Located about 125km north of Kota Kinabalu, Kota Marudu in Sabah is an agricultural town known for its corn production.
Most residents are corn farmers here. In some villages, nearly 70% of the population work in corn fields.
As the industry’s byproduct, corn husks are often discarded during the processing of kernels.Online seller and Kota Marudu native Felorince Lunsin, 31, who studied conservation biology in university, was well aware of the environmental impact of corn husk.
In 2022, she signed up for a free corn husk craft workshop. “I was curious and I wanted to learn how I could transform these husks into flowers, coasters, confetti and wall decorations,” she says.
Little did she know that her little spark of curiosity would lead her to explore the craft, turning her interest and newfound skills into a steady source of income.
Speaking from Kampung Tonsom, Kota Marudu, in a Zoom interview, Lunsin says she has been working with Kota Marudu-based social enterprise Corn Husk Craft (CHC) since 2022, and is now its chief designer, overseeing floral arrangements and developing new design concepts.
Like other crafters of CHC, the mother of two creates the flowers from home and sells her artwork to boost her family’s finances.
“I use the extra income to buy household items, food for my children, and to save,” says the Universiti Malaysia Sabah graduate, whose children are aged five and seven.
Empowering rural women
The workshop that Lunsin attended was organised by Tressie Yap – architect, artist and founder of Upcycled Shack, a Kota Kinabalu-based social enterprise which makes products from waste materials, and Farni Millis, 42, founder of CHC.
Founded three years ago, CHC is a programme designed to empower rural women from farming communities in Kota Marudu through repurposing agricultural waste.
Over the past three years, Millis and Yap have organised more than 20 corn husk craft workshops around the area. As a result, 20 women from five villages in Kota Marudu have joined the upcycling project.
Thanks to this initiative, these women can earn anything between RM300 and RM500 each month.
Within the same duration, CHC has raked up over RM65,000 in sales, selling handcrafted items like flowers, baskets, dolls, Christmas wreaths, ketupat decoration and coasters made from corn husk.
Flowers remain their bestsellers, and to date, they have crafted close to 10,000 flowers, such as roses, tulips, carnations and arum lilies.
Besides promoting their products on Instagram, these homemakers have also showcased their work at exhibitions in Kota Kinabalu, engaging with visitors about the production process and actively marketing their creations.
Since 2022, over 200kg of corn husk have been repurposed and saved from being thrown and burnt, all thanks to CHC.
Corn husk florists
A mother of four, Millis used to sell roasted peanuts from home but wanted a more sustainable way to earn an income.
Inspired by the success of other home-based crafters, Millis saw an opportunity to not only enhance her own life, but also help other women in her community.
“Many women in Kota Marudu are like me – housewives with small businesses selling farm produce from home. We work hard to support our families, but the income from our small businesses is not always enough.
“It is a daily struggle, and that’s why finding new opportunities, like the corn husk craft project, is such a blessing. It gives us a chance to earn more, be financially independent and improve our families’ lives,” says Millis.
To improve her skills in managing a social enterprise, Millis has also attended several online courses on business management and finance.
Millis keeps CHC running smoothly by
keeping the business process simple and practical. The women involved in the project source corn husks directly from local markets, where vendors are more than happy to give them away instead of discarding them as waste.
At the women’s homes, the husks are carefully washed to remove dirt. The next step, which is an essential part of the craft, involves dyeing the husks using food colouring.
They are then boiled for a period of time to allow the absorbtion the colours, imbuing the husk with vibrant hues. The husks would later be shaped into flowers and other decorative items.
After the dyed husks have been dried, the women craft them into flowers, working at their own pace, depending on customers’ orders.
This flexible working arrangement allows them to balance household responsibilities while earning an income. They are paid based on the number of flowers they create – between RM2.40 and RM8 per stalk – depending on the type, size and colour (plain or coloured) of the flowers.
“This way, the women can work from home and produce as many flowers as they can manage. Some women are able to make dozens a week, while others take on fewer orders to fit their schedule. The most important thing is that they can have an additional stream of income,” says Millis.
For inspiration and design ideas, they rely on their creativity along with tutorials from YouTube and other online platforms.
Millis has also streamlined the selling process. She collaborates with local craft stores, online platforms and eco-conscious businesses to market these handcrafted flowers.
Some customers purchase them for home decor, while others order in bulk for events like weddings or as corporate gifts.
“By keeping the business model simple, we can focus on quality and sustainability. The women don’t need large capital or expensive materials – they just need to give time, patience and their creativity. Most importantly, this model ensures that they can earn an income while managing their household responsibilities,” Millis concludes.
-TheStar