Hi Guys! So for awhile I’ve been making my own coconut bowls, i use every part of the coconut, the insides even get turned into coconut oil! Here I’ve provided step by step instructions for you. It really is so simple and so sustainable and much cheaper than buying them online if you’re willing to put in a couple of hours work! It’s a really fun activity and if you already have most of the materials it is quite cheap as a coconut will normally set you back between $2.50-$5 AUD.

Materials:

Coconut

Hammer and nail

Old Towel (if doing this inside)

Jug or bowl

Saw and a knife

Permanent Marker

Course Sanding Paper

Mineral Spirits (Mineral Turps)

Raw Linseed Oil

Paintbrush

Step 1: Hammer a nail into one of the three nodules in the coconut. You may have to do this a few times to make the hole a bit wider so the juice comes out quicker.

Step two: Drain the juice from the coconut, this process takes about 5 minutes if you shake the coconut. You’ll know when it’s empty as there will no longer be a sloshing sound inside.

Step three: Once drained, using a permanent marker (or any texta) draw a line around where you’ll want to cut it the top off.

Step four: Now using your saw (i used a hand saw and found it easy), cut where you’ve marked until you’re all the way through.

 

Step five: Microwave your coconut for 2 and a half minutes total, 30 seconds at a time. This makes the insides nice and soft so they’re easier to carve out with your knife.

Step six: Once completely hollowed out you need to sand down the coconut using your sandpaper until it’s smooth.

 

Step seven: Now depending on what you intend to use your bowl for this step isn’t absolutely necessary. If only decorative you won’t need to waterproof your bowl but if you intend to use it for food like smoothies etc than you must waterproof it.

I created my own mixture which is 2 parts Mineral Spirits and 1 part Raw Linseed Oil, a total of 1/3 of a cup will be enough to do about 7 coats which is more than enough. Use your paintbrush to coat it both inside and out. It dries fairly quickly but i recommend leaving a good 10 minutes between each coat for 5 coats, then leave it for roughly 24 hours and give it another coat.

Your finished product will look something like this though probably a bit lighter as i took the below images while the last coat was drying.

If you do give this a go i would absolutely love to see and hear how you went and get any feedback you may have so feel free to leave a comment on here or tag me in your post on Instagram @bitsandbooks92

Happy making!

-JR xxx