Hawaiian Palm Baskets by Amy and Ron Christmas represent the "ultimate recycling," Amy says.

All the primary materials used in the couple’s baskets, ornaments and, soon, tree toppers are from Kauai-grown plants and trees and have been gathered by hand.

"That’s actually much of the fun," she said, "gathering and finding all the materials," some of which are from locations she keeps secret. However, she finds the majority of her supplies "everywhere. Things are everywhere," she said.

The couple also gets supplies from friends they have made along the way, including landscapers, farmers and employees of the luau where they sell their wares during the week, which adds an ohana aspect to the pieces as the Christmases make them.

A variety of local palm trees form the bases for their baskets, which are then adorned with combinations of pieces from indigenous plants including leaves, fruits, flowers and pods. Each creation bears a tag that identifies all the plants used to make it.

Christmas does use some man-made products in making her creations, including high-temperature glue, large-eyed darning needles and baby oil. While the raffia she uses to hand-stitch pieces together is a plant-based product, it is store-bought, she said.

The Christmases make most of their sales face to face via regular craft fairs at Kauai hotels and at a popular luau several days a week.

Hawaiian Palm Baskets have been given to members of Congress, governors and legislators as official Kauai County gifts. They also can be found in homes around the U.S. and in many countries throughout the world, given the Christmases’ dealings with the visitor market.

"We have shipped, from Day One, priority mail," Amy said. "We make no money on the shipping; we offer that as a courtesy."

Customers use the baskets "primarily as a decorative piece," though some customers will add a vessel to the inside so it can be used as a vase, or they’ll set a bottle of wine in it.

The baskets are "something that’s a little bit different, not something you’ll find anywhere else, and it’s representative of the island," she said.

They range in price from $30 to $130, depending on size. The hanging baskets sell for $21, and Christmas ornaments sell for $23.

It is partly that uniqueness, and partly the ultralocal origin of the Christmases’ materials that got Hawaiian Palm Baskets accepted as a "charter member" of Kauai County’s Kauai Made program, launched in 2006, said Beth Toki­oka, communications director for Mayor Bernard Carvalho. "I love her products, they’re so beautiful. … Her baskets are amazing," she said.

The Christmases moved to Hawaii from Ohio in 1996. Her background was in horticulture, and Ron’s was in the hospitality business, though it was her transfer to the Grand Hyatt Kauai that got them relocated to the Garden Island. A job for him at the property soon followed.

Given her horticulture background, "when we moved out here I was like a kid in a candy store. There was a whole new language of plants I’d never been exposed to," she said, and, picking up a frond, seeing it as being akin to a piece of wood or leather, she was inspired to make the baskets.

"After we had given one to just about everybody we know," it was suggested they make them to sell. They created enough inventory for a couple of craft fairs, and after experiencing robust sales, the couple realized, "Oh my goodness, we have something," she said. "We haven’t stopped since and it’s been 15 years."

"Buy Local" runs on Aloha Fridays. Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.