15 Creative Ways to Use Coconut Bowls Beyond Serving Food

If you’ve been limited to only breakfast smoothies and acai bowls in those coconut bowls, then you’ve been missing out on a whole host of other ideas and applications that will make you wonder why you didn’t think to try them in the first place. These natural beauties can do a lot more than just hold food. Coconut bowl uses go way beyond the kitchen, and once you start experimenting, you'll wonder why you didn't think of these ideas sooner.

Made from real coconut shells, coconut bowls are eco-friendly and versatile. Each coconut bowl has its own pattern and texture and is thus ideal for crafting projects in and around the house. Below are a number of functional and creative ways to utilize the coconut bowl.

Use Them as Planters for Small Plants

One of the best ideas for coconut shell planters is to make planters out of them for succulents, cacti, or herbs. It is a great way to plant because the shells are the ideal size and shape for plants that don’t require much root space. You simply need to make a drainage hole at the bottom to avoid water accumulation.

Add a flower pot from a coconut shell to give a personal touch to the windowsill and the desk. The natural design complements plants well because you will not stick out in a crowd where everyone else has the same planter. You can be artistic and hang them in macramé planters or arrange them in a tray to create an indoor garden.

You can plant and maintain some herbs such as basil, mint, and parsley in coconut shell planters that are approximately two feet tall and six inches wide. All you need is to provide them enough light and water.

Use Them as Candle Holders

The coconut bowl will make a great candle holder too. You can either pour melted wax into the bowl and put the candle wick in the center, or simply place a tea light candle in the bowl. The coconut shell will also exude a warm and earthy feeling that will be perfect for any occasion.

This is one of those sustainable decor ideas that are functional and aesthetic to the eye. The coconut shell will be cool enough to touch when the candle is burning, making it safe to handle and move around when need arises. This candle has the advantage of having essential oils added to the wax to give a distinct fragrance.

These make excellent presents too. People will love homemade things that demonstrate a level of effort and consideration, and a coconut shell candle is a personal touch that doesn’t involve a large amount of work.

Make a Jewelry or Trinket Dish

Organize where you place your rings, earrings, and bangles by designating a coconut bowl to serve as a basic dish where you can place them. You will need to put it in a corner of the dresser, the nightstand, and the bathroom, where you will keep the jewels you wear daily.

You can also utilize them to store keys, coins, and other stuff that you have a tendency to misplace. It will make life easier to know where to put the stuff, and a coconut bowl will look much better than a generic plastic tray.

If you have a variety of bowls, attempt to group similar bowls together for categories—one bowl for jewelry, one for hair ties, and one for office supplies such as paper clips and push pins.

Making Bird Feeders for Your Backyard

If you're into coconut shell crafts, turning a bowl into a bird feeder is a fun weekend project. You simply need to put three holes at the edges and pass a rope through, and it will be ready to hang and fill with bird seeds to attract a variety of birds to your garden.

This is a very effective way to make your outdoors a bit livelier too. The birds will love the natural bird feeder, and coconut shells are quite weather-resistant too. You should also consider looking at a more detailed guide for making a coconut shell birdhouse if you want to attempt this project too.

Just remember to periodically clean and maintain the feeder to keep it clean and free from any health hazards for the birds.

Organize Your Desk or Workspace

Coconut bowls make a pretty useful desktop organizer too. You should place them to store pens, pencils, and even eraser-sticky note pens. You can also put beads, buttons, and sewing needles in them depending on what you make.

The design gives a soothing and natural touch to your work station, a refreshing departure from the plastics and metals that adorn the surface of most desks. The best part is that they are stable enough to contain heavier objects such as scissors and tape rolls.

If you work from home, little things such as this will make the area feel more personalized and less generic than a typical office environment.

Show Potpourri or Dried Flowers

You can fill a coconut bowl with dried flowers, potpourri, and even fragrant herbs to naturally perfume a room. This is a convenient manner in which to freshen a room instead of depending on artificial air fresheners. You can put it in the bathroom, the bedroom, and even the living room to give it a light and nice fragrance.

Dried lavender, rose petals, and eucalyptus make the best options. You should also consider adding cinnamon sticks, orange peels, and cloves into the bath salts to create a winter effect in fall and winter seasons.

This is a natural home decor because you’re working with natural, organic materials instead of fake spray and plugs. It’s a subtle difference that ends up making a huge difference in the way that the house feels.

Craft a Unique Soap Dish

You can also use coconut bowls as a dish for soap in the bathroom or kitchen. The shell has the natural ability to absorb a bit of moisture, keeping the soap dried and ready for the next use. You simply need to make sure the bowl is dried out periodically to avoid mold and mildew buildup.

This is even more effective if the soap in question is homemade soap or artisan soap. The pairing of homemade soap and a coconut shell bowl has a spa-like quality to it that will give the bathroom a bit of a luxury feel, even in the shower when you’re washing up.

You can also utilize them for sponges, scrub brushes, and other cleaning instruments in the vicinity of the sink in the kitchen area.

Store Loose Tea or Coffee Pods

If you are a tea or coffee lover, coconut bowls will be an excellent way to organize the loose tea leaves or tea bags/pods if you are a coffee lover. It is much better than the current packaging they come in.

The natural material will not impart any flavor to your tea or coffee, and the bowls will be quite easy to clean in case anything spills into them. You can even mark them with a tag and a sticker if you are holding different tea and coffee varieties.

This is a functional application and also connects to the zero-waste home decor trends because you're recycling a natural resource instead of buying plastic bins to put the supplies in.

Use as a Salt or Spice Bowl While Cooking

You should maintain a coconut bowl somewhere close to your stove with either salt and pepper or your commonly used condiments. Using this will make it convenient to take a pinch of seasoning while cooking without opening a variety of containers in the process.

Chefs will often utilize a bowl for precisely this function, and coconut shells will work in much the same capacity as a bowl made out of ceramic and metal. It is a natural product and will withstand heat well enough that it doesn't melt if it is near the stove.

You can also use them while preparing ingredients such as chopped garlic, chopped herbs, and any form of grated cheese when in the kitchen. This helps to keep the kitchen tidy while preparing meals.

Create a Mini Succulent Garden

Arrange a grouping of coconut bowls and plant succulent varieties in each bowl. It will make a nice presentation to be easily moved and reassembled on a shelf, coffee table, and even an outdoor patio.

Succulents are low maintenance and come in so many shapes and sizes and colors, making it easy to combine them in a way that reflects a personal style. The coconut shells add a natural element to the design that a plastic pot simply cannot provide.

This is one of the best ideas for a coconut shell planter and suits individuals who require plants in their homes but lack enough time to maintain them.

Hold Bath Salts or Scrubs

You should keep the bath salts, sugar scrub, and bath bombs in a coconut bowl. It allows you to access the substances while you are preparing a bathing environment and will add to the relaxing experience.

The natural shells will work well in a spa theme and will be much more pleasing to the eye than the packaging the products came in. You can also put them to use to contain cotton balls, Q-tips, and other bath supplies.

Natural skincare enthusiasts will find this a nice fit with the theme of using organic and earth-friendly products.

Make a Pet Food or Water Bowl

You can find small pets such as cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs using coconut bowls for food and water. The coconut bowls are very sturdy and will not tip over. All you need to make sure is that the size is suitable for the pet.

The natural material is safe and non-toxic, and this is a consideration if you have a pet that likes to chew things. Secondly, the natural material will look much better than a plastic bowl perched in the corner of your floor.

If you have more than one pet, you can utilize several bowls to separate their meals or to give them treats.

Display Seashells or Small Collectibles

You should make use of coconut bowls to make a display rack for a collection of seashells, rocks, or even coins. This will help you organize them and turn them into a showpiece instead of a disorganized collection.

The seashell naturally lends itself to seaside decor but will complement any theme. You can put the collection on a bookshelf, mantle, and side table to add some interest to the room instead of cluttering the space.

This is a great way to highlight things that are important to you and keep them organized in a way that is easy to view.

Offer Snacks in a Unique Manner

Agree, this one is more related to food, but I will throw it in anyway. For entertainment of guest snacks, coconut bowls are the best things ever. Your guests will be impressed enough to try to buy them from you when they ask where you got them.

You can also use them for dips, sauces, and condiments in meals. The natural look gives a casual and relaxed ambiance to any gathering, be it a barbecue and a movie night at home.

Just clean them by hand and then allow them to dry completely. For more advice regarding how to maintain them well, refer to our guide to taking care of coconut bowls.

Use Them for DIY Projects

If you are into crafting, coconut bowls are a great way to contain paint, glue, and other supplies while you work. They are also quite easy to clean and will not be damaged because they are natural and hardy to begin with.

You can also incorporate them into the project itself. You can paint them, carve designs on them, and stick them to other materials to make something entirely new. There are tons of coconut shell DIY projects you can explore if you need ideas.

The options are endless if you begin to think outside the box. Coconut bowls offer a host of other applications that go well beyond the realm of kitchenware.

Why Coconut Bowls Work for So Many Things

The best thing about coconut bowls is that they are very versatile because they are made from a natural and renewable resource that is both functional and aesthetic in nature. In fact, each coconut bowl is unique in the sense that no two of them are the same.

They're also a part of a larger trend in “zero waste” home decor solutions. You're not buying new plastic containers or manufactured products but giving a second life to something that would’ve otherwise been discarded. Coconut shells are a byproduct of the coconut production chain, and turning them into bowls gives them an afterlife.

Whether you are a sustainable living fanatic, a lover of natural textures, or simply looking to try a new thing out, coconut bowls will be right up your alley. They're inexpensive and accessible, and they’ll fit in in any setting.

Key Takeaways

The uses of coconut bowls extend well beyond the kitchen area. Whether it is a planter, a candle holder, a desk organizer, or a bowl for the dog, coconut shells have the capacity to perform any and every function you require of them.

The next time you are searching for sustainable design ideas and ways to minimize waste, consider how you might be able to repurpose things that you already own. Perhaps the coconut bowl collecting dust in your cabinet is just what you need to get organized, freshen up a room, and plant an herb garden.

Experiment with a couple of these ideas and find out what works best for you. You will be surprised at how well the humble bowl will serve you.