Mending flax rope with natural materials and a wire net.
We start with the twisting of fibers as a technique. You will make your own rope that has been coiled with care and attention using familiar and stable movements. With decorated strands, we get to work winding a lance and mastering the basic knots of mending. We work towards a structured pattern that systematically, rhythmically, and stably creates a wire net that can be used in everyday applications such as a shopping basket.
By the end, you will have made a net that you can take home and use.
Knisper Coaching: Guidance that is infectious. Working with your hands in an authentic, accessible way, through experience, and in a natural context. Getting started with bushcraft workshops to create various projects and tools from the forest. The guidance methodology starts with simple and honest materials from nature; with care and attention to the specific needs of the group or target audience, we choose tailored challenges. By combining coaching with productive manual work, participants achieve their results themselves. Here, we provide high-level support and, literally, guidance that is infectious.
Jelle Symons (Coach/Instructor – Leuven) is an enthusiastic coach and youth worker with a deep passion for craftsmanship, nature, and the outdoors. Drawing on years of experience in youth work, he combines craftsmanship with training, inclusion, and a strong appreciation for volunteering. Jelle believes that crafts are more than just techniques: they are connecting moments where people, young and old, discover their talents and learn from one another.
His background in outdoor education and bushcraft gives his workshops a warm, practical, and accessible approach. He creates spaces where experimentation is allowed, mistakes are made, and where everyone is welcome, regardless of experience or background. With great enthusiasm, he brings traditional manual labor back to life—from natural materials to ancient techniques—always with an eye for sustainability and collaboration.
At the festival, Jelle invites participants to slow down, connect, and rediscover what it means to create something with their own hands.
This workshop is offered by Erfgoedcel Mechelen and in collaboration with De Aanstekerij.
Rope Making & Creative Rigging Workshop
Have you always wanted to know how rope is made? And how to create a unique plant hanger using simple techniques? In this inspiring and hands-on workshop, we dive into the world of traditional rope craftsmanship as well as creative knotting techniques.
Make your own rope
We start with the basics: rope making. Using authentic rope-making machines, you will learn how loose strands come together to form a sturdy and usable rope. You will discover the artisanal process step by step and twist a simple rope yourself — from start to finish.
Get creative with knitting cord
Next, we switch to a decorative technique: working with knitting cord. Although it is called “knitting,” it involves a refined hand stitch.
You will learn:
What will you take home?
This workshop is perfect for creatives, craft enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to learn something new in a cozy atmosphere. No experience needed — just the desire to create! Join in and discover how versatile rope can be!
This workshop is offered by the Karrenmuseum.
Get to know the Kalmthout Ropeworks, where rejected ship ropes have been given a second life since 1924. What once served to keep ships safely ashore is transformed here with craftsmanship and dedication into new, usable products. For generations, this craft has been passed down — a tradition of twisting, beating, and creating with respect for material and technique.
Today, this special craftsmanship lives on within the operations of the Karrenmuseum in Essen. Here, you will discover how old techniques are still relevant and inspiring.
During our workshop, we step into this story. You will experience firsthand what it feels like to work with rope, learn the basics of rope-making, and discover how traditional craftsmanship and contemporary creativity complement each other. A unique opportunity to be part of living history.
The workshop is led by Dieter, Craftsmanship Coordinator at the Karrenmuseum. Drawing on his daily commitment to historical craft and heritage, he passionately shares his knowledge of rope-making and traditional techniques. With a strong focus on doing and experiencing, he allows participants not only to understand the craft but, above all, to experience it for themselves.
