Four Stick Rope Making

This is a great youth group activity

For material: hardware store jute, soft binder twine or cotton butcher's twine are some suggestions

For each 10' rope you need - 70' approx. of cord tied in a loop - 4 volunteers each holding a 1/2" dowel 2' long.

Step 1:

To begin the loop is placed over dowels A and D held by the volunteers who are facing each other. A and D begin turning their dowels as if they were steering a car to the right. When the twisted twine kinks when tension is released stop twisting.

Keeping the twisted string in the middle of the dowels C pushes towards A, B pushes towards D and A and D walk towards each other.

Step 2:

The volunteer on the left is now holding dowels A and C and the volunteer on he right is holding B and D. Now twist both dowels together as if steering to the left. Keep twisting until very tight. You can't overtwist this step. Whip both ends. Remove the dowels. Any overtwist will be released