Natalie Bogwalker

Natalie Bogwalker is a hide tanner, builder, instructor, mom, and outdoors-woman. She founded her company, Wild Abundance, over a decade ago because of her passion for sharing practical skills that get people closer to the land. Hide tanning was one of the first earthskills she learned, and it changed her life profoundly. Since then she's tanned uncountable hides, but more importantly, she's taught hide tanning to hundreds of students.
Natalie knows the obstacles most new tanners face. In this online Masterclass she shares a thorough, step-by-step guide to hide tanning, including numerous tips and tricks that will help you succeed.
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When You Join Today

We'll Also Be Adding These Six Exclusive Bonuses

  • Bonus Series #1

    How to Lay Out Patterns and Sew with Buckskin

  • Bonus Series #2

    How to Make a Skirt with Your Buckskin

  • Bonus Series #3

    How to Make a Possibles Bag with Your Buckskin

  • Community Support

    Our students achieve the best results by engaging with others. You'll have access to our private Facebook group, as well as our class-specific community page.
    Value: $240

  • Annual Membership

    Our popular membership includes exclusive documentaries and series, how-to videos, visual presentations, interactive lessons, giveaways and more!
    Value: $1640

  • Sarah Corrigan's Pelt Tanning Class!

    Yes, you read that right! We'll even add Sarah's class, which is the perfect compliment to Natalie's. Own them both for life!
    Value: $97

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to the Hide Tanning Masterclass with Natalie Bogwalker!

    • Introduction

  • 2

    Common Questions

    • Common Questions

    • Course Manual

  • 3

    Before You Start

    • Some Important Notes

  • 4

    Equipment You Will Need on Your Journey

    • Equipment for Hide Tanning

  • 5

    Preparing Materials for Fleshing and Scraping

    • Common Questions, Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • How to Build and Position a Scraping Beam

    • How to Make a Scraping Tool

    • Identifying the Parts of the Hide

    • Evaluating the Hide and Trimming

  • 6

    Fleshing the Hide

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • How to Flesh a Hide

    • Great Time to Store Your Hide

    • Common Questions

  • 7

    Preparing the Hide for Scraping

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • How to Prepare Your Hide for Scraping: Soaking

    • How to Buck a Hide

    • Common Questions

  • 8

    Scraping the Hide and Preparing for Wringing

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • How to Scrape the Grain

    • Another Opportunity to Put a Hide on Pause

    • How to Remove the Membrane

    • How to Delime Your Hide

    • Common Questions

  • 9

    Setting Up a Wringing Station and a Hide Stake

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • Setting Up a Wringing Station

    • How to Set Up a Hide Stake

    • Common Questions

  • 10

    Wringing and Opening the Hide for the First Time

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • How to Wring a Hide

    • How to Stake a Hide

    • How to Open a Hide to Get it Receptive to the Brains

    • Common Questions

  • 11

    Making a Solution and Braining Your Hide

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • Extracting a Brain

    • How to Make Good Brains

    • How to Brain a Hide

    • Common Questions

  • 12

    Wringing, Opening, Braining, Repeat

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • Wringing Out the Brains

    • If a Hide Needs More Brainings

    • Freshening and Expanding Brain Solution

    • Repeat Wringing and Opening

    • Half Tanning - Another Great Time to Put Your Hide on Pause

    • On One of Your Brainings - Go to Beam

    • Different Hides Will Need Different Treatments

    • Common Questions

  • 13

    How to Prepare the Hide for Softening

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • Bagging Technique

    • Taking the Hide Out of the Bag

    • How to Sew Up Holes

    • Common Questions

  • 14

    Overview for Hide Softening

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • Setting up the Cable

    • Softening Introduction

    • Common Questions

  • 15

    Softening Techniques when Moist

    • Leg Stretching Technique

    • Bouncy Technique

    • Slow Twisting

    • Opening Edges on Beam

    • Opening Edges on Cable

    • Common Questions

  • 16

    Softening Techniques when Dry

    • Using Ulu or Pumice

    • Ra Ra Ra Method

    • Spare the Smack

    • Common Questions

  • 17

    How to Tell When You Are Done

    • Equipment You Will Need for This Chapter

    • How to Tell When You Are Done

    • Hooray for Soft Hides and Sore Bodies

  • 18

    Preparing for Preservation

    • Equipment You Will Need For This Chapter

    • Drying Punky Wood

    • Joining Hides into a Bag

    • How to Make a Smoking Skirt

    • How to Attach Your Smoking Skirt

    • Making a Hide Hanger

    • Common Questions

  • 19

    Time to Get Smoking

    • Smoking Hides

    • Flipping the Hide

    • Common Questions

  • 20

    Multiple Hides

    • How to Tan Multiple Hides at Once

  • 21

    Bonus: How to Lay out Patterns and Sew with Buckskin

    • How to Lay out a Pattern

    • Buckskin Medicine Pouch Pattern

    • Making a Pattern

    • Cutting Buckskin

    • Making a Welt

    • Glueing Your Pieces Together

    • Hardening Your Tip

    • Using an Awl

    • Flipping Your Pouch

  • 22

    Bonus: How to Sew a Possibles Bag

    • Equipment You Will Need For This Course

    • Possibles Bag Pattern (Downloadable)

    • Introduction

    • Pattern Pieces

    • Laying Out the Pattern On the Hide

    • Fitting Pattern Pieces Together

    • Welts: Answers to Common Questions

    • Cutting Welts

    • Glueing Seams before Sewing

    • Cutting Buckskin Thong and Using an Awl and a Buckskin Needle

    • Sewing and Turning the Bag

    • Cellphone Pouch: Answers to Common Questions

    • Attaching the Cellphone Pouch

    • Attaching and Sewing On the Flap and Straps

  • 23

    Bonus: How to Sew a Skirt

    • Equipment You Will Need For This Course

    • Introduction

    • Choosing Hides

    • Draping and Pinning Hides to Fit

    • Cutting into the Hides!

    • Answers to Common Questions

    • Cutting Welts and Thong, and Glueing up Pieces

    • Answers to Common Questions

    • Sewing Up Sides with an Awl and Thong

    • Answers to Common Questions

    • Waistband and Making a Fastening System

    • Making Antler Buttons

    • Attaching Buttons and Making Buttonholes

    • Yay, Skirt!

  • 24

    Congrats! Here's what's next...

    • Course Completion Certification, Resources and More

    • Downloadable Manual

    • You've Earned $6 In Premium Points!

Soft, durable, beautiful buckskin isn’t the only thing you’ll get from this Masterclass...
You'll also improve your connection to the wilderness, the deer, and Earth-based culture. It's incredible what a skill like this will do for your confidence in your ability to take care of yourself and loved ones. And this is only the start. Once you've tanned your hide, you'll be extra inspired to continue working with your hands and natural materials. While you transform your hide, you'll also be transforming your own outdoor skills and empowerment.

FAQ

  • How long do I have access to this course for? Is there an expiration date?

    You'll have access to this class AND the bonus class for LIFE!

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