Click to Enlarge Native Americans used a variety of different plants to make cordage. The pictured Missouri plants are great for cordage making.       Click to Enlarge American-made Hitchcock chairs from the 1830s had seats woven from twisted rush or cattail leaves.       Click to Enlarge   Make A Milkweed Bracelet by Carol Davit If you want to go fishing, you reach for fishing line. If you want to walk your dog, you use a leash. To keep your shoes on your feet, you tie your laces (unless you have Velcro!). Today, we use all sorts of twine-made from plant fibers or plastic-for fishing line, dog leashes, shoelaces and many other objects. What would you do if no store sold these things? Could you make them yourself? Thousands of years ago, people living in Missouri made something called cordage. They used it as twine or rope to tie things together or to make fishing line or bow strings and other useful things. Native Americans made cordage from as many as a thousand different kinds of plants. By stripping off leaves or the outer parts of stems and twisting these plant parts together, they made string that could be used alone or woven to make mats, shoes and other items. Sisters Ashley and Sarah Brendel of St. Louis learned how to make cordage from my dad, Bill Davit. He has been learning about and making cordage for the last 20 years, and he has traveled throughout Missouri to teach this craft to others. My dad learned how to make cordage from a book called Whittlin, Whistles, and Thingamajigs, by Harlan G. Metcalf. "So far, I have experimented with about 25 different plants," Dad said. "It's fun and interesting to see how each plant makes cordage of a different color and texture." Ashley, 14, who will be a freshman this year at Incarnate Word Academy in Normandy, says, "Making cordage is an easy way to make things that you would use rope for. You don't have to go to the store and buy anything if you can find where the plants are growing. And, it's neat to know that I can make the same thing Native Americans made thousands of years ago." It's not hard to make your own cordage. Just follow the steps of Sarah and Ashley. Collecting cordage material You can make cordage from several common plants in Missouri. You should collect these plants in the fall, when the stems or leaves are dry. Cutting the dry stems or leaves will not hurt the plant. Using fresh, green plant material is not recommended, since it will shrink as it dries. This could make your cordage unravel. Don't pull the roots out of the ground because that will prevent the plant from growing again in the spring. Also, be sure to get permission from the landowner before taking any plant material. Common milkweed, which grows in fields and prairies, along roadsides and even on vacant lots, makes some of the strongest cordage of any Missouri plant. Dogbane, also called Indian hemp, usually grows in the same kinds of places that common milkweed does. Stinging nettle, which grows in creek and river bottoms, makes thinner cordage than dogbane or common milkweed, but it's still strong. These three plants-common milkweed, dogbane and stinging nettle-have strong strands in their stems. Some of these strands are fibers that help the stems stand upright. Other strands are long tubes that carry water and nutrients through plants. To make cordage from milkweed or dogbane, collect the stems in the fall when they are dry. Cut the stems at the base of the plant and strip off any remaining dead leaves. Wear gloves when collecting stinging nettle! Cut stinging nettle stems in early fall, as they begin to turn brown. Snip off any leaves. Remove the stinging hairs on the stems by pulling the stems through your gloved hands. After removing the stinging hairs, you can make cordage without gloves. Other plants have strong strands in their leaves, like rattlesnake master and yucca. Rattlesnake master is a plant that some Native Americans believed could cure snake bites. That's how it got its name. Rattlesnake master grows in prairies and sometimes along railways and roadsides in Missouri. People often plant yucca in their yards. To make cordage from rattlesnake master and yucca, you need to collect the leaves in the fall, when they are dry. Cut the leaves at the base of the plant. You can also try making cordage from corn husks. Try cutting or tearing the husks into strips and use these as you would use leaves. Preparing Plant Material To separate the strands from stinging nettle stems, simply peel away the outer layer of the stem. For milkweed and dogbane, lay the stems on a stump or log and lightly tap them with a rubber or wooden mallet to crack them. Next, pull off the stem's outer layer, and you will see the strands separate from the inside part of the stem. Most of the thin outside stem layer will peel away from the strands as you make the cordage. You can store stem strands or leaves in a dry place. When you are ready to make cordage, sprinkle the strands with water to make them more flexible. Other Cordage Projects A cordage bracelet is an example of two-ply cordage. You may want to try making other things out of two-ply cordage, like shoelaces, fishing line or twine for various craft projects. Two-ply cordage is so strong because it is made of two parts that are individually twisted, then twisted around each other. You can use two-ply cordage to make fishing line or bow strings. Or, try wrapping cordage around old picture frames or vases. You can also try braiding together several pieces of two-ply cordage, or weaving pieces into mats or other objects. Cords around the world Plant fibers have been used for thousands of years by people around the world. Much cloth is made from the woven fibers of cotton seed fluff or from flax, for making linen. Native Americans used cattail fluff to make diaper pads for their babies. During World War II, Americans stuffed life preservers with milkweed seed fluff. Three and one-half pounds of milkweed "silk" can keep a 150-pound person afloat for more than 72 hours! Native Americans also used milkweed seed fluff to make comfortable mattresses. In Japan, North America and other parts of the world, people used cordage to decorate pottery. From 8,000 B.C., the Japanese made cordage with different twisting patterns and imprinted the cordage onto wet clay. These patterns can be seen on ancient pottery fragments. And you thought your shoes were old! The oldest known shoe east of the Rocky Mountains was found in a Missouri cave near Columbia. Scientists at the University of Missouri Museum of Anthropology in Columbia were able to date the shoe to about 8,200 years ago. This sandal, as well as slip-ons and moccasins found in the same cave, was made with twisted leaves of rattlesnake master. Outside a cave, the fibrous shoes would have decayed, but the dryness and constant temperature of the cave preserved the shoes. Make a Cordage Bracelet With your hands about two inches apart, hold a small bundle of damp strands or a moist leaf in the middle, (1) begin twisting away from you with one hand, with your thumb moving upward and your index finger moving downward. (2) When the fibers are tight, move your fingers together. You will see a loop form. (3) Hold the loop with your left hand (if you are right-handed) or in your right hand (if you are left-handed). With your other hand, take the piece that is away from you in your thumb and index finger. (4) Twist (as you did when you started) one full turn or until tight. Bring the twisted piece toward you and over the top of the other piece, while moving the other piece away from you with the tip of your index finger. (5) Repeat with the other piece. Hold the junction of the two pieces to keep the twisting in place. Continue twisting until the cordage is long enough to go around your wrist. Then, (6-12) make a knot that will fit through the loop. You can cut off the ends with scissors. If the material is slightly damp, it is easy to work with, says Sarah Brendel. "You don't have to worry about it unraveling or the knots coming undone. You can set it down while you're in the middle of working on it and it won't unravel." If you do find that your cordage unravels, you can hold your work in place with a clothespin. (13-15) If you want to make a very long piece of cordage, begin by holding the material off-center instead of in the middle. You can add on another leaf or bundle of strands to the shorter of the two pieces you are working on. Then, continue twisting until your cordage is as long as you want it.