Cornell Garden-Based Learning

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Rope Making

In this activity, youth will learn about rope structure and will create natural fiber-based ropes! No one knows when the first rope was made.  We do know that sailors, builders, hunters, and farmers have long depended on rope to move and control animals, structures, and machines.  Early ropes were made by hand, using cotton, dogbane, sisal, jute, hemp, flax, abaca (manila hemp), coir (coconut husks), leather, or hair.  Today, most ropes are made in factories from petroleum-based synthetic fibers.

Introduction
Tools
Technique
Research
Expanding the Project
Learning Standards for Rope Making
Videos:

• Rope Making – Part 1
• Rope Making – Part 2