Many years ago I learned the craft of making cordage from a Tribal Elder friend who was a talented weaver and artist. I turned the small strand of raffia cordage I created into a necklace and have been twisting everything I can find into cordage ever since.
There is something deeply satisfying about transforming scraps of weeds, leaves, vines, various plants, and bark into lengths of cord. The process is simple enough to learn quickly, yet complex enough that every material presents its own challenges and some fibers seem like they will work only to crumble or shred when processed. Our ancestors mastered this process and knew which plants and fibers in their environment were useful for creating cordage for a variety of uses.
Corn Cordage
This weekend's experiment involved corn husks gathered from our evening BBQ and some I saved and dried last season. I had previously used the dried husks to create a length of cord using the dried husks and, while it did work, I found it rough on my hands after a short time. Because of this I decided to try working with the fresh husks I had just shucked.
I found the fresh husks very easy to work with and was able to make a strand of very fine, and very strong, cord. It lost a bit of moisture during the rolling and twisting but that didn't impact the handling in a significant way. Since I was working outside on a sunny day and immediately wove the finished section of cord into my basket project, this fresh cord dried or cured quickly and through that process actually formed onto the basket as it dried.
Ancient Technology
Cordage is one of humanity's oldest crafts. Before woven cloth, before metal tools, before pottery, people were twisting plant fibers into useful forms. Cordage made nets, baskets, traps, carrying slings, clothing, bindings, and shelters possible. It is a deceptively humble craft that connects countless other technologies.
Foraged Basket
My original goal for this project was not just to make cordage out of dinner scraps, but to use it in a small basket woven entirely from natural materials.
After getting sticker shock at the local thrift store when I went looking for an old basket recently, I began exploring the idea of weaving a basket out of materials I foraged in my yard an in the nearby forest. I haven't let the fact that I have never weaved (woven? wove?) a basket before deter me, and so far I have 1/3 of a basket made from Blackberry vines, Ivy, and now corn husk cordage. I will share more on this project as I progress.
I will continue to add vines, cordage and fibers foraged from my property to this basket until it is finished. As the seasons change I hope to discover new fibers to use for cordage or straight weaving and will share my process as I go. The discovery and experimentation is part of what draws me to these projects.
For me, learning these traditional crafts is an opportunity to carry on these ancient skills and connect with our ancestors, who made use of the natural materials around them to survive.
I continue to learn and try new materials and techniques.
— Studio Henbane
