Baling twine

[mothernature]

Just read a neat thread in the crafting forum about crocheting shopping bags from baling twine. I use that stuff for so many things: guide strings for viney veg plants, holding the name plate on our mailbox, etc.!! So what do you use baling twine for???

[Ed Norman]

Reverse twist it to make a great rope. Then use three of those to make a tow rope.

[Little Quacker in OR]

Depends the twine. Some is the very tough and virtually indestructible orange stuff that I loved using for all kinds of chores. Light "long-lines" for dog training, tying up plants, holding insulation pipe onto the stand pipes for winter, tying down tarps...you name it, it was great! But what is available here now is the brown stuff that does not hold up at all for hardly anything and rots quickly.

Bummer! I miss that old orange baling twine! Good for you finding a use for things outside the box!

One thing I would be cautious about with either home made or purchased re-use shopping bags is being sure that they are changed frequently. They do build up harmful bacteria quickly. As for myself, I stick with the paper bags from the grocer. They use a renewable resource. Here we grown lumber as a renewable crop, harvested when its ready to cut and new trees planted immediately. Deer and other wildlife just love the areas where the new trees have been planted.

Lots of uses for the bags I bring home too. Shredded for mulch. on my ironing board when I'm using fusible web(protects the surface), cutting out templates for patterns, holding paper trash for the burn pile. always wish I had more of them.

I wish I could crochet. I just can't do it! LQ

[MO_cows]

I think the question is, what CAN'T you use baling twine for. Bootlace in a pinch, lightweight fence fixer, tie up plants in the garden, the bright orange stuff can be used as a marker. Whether it is sisal twine, poly twine or wire, bale ties can be handy to have around.

[Wisconsin Ann]

when I was a kid, we would braid them together and make halters and lead ropes out of them. Just the right length. oh, and reins.

The natural type was great for sandals..braided and then wrapped into a foot shape.

Tying up branches to haul back to the house for kindling. hanging stuff from rafters. tying sacks. Fence post ties. so many things.

[jill.costello]

I can put up a 100' x 100' temporary (or permanent!) pen for my animals in a day, by myself, before dark, with tee posts, cattle panels, and orange baling twine!

[DamnearaFarm]

Tie back my hair, temporary fence fix, tie my mirror back on the truck until I could get home and zip tie it, pop a piece around a horse's neck to lead him, tie chicken wire to 2x4s in the barn, tie from a tricycle to a toy horse to drag through the yard (that was from a little friend of mine , dog lead... the possibilities are endless.

[Ed Norman]

Don't forget the minus column:

Trip over a loop sticking out of frozen manure.
Wrap around lawnmower blades.
Wrap around wagon axles.
Wrap around rototiller tines.
Wrap around weedeaters.

We really try to keep it picked up but it seems to spread around by itself and hide until it can do the most damage.