Is It Good To Make Home Decorations With Coconut Shells?

Coconut fruits are known mainly for their lovely taste, heavenly smell, and great nutritional value. Once you have extracted the coconut water and meat, and enjoyed eating the fruit, you may use the empty shell to make jewelry, artwork, and various home décor items.

This is mainly because, unlike most fruits, the shell of the coconut fruit is pretty tough and lightweight, which is just perfect if you want to reuse or recycle it in numerous ways.

So if you love coconuts, the next time you buy some, don’t throw away the shells but put them to good use! Get creative and make pretty decorations for your home, you’ll be surprised what you can come up with.

Keep reading for some inspiration!

 

There are tons of ways that DIY home décor enthusiasts can reuse empty coconut shells to spice up their interiors and exteriors. Let’s look at a couple of easy craft ideas that you can draw inspiration from:

 

• Coconut Shell Candles

For those of you who enjoy lighting scented candles, how about making your own customized candle holders using coconut shells? Just clean up the shell, add the wick, and then carefully pour the wax in.

Apart from their unique appearance, coconut shells are quite durable. Thus, you can reuse them as many times as you desire.

 

 

• Coconut Shell Lanterns

We all know that lighting is an important component of home décor. Did you know that coconut shells can also double as DIY lanterns? When filled with running lights, coconut shells can create an interesting illuminating effect in the bedroom or backyard.

To create a coconut shell lantern, glue several pieces of shells and poke holes in each of them. You can puncture the holes in a pattern or randomly. You can then hang your coconut shell lanterns on the wall for better aesthetics.

When making a lantern, you can also use coconut shells to design a DIY night lamp stand. But you will need several pieces of coconut shells to pull this off.

 

• Coconut Bowls

The great thing about a coconut bowl is that it’s sustainable, biodegradable, natural, and waste-free. Unwanted coconut shells are a waste product that would otherwise be burnt or sent to a landfill, but instead, they can be up-cycled or reused.

Besides, can you imagine how splendid your dinner table would look with bowls made out of coconut, instead of the usual glass or ceramic? The coconut shells themselves also resemble bowls. You can smoothen the edges to create a nice bowl for serving rice or noodles. To add a little bit of spice to your coconut bowl, you can make two holes on either side for holding chopsticks.

 

 

• Hanging Coconut Shell Ornaments

This is the easiest home decoration you can make with coconut shells. All you have to do is suspend a couple of shells on your wall with a rope. And that’s it. The shell of the coconut fruit has a simple yet versatile appearance. Thus, they can be used as adorable timeless ornaments. The best part is that you can hang them anywhere.

 

• Coconut Shell Teapot

One of the best ways to reuse coconut shells is by making a DIY teapot. Such a teapot will be an excellent addition to your crockery and it will also enhance your home décor. Most of the time, your guests will be surprised to discover that it’s not an ornamental piece but an actual teapot.

 

• Coconut Shell Planters Or Flower Vase

Do you love indoor gardening? Well, you are in luck because coconut shells can be used as planters. Their bowl-like design can be used to hold small indoor plants in the soil. These shells are also waterproof, so they will hold water as well.

When using coconut shells as planters, you can retain their raw design, or you can paint them with a color that blends with your furniture or walls. A coconut shell can also work as a flower vase.

 

 

• Homemade Jewelry Box

There is no need for you to buy a fancy jewelry box, yet you can make one using coconut shells. Thanks to their durable design, coconut shells will keep your jewelry safe. However, you will need to sand the hairy surface because it can scratch your jewelry. You may also paint it in the color of your choice.

 

The method of preparation for coconut shells will depend on the type of decoration you have in mind. For example, the process of making a teapot is very different from that of making a lantern.

However, the initial steps of preparing a coconut shell for crafting are usually the same. And I will take you through a quick guide on how you can do that.

 

Step 1: Look for a perfectly shaped coconut

Understandably, this may not be easy, unless you live in tropical regions where coconuts grow naturally. However, at your grocery store, you may have the option to find one that’s shaped nicely.

 

Step 2: Cut a hole at the top and remove the meat

Coconut shells are very tough. You may need a drill to cut at the top. Grab a coconut scraper or knife and start taking out the meat. To use this fruit for crafting, all the meat must be removed.

 

Step 3: Clean off the hairy surface with a knife

All coconuts have a fibrous material on the surface. Unless this is the finish that you want on your coconut shell home decoration, you will have to scrape it off. A knife usually does a good job of cutting through this material. Be sure to wear gloves to keep your hands safe.

 

Step 4: Sand the surface

A knife may not be able to remove all of the fibrous material. That’s where sandpaper comes in. You can polish the surface by hand with a piece of sandpaper until the shell feels smooth. Alternatively, it’s easier to sand using a machine sander.

 

Step 5: Paint and decorate

For those who don’t like the raw finish of coconut shells, you can paint them in any color you see fit. It will be easier to paint because the shell will be smoother. Acrylic colors are generally used for painting coconut shells.

You can then decorate it as you like. Some people even spray glitter on the shell to make it stand out.

 

 

Absolutely! Coconut shells are like mini-pots that can be used as seed beds or nurseries. You may grow seedlings in the coconut shell bed, and when they’re ready, simply transplant them into larger pots. Coconut shells will be perfect for growing smaller plants like cherry tomatoes, chillies, and lady’s fingers (okra).

Coconut shell planters are actually an eco-friendly alternative to plastic pots. Unlike their counterpart, the shells are biodegradable, so once you are done using them, they decompose naturally. These shells are also pretty tough and will look stylish in your home.

 

 

When you look at the coconut shells home decoration ideas listed above, most involve the use of these nuts with things such as water, soil, candles, or light. As such, it would be natural for you to wonder whether these shells can rot, go moldy, or maybe catch fire.

Starting with rotting, as coconut shells are waterproof so they will not rot quickly. They can be also wiped clean easily whenever necessary.

After they’re disposed of, coconut shells will decompose naturally within one year, and the good news is that if your shells have been prepared for crafting, they will take much longer to break down. But even though the rotting of coconut shells is inevitable, it will take years for this to happen.

You should also note that coconut fruits are more susceptible to mold than their shells. In fresh coconut, mold will be attracted by the water inside. Thus, it may grow over the fruit and find its way through the three holes located on the top of the coconut. Mold will rarely grow on coconut shells that have had their meat and water removed.

On the downside, coconut shells are a natural product so they are not entirely fireproof. If you decide to use these shells as candle holders, apply a fire retardant to the surface. You should also use them with caution whenever they’re in contact with fire.

 

In A Nutshell –

Coconuts are more than just a source of oil, milk, and meat. Using their empty shells can be much fun if you’re up to creating some original home decorations!