The Bahamian Craft of Turning Palm Fronds Into Hats and Baskets
Plaiting was a necessity for extra income — pocket change for school supplies — spanning school years from the 1940s through early 1990s.
On Long Island in The Bahamas, a specific set of hand skills has been passed from mother to daughter for at least three generations. It is not taught in a formal classroom, though preservationists hope to change that. The practice is called plaiting — pronounced “platting,” as documented by The Bahamian Project’s oral history work — and it transforms the fronds of the silver top palm into hats, bags, and baskets. This article investigates how the craft is actually done, who maintains it, why it faces an uncertain future, and what travelers should understand before they buy.
Bahamian straw work is a demanding textile tradition, not casual souvenir production. The term “plait” refers to a single length of interlaced straw. The favored material is silver top palm, harvested from secret bush locations. The craft is concentrated among older women in the Out Islands, particularly Long Island, and the knowledge could disappear in a generation without deliberate preservation efforts.
Quick-Reference Guide to Bahamian Straw Plaiting
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name of practice | Plaiting (pronounced “platting”) |
| Primary material | Silver top palm fronds |
| Core technique | Interlacing dried, split, and often dyed or smoked palm strips |
| Key region | Long Island, The Bahamas (also across Out Islands) |
| Typical products | Handbags, hats, baskets, placemats |
| Time to make a handbag | ~12 yards of plait = 4–6 hours of plaiting alone, excluding harvesting and prep |
| Current status | Practiced by a shrinking older demographic; risk of loss within a generation |
| Primary barrier | Low financial return and competition from digital entertainment for younger generations |
The Artisans of Long Island — A Tradition of Rigor
In June 2023, the Long Island Museum in Buckley’s hosted a week-long plaiting demonstration. Museum Supervisor Patsy Cartwright and Museum Attendant Sheena Cartwright organized the event, featuring a different island artisan each day. The roster included Isabella Knowles, Eleanor and Pearl Cartwright, Patricia Darville, Oramae Pinder, and Marjorie Cartwright. Every one of these women learned to plait between the ages of five and seven from a family member — usually their mother.
The teaching method was exacting. Oramae Pinder’s mother insisted on a specific command: “Set your plait” — pull strands down tight, no holes allowed in solid patterns. Patricia Darville’s mother would “cut her butt” and tear apart substandard work. This exacting standard may explain why Long Island plait is particularly sought after by buyers who recognize its tightness and consistency.
Outsiders sometimes assume plaiting is a casual hobby. In fact, it was historically a rigorous economic necessity. Mothers were perfectionist teachers because the income — pocket change for school supplies from the 1940s through the early 1990s — depended on quality.
From Silver Top Palm to Spool of Plait
The finished product a traveler buys in a Nassau market begins weeks earlier in the bush of Long Island.
Artisans trek to secret bush locations for the best fronds. The favored species is silver top palm, named for the silver cast on the underside of its frond. Timing is critical: fronds cannot be cut too young or too old. Mature women often delegate the cutting to younger people due to the labor involved. Sheena Cartwright has seen palms “whacked to death” by unskilled harvesters — careful cutting preserves the health of the palm. The Bahamian Project notes a harvesting guidance video from The GUANIMA Project that demonstrates proper technique.
Fronds are taken home and dried — hung like clothing or laid on rocks. They are then separated into single blades, opened, and split into two. Splitting produces a fine dust that causes itchy eyes, coughing, and runny nose; severe reactions occur for asthmatics.
Blades are slit into strips using a fine sharp knife. Rough outside edges are removed first. Strips are cut to a desired width by eye — no rulers are used. Consistency is essential: every strip must be the same width for tight, neat plait. For fine plaits, the straw is peeled to separate the smooth side from the rough side.
The artisan chooses the finish. Dyeing involves near-boiling water with dye dissolved, followed by overnight cooling and rinsing. Smoking is more labor-intensive: the smooth side of the straw is passed carefully across a kerosene lamp flame until it chars but does not burn. Soot is wiped off, leaving absolutely black, shiny straw. Smoked straw must be used immediately — it becomes brittle if stored.
The prepared strips are interlaced into a single length of plait. Over 100 patterns exist. The underlying weave may be an 11-string or 15-string structure, but dyed or smoked straw changes the appearance and name of the pattern. It takes approximately 20–25 minutes to plait one yard.
Patterns, Orders, and the Economics of Time
Artisans typically maintain about ten go-to patterns. Eleanor and Pearl Cartwright stated they can do any pattern given time. “Fish pot” is considered the most difficult; Eleanor and Pearl will not do it, but Patricia Darville can do it almost blindfolded. Only Oramae Pinder and Patricia Darville smoke straw — a testament to the specialization within the craft.
Clients place orders specifying the pattern, width, color, and yardage. An average lady’s handbag requires roughly 12 yards of plait, equating to 4–6 hours of plaiting alone, excluding all preparation work. The economics of this are often misunderstood by buyers.
When buying a handbag or hat at a market in Nassau or Georgetown, Exuma, ask the vendor about the pattern name and the time it took to make. Aggressive haggling devalues the time and talent involved. A fair price reflects 4–6 hours of plaiting plus harvesting, drying, splitting, and assembly.
Most artisans are independent businesswomen. An exception is Oramae Pinder, who belongs to the Starfish Traders collective in Seymours, Long Island. Most of her work stays within the group, which provides a cooperative structure for pricing and sales.
A Craft at a Crossroads
The future of Bahamian straw plaiting is genuinely uncertain. A binder at the Long Island Museum contains photos and samples of plaiters from earlier decades; most are now dead. The craft could disappear in a generation.
The barriers are clear. Young people in The Bahamas, like young people everywhere, are pulled toward computers, internet, phones, games, and cable TV — activities that feel more immediately rewarding. The financial return from plaiting is low relative to the time invested. As one artisan put it, the craft is simply not “exciting” or “cool” to a generation raised on digital entertainment.
Preservation proposals are concrete. Barbara Knowles Jesubatham — Isabella Knowles’ niece — wrote a book titled Bahamian Straw Craft – A Guide to Making Native Straw Bags, which practitioners call “the Bible” of the craft. She wrote it to preserve the tradition by educating future generations. Other proposals include a national plaiting guild to approve and rate artisans, expanded local island craft collectives like Starfish Traders, a central straw market on Long Island, and teaching plaiting in primary and secondary schools. The University of The Bahamas Department of Visual and Fine Arts could offer plaiting courses.
- Bahamian straw plaiting is a demanding textile craft with over 100 patterns, centered on Long Island.
- The time investment — 4–6 hours of plaiting for a single handbag, plus extensive prep — makes fair pricing essential.
- The craft faces genuine risk of loss within a generation due to economic and cultural shifts.
- Supporting artisans directly, asking about patterns, and paying fair prices are concrete actions travelers can take.
Context and Comparison — Insider vs. Outsider Views
| Aspect | Insider (Artisan) View | Outsider (Traveler) View |
|---|---|---|
| Craft name | “Plaiting” (pronounced “platting”) | “Straw weaving” or “straw work” |
| Material | Silver top palm, specific to secret bush locations | Generic “straw” or “palm” |
| Value | Based on time, skill, and generational knowledge | Often based on appearance alone |
| Pricing | Fair price reflects days of labor | Often subject to aggressive haggling |
| Pattern complexity | “Fish pot” is the most difficult; few artisans can do it | Often unrecognized as distinct patterns |
| Future outlook | Uncertain; transmission at family level is breaking | Often assumed the craft will continue indefinitely |
The biggest oversimplification is treating “straw work” as a single, uniform Bahamian craft. In reality, plaiting is regionally concentrated on Long Island, uses a specific palm species, and involves dozens of distinct patterns with different difficulty levels. The skill set of an artisan who smokes straw is different from one who dyes it.
Questions Readers Ask
Is “plait” pronounced “plate”?
No. In The Bahamas, “plait” is pronounced “plat” — it rhymes with “flat.” Travelers who say “plate” mark themselves as outsiders immediately. The pronunciation is one of the first things a visitor can get right.
How long does it take to make a straw bag?
A standard lady’s handbag requires roughly 12 yards of plait, which takes 4–6 hours of plaiting alone. This excludes harvesting the palm fronds, drying, splitting, slitting, peeling, and dyeing or smoking — which can add days to the process.
What is “silver top” palm?
Silver top palm is the favored species for Bahamian straw plaiting. It is named for the silver cast on the underside of its fronds. Harvesting requires trekking to secret bush locations, and timing is critical — fronds cannot be cut too young or too old.
Why is Bahamian straw work considered expensive?
The price reflects the labor. An artisan spends 20–25 minutes to plait one yard of straw. A handbag requires 12 yards. That is 4–6 hours of plaiting alone. Add harvesting, preparation, and assembly, and a fair price for a high-quality bag represents days of skilled work.
Can I learn to plait?
Yes, but finding a teacher outside of Long Island is difficult. The Long Island Museum has hosted demonstration weeks. Barbara Knowles Jesubatham’s book Bahamian Straw Craft is the most comprehensive written guide. Some preservation proposals include teaching plaiting in primary and secondary schools across The Bahamas.
The Thread That Connects Generations
The Bahamian craft of turning palm fronds into hats and baskets is not merely a production technique. It is a system of knowledge transmission that ties together ecology, economics, aesthetics, and family discipline. The silver top palm must be harvested at the right moment. The strips must be cut to a consistent width by eye. The plait must be set tight, with no holes. The patterns carry names — “fish pot,” “11-string,” “15-string” — that encode generations of observation. The craft is not yet lost, but its future depends on whether the same culture that produced it can find new ways to value it. For a deeper look at how Bahamians preserve and pass their stories, read our guide to the heart of The Bahamas: stories passed through generations.
Sources and further reading
The Bahamian Project. “Plaiting: Long Island, Bahamas.” 2023. 🔗
Jesubatham, Barbara Knowles. “Bahamian Straw Craft – A Guide to Making Native Straw Bags.” 🔗
Related reading on IslandHopperGuides
The Cultural Legacy of Bahamian Straw Vendors in Nassau’s Market — a look at the market dynamics and history of straw vendors in the capital.
How The Bahamas Balances American Influence With Its Own Identity — explores the cultural pressures that shape crafts like plaiting.
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