Cordage

Tuesday, August 25 | 5:30 - 9:30 PM

String and rope are part of everyday life—your shirt’s fabric, shoelaces, fishing line, bowstrings, even the straps that hold a mattress on a car. This 3-hour workshop shows how cordage is made and how to use it.

What you will learn

  • A brief history of cordage and common materials used.

  • How to make and practice 2-ply and 3-ply reverse-wrap cordage.

  • Practical knots and ways to use cordage in daily life.

  • Which plants produce strong natural cordage, with hands-on time working with roots and other cordage-ready materials.

Who this is for

  • Beginners curious about traditional cordage techniques.

  • Makers who want practical skills for repairs, gear, or craft projects.

  • Anyone interested in natural fibers and hands-on learning.

  • Tuition: $68 per participant

  • Materials: $10

  • Age / Ability Level: 12, Beginner

meet your instructor

Blake Southard (he/him) is a lucky duck husband to a beautiful wife, and father of 2 children.He is an er nurse at Children's Hospital Minneapolis and has been practicing ancestral skills since 1991. He believes cordage is the second-most important Earth-based skill.

His current endeavors are: Rewild Minnesota, a community-based non profit, and Oak & Nettle Earth Skills, an upcoming online bushcrafting school. Blake has been teaching since 2004.

He continually asks the question, “we only have one earth. Will it survive us?”