only problem I have with organic materials for weight is that they can rot if wet. Sand works well. Natural material, wont decay, but it needs a bag with a good seal.

over here we usually make sock poi with rice and sand. Rice in the heads and sand in the handles. Both in balloons. Ombree

here is the recipie:

adapted from How to Make Sock Poi by PlayPoi: www.playpoi.com/how-to-make-sock-poi

Ingredients:
- find a pair of long (about knee high), different colored socks that have a little bit of friction and are not very stretchy. Ideally you also want them to be brightly colored and have some kind of stripe to mark their middle.
The only places I've found to buy socks I like locally are either at the Target in Watsonville or to use some kind of sports socks from a sports store like Big 5 in Capitola.
- 2 size-16 or 14in balloons. I get mine from the party store on Ocean street.
- 2 size-9 or 12 in balloons
- 2 rubber bands
- 300g (about 2/3lb) of rice
- 60g (a little under 1/6lb) of sand
*note: total weights do not have to be exact as long as the poi are equal to each other.

Steps:
1. put half your rice in each of the size 16in balloons and tie off.
2. place the rice balloons in the bottom of your socks.
3. spin them fast a bit to stretch out. they loose some of their stretch over time and you will have to adjust them less later if this happens now.
4. put half your sand in each of the size 9in balloons and tie off.
5. hold the head (bottom) of your poi in one hand and bring the top end to your shoulder. place the sand balloons in the sock at that spot just before your shoulder.
6. twist the sock tightly above the sand balloon and fold down.
7. place a rubber band below the sand balloon and fold up.
8. done, go play.