During a recent Blackhawk class I
gave instruction on how to make a rawhide rattler for Blackhawk. You need 2 pieces
of rawhide cut the size you want the head of your rattler to be. You will need
to soak the rawhide in water so you can soften it up so you can punch holes in
it. Once you find the stick you will use for a handle, scrap all the bark off
of it and get it ready while your rawhide is soaking. Once the rawhide is soft make the holes about
a half an inch apart. You can use an ice pick to do this. Once you have your
holes made place the wet rawhide on your handle make sure that at least an inch
of the handle is inside the rattler head. Sew the two sides together, then take
a little strip of the wet rawhide and wrap it around the base of the rattler
head. Don’t forget to add some rocks so you will have a loaded rattler. Once
you have it put together let it dry. Once it is dried you can decorate it any
way you want to. Mine is decorated black and white to represent light and dark.
Happy crafting! Momma Starr ©
After we talked about this I googled this and found further instructions online. Most sites recommend that once you sew the pieces of rawhide together to fill it with sand so you can get the proper shape. Then you set it aside to dry. When it's dry, dump the sand out and then test with objects like rocks, corn, beans, rice, pepples, crystals, etc., until you get the proper sound or the sound that you like. You just insert them and then cover the hole and shake it to test it out. Then dump all the items out and prop it up in small glass of water so only the part that will go over the handle is in the water so it can be softened. Once it is soft, insert the stick and then wrap it tight with soft strips of rawhide.
ReplyDeleteI love your rattle Momma Starr. And this is the first time I've seen pics of it and you didn't tell me what it looked like over the phone. But guess what? LOL I already decided I was going to use black and white to decorate it! So I'm glad we are on the same level. I'm going to have one side black and one side white, with a white cross on the black side and and a black cross on the white side. Then I plan on decorating mine with black and white fur, feathers, and beads. I'll post pics on my site when I'm done.
Thank you so much for sharing this Momma Starr. Did you know that before I talked with you the only places I could find online wanted like %60 for one of these rattles. Making it yourself is so much more powerful.
I forgot about the form, you can use sand or a balloon. If you use a balloon it will pop when you insert your handle. If you use sand for a while everytine you shake the rattle the sand that didn't pour out will come out of the cracks. Sorry I left that out but I have had other things on my mind this morning. But I did promise to put up the info. Momma Starr
DeleteYes, and just know that you are much loved and appreciated for all you do.
DeleteI know and I am very thankful for it. Momma Starr
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