Make rope out of dead plants -- with no tools

Step 5: Philosophy of cordage

• Splice only one strand at a time. (Only one strand should end at a time.)
• Dry fiber can be wrapped more tightly than wet fiber. So make sure your fiber is dry. Wet-made cordage will fall apart when it dries.
• A finished cord can be used as a strand in a larger cord. That's how they make those awesome rope bridges in the Andes -- out of grass.
• Wrap tight, wrap sturdy. There's no way to fix a loose cord, aside from unwinding the whole thing.

Comments

[davee52uk]

I require something a bit thinner. I want to tie up plants, like tomatoes with something which is also biodegradable, so that at the end of the growing season I can just throw the plant into the compost bin.

At the moment I have to spend ages removing cable etc that I have used to tie the plant up.

Any suggestions ?

Incidentally as a church bellringer I use hemp ropes which are much better than any man-made material.

[phyzome]

My dad always used some kind of very coarse twine (maybe jute?) for this. It composted pretty well.

[sxu1]

Can you make a video for this step because I don't really understand it?

[luneydude]

im a texas cowboy and this is somethin i do all the time this instructable is okay for a survival situtation but if your just makin rope to use round your house or somethin out on a farm or whatever your usin it for (i use it to hunt deere, i laso them and then tackle them and stab them) any dead plant will work but you want good rope and maybe your feelin like bein old fashion one day and makin rope like texas rangers did before wayback when they were still shootin six shooters and single loaders and around the time of sam houston then use any dead plant and wax it up real good with candle wax....wind up your fibers then wax it up real good with candle wax and then when the wax dies take a match and cinch the ends of the rope and then if you want to put nots on the end put more wax and bend the rope into the not and hold it like that till te wax dries up

[kestrada1]

i dont either