Welcome to Drapers Organic!

Thank you for visiting and taking the time to learn about our company and the story behind it.

At Drapers Organic, we are passionate about bringing you eco-friendly, sustainable products that make a positive impact on both the environment and your home. Founded by myself, Nerissa Draper, our company was born out of a desire to offer healthier, biodegradable alternatives to everyday household items. Our mission is simple: provide beautifully crafted hemp products that are both good for you and the planet but require no compromise on quality or style.

We specialise in hemp shower curtains offering a range of vibrant colours and sizes. We also offer our own purely hemp homeware and hemp fabric collection. Our hemp products are designed to enhance your home while helping to reduce waste, limit toxic exposure, and promote a sustainable lifestyle. We believe that hemp, a natural, durable, and biodegradable fibre, is the answer to the growing environmental challenges posed by synthetic fabrics and one use plastics.

Why Hemp?
The journey behind Drapers Organic began in 2006, when I first learned about the devastating environmental impact of cotton farming. Traditional cotton production is one of the most water-intensive agricultural practices, and the pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers used on non-organic cotton crops contribute significantly to pollution. Cotton also requires vast amounts of water and land, depleting valuable resources. These environmental challenges made me look for alternative materials that were not only more sustainable but also healthier for people and the planet.

After researching various options, I discovered hemp—and I was amazed by its many advantages. Hemp is a truly remarkable plant for a number of reasons:

• Minimal Water Usage: Unlike cotton, hemp requires very little water to grow, making it one of the most water-efficient crops.
• No Chemicals or Pesticides: Hemp grows naturally without the need for toxic chemicals, pesticides, or fertilizers, making it a safer choice for the environment and the people who grow it.
• Biodegradable & Durable: Hemp is naturally biodegradable, meaning it won't end up sitting in a landfill for decades like plastic-based materials. It is also incredibly strong and durable, making it an ideal material for products that will last for years.
• Soil Health: Hemp actually helps improve soil health by replenishing nutrients, unlike cotton, which depletes the soil over time.
•  

Given all these benefits, I knew hemp was the perfect solution for creating sustainable alternatives in my own home and for the wider community.

Why Hemp Shower Curtains?
One of the first products I wanted to offer was a hemp shower curtain—something that could replace the typical plastic PVC curtains that are harmful to both our health and the environment. PVC shower curtains are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a toxic plastic that off-gasses harmful chemicals into the air and can take hundreds of years to break down. When disposed of, they contribute to landfill waste and plastic pollution.

I wanted to offer a healthier, biodegradable option that would not only look great in the bathroom but also make a real difference in reducing plastic pollution. Hemp shower curtains are a sustainable and stylish alternative, free from toxic chemicals and made from a material that is naturally mould-resistant and durable. Plus, hemp’s breathable nature makes it the perfect choice for a shower curtain, preventing the damp, musty air that often accumulates with synthetic materials.

Our hemp shower curtains are available in a wide range of colours and sizes, designed to suit various bathroom styles while providing a healthier, more sustainable solution. Not just for the bathroom, these hemp curtains also make beautiful living room or bedroom drapes, further extending the versatility of hemp fabric.

A Range of Hemp Products for Your Home
Our commitment to hemp doesn’t stop at shower curtains. We also offer a diverse collection of hemp homeware and hemp fabric by the metre. Hemp is incredibly versatile—it can be used to create durable clothing, stylish bags, functional home decor, and even re-upholstered furniture. By offering hemp fabric in a variety of designs and weights, we give you the opportunity to incorporate this amazing material into your own DIY projects. Whether you’re making jackets, pillows, or bags, hemp provides a sustainable, long-lasting alternative to cotton and synthetic fabrics.

Join Us in Embracing a More Sustainable Lifestyle
At Drapers Organic, we’re proud to offer products that support a healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyle. We’re passionate about hemp because it represents a truly sustainable material that can meet a wide variety of needs. From shower curtains to homewares, insulation, hempcrete and beyond, hemp offers a natural, biodegradable alternative to many of the plastic and synthetic materials that dominate the market.

If you like what you see, please share our mission with your friends and family, whether through social media or over a cup of tea. Together, we can help raise awareness about the benefits of hemp and encourage more people to make the sustainable, yet stylish, choice.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our hemp products, feel free to contact me at nerissa@drapersorganic.co.uk. I'm always happy to chat about hemp and how it can improve your home and lifestyle.

Thank you for supporting Drapers Organic and for helping us make the world a healthier, greener place—one hemp product at a time.

With gratitude,
Nerissa Draper
Founder, Drapers Organic

AWAMU (meaning Together)                                                                

Drapers Organic are so pleased to have discovered, and to have donated a variety of our hemp fabrics to Awamu. We would ask anyone else to think if they have any sewing materials, buttons or fabric that they may be able to give (to a London address), in order to help this very worthwhile cause.

Awamu is an inspirational initiative in Kampala, Uganda, founded by Emma Scullion, following her time at ActionAid. Emma and her volunteering team give their time for free to work with two women's groups in Kampala, Uganda, where they use fabric etc given or bought to make wonderful products which can then be enjoyed by us, our family and our friends. All the proceeds from these sales are used to transform the lives of the children in their care, some of whom were completely abandoned before being found and rescued by amazing women such as Regina. A training programme has also been set up to train other women how to sew in order for the network of self-help to grow. Please see the below for further information, written by Emma Scullion and copied from the Awamu website or go to www.awamu.co.uk.

by Emma Scullion of Awamu

"This is Regina with Jaliya when we first met in 2008. I went to Uganda for my work with ActionAid, I’d formed connections with people in projects before but this time I came away even more fuelled with a determination to help.

I met the most amazing people – people whose lives had been torn apart by hiv but still share what little they have and give all their energy to help those around them. People like Regina with a determination to make things different for their family and their community.

Regina and volunteers like her are the driving force behind transforming the lives of children like Jaliya in the slums of Bwaise and Makerere. From the very first time we met I was completely bowled over.

Regina is a widower and a grandmother, six of her own children have died of aids related illnesses. She is the sole provider for 12 children – nine grandchildren, one nieces and her adopted daughter Jaliya. They live in a room no bigger than 2×3 meters.

Yet along with network of other women, who have all been similarly affected by hiv, she gives all her time and energy to help the most vulnerable is her community.

They walk the streets of the slums seeking out children and adults in need of their support. They encourage adults to confront their fears, navigate the medical system and offer care and protection to those who are too weak to look after themselves or their families.

Their support means the difference between life and death for the most vulnerable in their community.

They make us want to be a better people and we want to be able to look them in the eye and say yes we have done everything we can to help.  So we’ve set ourselves the challenge of finding as many ways to help volunteers like Regina to step up their work in the community. We want to enable them to reach out to even more orphans and children with hiv – just as they did with Jaliya. 

Through my work at ActionAidand through events put on by friends we are already helping 66 children in Bwaise and Maklerere with small grants to support them through seven years of primary education."

For further information, or to help with any spare fabric, sewing materials, buttons etc, please visit www.awamu.co.uk

ECO HOUSE

We are pleased to have supplied an innovative project called Oak Tree House with our hemp curtain panels for various room in the house, and our Natural Ivory hemp shower curtain for their bathroom. 

Oak Tree House in Knaphill, Woking, is an ordinary three-bedroom detached house that has been refurbished to show local people how they can reduce their energy use and water consumption.

Working with its energy company, ecsc, building partner, Mansell Plc, and environmental partner, Woking LA21, Woking Borough Council has created the demonstration house to act as the focal point for its Low Carbon Homes Programme, which you can read about below.

The refurbishment has been designed to minimise the environmental impact of the house and maximise quality of life. It has been furnished using sustainable materials wherever possible and is intended to show that an energy and water-efficient house can also be a welcoming, attractive and comfortable home.

Oak Tree House has three different types of insulation to reduce heat loss and has a high-efficiency boiler and heating controls to provide heat where and when it is needed. Much of the hot water required in the house will be provided by a solar hot water system that harnesses the energy of the sun, reducing gas consumption and bills still further. Energy saving lights and appliances help to reduce the amount of electricity used in the house and a solar photovoltaic system will generate electricity from the sun’s energy.

Simple water-efficient shower and tap fittings reduce water consumption and a rainwater harvesting system provides water for flushing the toilet and for taps in the garden. This system and the permeable paving on the driveway will also contribute to efforts to reduce the risk of flash flooding in the Borough.

The garden at Oak Tree House has been designed with water and energy conservation in mind, too, with drought-tolerant planting and low-maintenance wildflower turf.

Please do get in touch if you have any questions or to just say hello, as a fellow lover of hemp!

Thank you again for reading.

Nerissa