Make Your Own Lamp
Work with a prepared coconut shell and complete the final sanding, polishing and decorative design yourself.
Sigiriya · Sri Lanka
Make Your Own Coconut Shell Lamp in Sigiriya
Turn a coconut shell into a beautiful handmade lamp with guidance from our team. Sand, polish, create your design and watch light shine through something you made yourself.
Your visit goes beyond the workshop. Explore plastic alternatives, meet Mr. Hero, watch discarded bottle lids transformed into a souvenir, enjoy herbal tea and discover products created by local Sri Lankan artisans.
Hands-on experience
Suitable for ages 10+
Take your lamp home
Herbal tea included
Local artisan experience
ZeroPlastic experience
DurationApproximately 1 hour
LocationZeroPlastic Impact Center, Sigiriya
AgeRecommended for ages 10+
LanguageEnglish
ExperienceHands-on guided workshop
Take homeYour handmade coconut shell lamp
DrinkComplimentary herbal tea
Not just a craft class
More Than a Coconut Shell Workshop
This experience is designed as more than a craft class. During your visit to the ZeroPlastic Impact Center, you will create your own coconut shell lamp while also discovering how natural materials, local craftsmanship and creative reuse can reduce our dependence on single-use plastic.
Experience ZeroPlastic
Meet Mr. Hero, learn about Sri Lanka's plastic challenge and watch discarded plastic bottle lids transformed into a useful souvenir.
Discover Local Craft
Explore a collection of sustainable products sourced from local artisan and craftsman families across Sri Lanka.
Every stage, ready to photograph
From Coconut Shell to Handmade Lamp
We prepare the time-consuming parts before you arrive so you can spend your visit enjoying the most satisfying stages of the craft.
1
Start With a Coconut Shell
Discover how an everyday coconut shell can become a beautiful and useful piece of Sri Lankan craft.
2
Finish the Sanding
Our team completes most of the heavy preparation beforehand. You finish the remaining sanding yourself using progressively finer sandpaper and feel the natural surface become smooth.
3
Polish the Shell
Polish and buff the coconut shell and watch its natural colour and texture transform into a smooth, beautiful finish.
4
Create Your Design
Choose or create a simple pattern and make the small openings that allow light to shine through your lamp.
5
Bring It to Life
See your design come alive as light passes through the pattern you created.
6
Take It Home
Your finished coconut shell lamp becomes a handmade memory of your visit to Sri Lanka.
Small craft tools are used under guidance from our team.
The experience is recommended for guests aged 10 and above. Younger participants should not use craft tools unless specifically approved and directly supervised by our team.
A closer look
The Workshop in Pictures
A Sri Lankan story
Discover Sri Lanka's Tree of Life
The coconut tree has supported Sri Lankan life for generations, providing food, drink, fibre, timber, household items and craft materials. In this experience, a coconut shell that might otherwise be discarded becomes something beautiful that you create with your own hands.
Take a moment
Pause for a Cup of Herbal Tea
After crafting, enjoy complimentary Sri Lankan herbal tea served in the relaxed setting of the Impact Center. It is a chance to slow down, explore the space and talk with our team about Sri Lankan craft and sustainable living.
Meet the elephant
Meet Mr. Hero
Your experience also includes a visit to Mr. Hero, our elephant sculpture built from salvaged plastic and created to start conversations about plastic pollution. Learn what happens to the plastic we use, why reducing single-use plastic matters and how ZeroPlastic is working with communities to create practical alternatives.
Waste, reimagined
Watch Waste Become Something New
See discarded plastic bottle lids transformed in front of you into a small reusable or decorative item. The demonstration shows how waste can be reimagined while opening a wider conversation about why recycling alone cannot solve the plastic problem.
249 artisan families
Discover Products Made by Local Artisans
Explore more than 1,000 product designs sourced through our network of approximately 249 artisan and craftsman families. Discover practical plastic alternatives, traditional crafts, natural-material products and creative items made using recovered materials.
Buying a product is optional. Visitors are welcome to simply explore the collection and learn about the people and materials behind it.
What's included
Everything in Your Visit
- Prepared coconut shell
- Workshop materials
- Guided sanding and finishing
- Polishing and buffing
- Decorative lamp design activity
- Use of required craft tools under guidance
- Finished coconut shell lamp to take home
- Complimentary herbal tea
- Mr. Hero environmental experience
- Plastic transformation demonstration
- Access to the artisan product collection
Who it suits
A Sigiriya Experience for Every Kind of Traveller
Families
A creative family activity away from the usual sightseeing route.
Children 10+
A hands-on experience where children can learn while making something themselves.
Couples
Create a meaningful Sri Lankan souvenir together.
Solo Travellers
Spend time with local people while learning a new craft.
Small Groups
A relaxed cultural activity for friends and travelling groups.
Beyond the rock
Looking for Something Different to Do in Sigiriya?
Sigiriya is famous for its ancient rock fortress, but the area also offers travellers an opportunity to experience Sri Lankan culture beyond sightseeing. If you are looking for hands-on things to do in Sigiriya, family activities, craft workshops or sustainable travel experiences, the ZeroPlastic Impact Center offers an experience you can actively participate in rather than simply observe.
Create your coconut shell lamp, learn about local materials and plastic alternatives, meet the people behind the initiative and leave with something made by your own hands.
Make Something You'll Remember
Reserve your coconut shell lamp experience at the ZeroPlastic Impact Center in Sigiriya.
Book your visit
Book Your Coconut Shell Lamp Experience
Choose your preferred date and time below to book your visit to the ZeroPlastic Impact Center.
- Where
- Sigiriya, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Roughly 5 km before Sigiriya Lion Rock - Open
- Every day, 7:30 — 18:30
- +94 71 690 1094
- Directions
- Open in Google Maps →
Before you come
Questions We Get Asked
Is the coconut shell lamp workshop suitable for children?
The experience is recommended for children aged 10 and above. Small craft tools are used during part of the workshop, so children participate under guidance.
How long does the experience take?
Allow approximately one hour for the core workshop, with additional time if you would like to explore the Impact Center and artisan collection.
Do I take my coconut shell lamp home?
Yes. The lamp you finish during the workshop is yours to take home.
Do I need craft experience?
No. The shell is prepared in advance and our team guides you through the finishing, polishing and design stages.
What else can I see at the Impact Center?
Your visit also includes the Mr. Hero environmental experience, a plastic transformation demonstration and access to a collection of products sourced from local artisan and craftsman families.
Is herbal tea included?
Yes. Complimentary herbal tea is included with the experience.
Where is the experience?
The workshop takes place at the ZeroPlastic Impact Center near Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, roughly 5 km before Sigiriya Lion Rock.
Create Something in Sigiriya You'll Take Home With You
Spend an hour creating your own coconut shell lamp and discover the craft, people and ideas behind the ZeroPlastic Impact Center.