Hide tanning is more than a craft.
It's connection.
Learn hide tanning from your home
+ connect to the land, to your body, and to your lineage.
If you are brand-new to hide tanning
Or if you’re tired of doing it on your own
And most of all, if hide tanning means more to you than meets the eye
You belong in Hide Club
Hide Club is a 2-month online program.
You make:
(1) smoked buckskin cloth
(2) bark-tanned sheepskin rug
(3) fish skin leather.
Join us February 19 to March 31, 2026.
Learn through our live calls and a recording library filled to the brim. That means -> you get step-by-step guidance plus a resource centre when you need it.
Live attendance not required.
Join a program that has trained hundreds of hide tanners.
And make a hide tanning practice all your own.
Hide Club situates you in methodology -> so you know what's happening under the microscope.
Hide Club places you in cultural context -> so you know the history of this craft + can do it with integrity.
Hide Club sets you off for your own tanning practice -> so you can make this connective, healing, transformative craft your own.
Words from Hide Club Fall 2025:
There is no such thing as knowing enough about tanning, and as I wrap up my second year in Hide Club I am still surprised by the new methods Mara introduces us to every cohort! I am always looking forward to the next round of Hide Club!
— Megan SMara breaks it down to be as accessible for as many people as possible. It’s constant enough to stay engaged with the projects at hand and easy enough to catch up or follow along with the process because all of the information is laid out very clearly in the online space. Such a cool course! Thanks bunches Mara.
— Siana SThese classes are exceptionally well thought out and presented. It is clear that Mara has built up a huge working knowledge of the subject matter and has learned how to smoothly share her education with online students, no simple feat. The online resources for hide club members are incredibly straight forward and achievable in small informational bites and serve as an excellent reference for new and experienced students alike.
— Jud KWHAT CHANGES WHEN YOU KNOW HIDE TANNING
You have a skill you can use to calm your nervous system + enter into flow state
You have the feeling of empowerment that comes from knowing how to tan hides, tie knots, make equipment, and use tools
You are connected to the land where you live, in reciprocity + integrity
Is this Season of Hide Club for You?
Hide Club Winter 2026 is for you if:
You want to know the techniques to make hide tanning easier + get higher quality
You value skill lineage and cultural history
You’re ready to set aside time for hides + learn this craft in-depth
Hide Club Winter 2026 may not be for you if:
You want to learn this craft as part of trophy hunting - we approach it with reciprocity + reverence
You are non-Indigenous and plan to imitate Indigenous clothing from buckskin. We back cultural integrity + celebrate land-based lineages everywhere.
You don’t have a warm space to tan hides - a kitchen, mudroom, or outside by the fire works. Some parts of this process can’t be frozen, and need to be semi-indoors.
What We’re Tanning:
Bark-tanned Fish Skin Leather
Bark-tanned Sheepskin Leather Rug
Smoke-tanned (Braintan) Buckskin
Investment
Hide Club tuition is $297 CAD ($219 USD), including:
two months of hide tanning + guidance on three hides -> leather
how to build your own equipment
access to the online space (resource + recording library) for one year
downloadable, printable how-to guides
The Hide Club Welcome Kit is $249 CAD ($179 USD).
To BYO hides + ingredients, click on the link and see what’s inside the kit.
Indigenous sponsorship
If you are Indigenous and face financial barriers to land-based education, you are welcome to apply to our sponsorship program. {Go to the sponsorship application here}.
Our Schedule
FAQs
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90 minutes to 2 hours
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Yes.
Every call is recorded and available in our online space for 12 months after the program end. -
Some instruction is pre-recorded. This helps us move as a group through different time zones + supports the trickier, more technical aspects of hide tanning that need fancy video work.
Pre-recorded videos will be uploaded in the online space.
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the lumber for building your simple at-home equipment (we’ll give you a short list + directions on how to source it). We build these together on a call.
two litres/quarts of white vinegar
a large (10-gal) soaking bin (ie Rubbermaid)
a standard 5- or 6-gal bucket
a warm space for tanning
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Your lead instructor is Mara Cur.
Our guest speaker this season is Meagon Anishinabie.
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