Did you know that you can create beautiful fish leather from fish skins? It’s a zero waste solution with stunning results!

Fish leather is a strong and durable type of leather that was historically used on a large scale by the North Pacific peoples to make bags, parkas, boots, mittens, and other clothing.

Happy van der Heide, a skilled craftswoman and circular artist, is one of the few individuals in the Netherlands practicing the ancestral skill of transforming fresh fish skins into fish leather.

In this workshop, you will learn how to ecologically clean a fresh fish skin and remove the scales. Then, the skin will be treated using environmentally friendly techniques to tan it. Softening the leather requires some effort, but the end result will be a unique, soft, and supple piece of fish leather. The visible texture of the scales gives the leather an elegant appearance.

You will take home a piece of salmon leather and a newfound appreciation for fish leather.

Happy van der Heide, raised and educated amidst the wetlands between Joure and Sneek, is the owner of ‘Hip & Happy – craftsmanship & design’, a studio dedicated to raising awareness for a livable Earth. Through exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and masterclasses, she inspires people of all ages, offering opportunities to learn and re-learn traditional skills, alongside showcasing inspiring innovations rooted in nature.