Parker Banana Leaf Tray — Handwoven Banana Leaf & Stalk | Azizi Life | Rwanda

The Parker Tray is handwoven from locally hand-gathered banana leaves and stalks in Rwanda — a material that would otherwise go unused after the banana harvest, transformed by hand into a tray with a warm, organic texture that no manufactured material can replicate. Each tray is shaped by the natural variations of the banana plant itself — the color, the texture, and the form are all determined by the material, not by a mold or a machine.

The surface of the tray is woven in a tight, flat coil pattern — the banana leaf fiber twisted into a continuous strand and coiled outward from the center, each row bound to the next with a finer strand of the same material. The result is a surface that is dense, smooth, and warm to the touch, with a natural variation in tone across the surface — the lighter and darker areas of the banana leaf visible in the finished weave. A loop on the back allows either size to be hung on a wall as a decorative object — the tray works as a surface organizer and as wall art.

Azizi Life — Women Artisans, Rwanda

The Parker Tray is made by women artisans in rural Rwanda for Azizi Life — a social enterprise founded to create sustainable livelihoods in rural Rwandan communities. Azizi Life works directly with artisan cooperatives across Rwanda, providing fair wages, skills training, and long-term market access for handcraft producers who would otherwise have no access to international markets.

The banana leaf and stalk used to make the Parker Tray is gathered locally — a true zero-waste material sourced within walking distance of the artisans who weave it. The harvest, the drying, the twisting, and the weaving are all done by hand by the same community. Buying a Parker Tray supports a direct, traceable supply chain from a Rwandan artisan cooperative to your home.

How It Improves Your Daily Life

The Parker Tray organizes any surface — the coffee table, the console, the kitchen counter, the bathroom vanity — giving objects a boundary and a visual anchor. The organic texture and warm natural color of the banana leaf fiber add warmth and character to any surface it sits on.

The loop on the back makes the Parker Tray one of the few functional objects that works equally well as wall art — hung on a wall, the coiled weave pattern and the organic form of the tray become a decorative object in their own right. The Grand size makes a statement on a dining table, a console, or a wall. The Medium works on a nightstand, a bathroom vanity, a desk, or a shelf.

How to Style It

• Coffee table — Grand as a centerpiece with candles, a small plant, and decorative objects
• Dining table — Grand as a serving surface for bread, condiments, or a cheese board
• Wall — Grand or Medium hung using the back loop as organic wall art
• Nightstand or bathroom vanity — Medium for soap, candles, and small accessories
• Desk — Medium as a catch-all for keys, coins, and small everyday objects
• Gift — a zero-waste, fair trade gift with a direct Rwanda artisan story; available in two sizes
• Pairs with: natural wood, linen, terracotta, rattan, and any warm, earthy interior

Details & Care

• Brand: Azizi Life | Made in Rwanda | Women artisan cooperative
• Material: Locally hand-gathered banana leaves and stalks | Zero-waste natural material
• Construction: Hand-coiled and hand-bound | Each piece unique
• Feature: Loop on back for wall hanging
• Sizes: Medium Parker Tray — 12" × 12" × 2" (30.5 × 30.5 × 5 cm) | Grand Parker Tray — 20" × 18" × 4" (51 × 46 × 10 cm)
• Color: Natural — warm honey and caramel tones with natural variation
• Each tray is handwoven — variations in color, texture, and form are natural and make each piece unique
• ✅ Zero Waste Material | ✅ Fair Trade | ✅ Natural Materials | ✅ Women Artisans Rwanda
• Care: Dust with a soft dry cloth. Keep away from moisture and direct sunlight.