Screw Pine Craft/ Thazhapaya Mats of Kerala

The products made with screw pine include table mats, floor mats, cushion covers, coasters, bags, box covers, beach hats, handbags and wall hangings. The mats are often embellished with fine hand embroidery. The two-ply screw pine mats, used for sleeping, consist of a fine upper layer and a coarse bottom one, with stitching at the edges. Superfine mats are made from very fine screw pine leaf splints placed  8 to 10 per inch. High quality mats of up to 22 splints per inch can also be made by experienced artisans.

Cleaned leaves are split in half without disturbing their original length. The long and narrow leaves are boiled and then placed in fresh water overnight. The leaves are dried, and after a couple of days they become ivory in colour. Once dry, the leaf is straightened with a knife and kept rolled and bundled until the weaving begins. The weaving is done with one weft leaf going diagonally between two warp leaves.