Buckskin Hide Tanning Workshop

In this class, we will turn raw deer hides into buckskin. You will learn a natural method called combo-tanning which involves aspects of both traditional brain-tanning and bark-tanning. Buckskin is a soft, but strong, suede-like material and is perfect for garments, bags, shoes, and more. You will leave class with your own finished buckskin and the knowledge and resources to make more!

Hide tanning is a skill that was practiced by nearly all of our ancestors and is a skill, I believe, we should all know today. It is a chance to combat waste culture (most deer hides are sent to landfills) and, in the process, make an incredibly useful material. Plus, it’s fun!

This class is taught by Callan Shore (she/her) and is for Women, femme, and non-binary folks only.

This is a physically demanding class. If you have physical limitations or have questions about whether this class would be a fit, please reach out.

Class will be held outside in the woods of Weaverville, North Carolina. Due to the unpredictable weather of April, we will have a fire to stay warm , but no indoor space. Rustic camping is available as an add-on to your ticket. We will have a potluck the first night of class, but otherwise food is not provided.

Visit Callan's Website to learn more and meet your instructor.

Day 1: Graining

We will start out first day with introductions and a brief overview of the buckskin process. The rest of the day will be devoted to removing the hair and grain layer on your hide. We will finish the day with a potluck!

Day 2: Making the Bark Solution and more

On the second day we will do one more quick scrape on our hides and then spend the rest of the day chopping up bark and boiling a big cauldron full of bark solution.

Day 3: Softening

For our last day, we will wring our hides and soften them. Softening is the process of stretching your hide until it dries and you're done!

Host or Publisher Callan Burton-Shore