HCM City