Handwoven placemats made from upcycled banana stem fiber and cotton, designed for sustainable dining and everyday table décor. Naturally textured, durable, and biodegradable, these reusable placemats transform agricultural waste into a refined, eco-friendly table essential. Ideal for conscious homes, casual meals, and elevated entertaining. Crafted by skilled rural artisans in Southern India, each placemat is woven on traditional handlooms using hand-twisted banana fiber ropes blended with cotton. Strong yet flexible, these placemats offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic or disposable tableware—perfect for daily use, holidays, and thoughtful gifting. Why you’ll love it: • handwoven placemats made from upcycled banana stem fiber • renewable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly materials • Fair Trade and artisan-made on traditional looms • durable, textured surface for everyday dining • reusable alternative to disposable placemats • ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Mother’s Day, housewarmings, and hostess gifts Material & care: • banana stem fiber and cotton blend • size: 13" × 19" • set of 4 placemats • wipe clean with a damp cloth; spot clean with mild soap; dry in shade How it’s made: Naturally, banana plants bear fruit only once in their lifetime. The excess stems — typically treated as agricultural waste — are reclaimed and transformed into incredibly tough yet lightweight fiber. These fibrous remnants are hand-stripped, dried, and twisted into durable ropes using hand-operated tools. The fibers are then woven primarily by women artisans on traditional, non-electric looms. Banana fiber is often blended with other natural materials such as river grass, jute, coconut leaf splinters, or bamboo, creating placemats with distinctive texture, strength, and visual character. Due to the handmade process and natural fibers used, slight variations may occur. These reflect authentic handmade craftsmanship.