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Bark cloth is one of the oldest textile materials. The material has been used as payment for poor farmers to wealthy landowners, primarily in Africa. The material is made from the bark of the fig tree, Ficus natalensis, in several locations all around the world. However, production has declined in some countries but is still relatively big in Uganda. The material is produced by traditional and labor-consuming methods. The art of producing Bark Cloth has been passed down from one generation to another. This method is used so that you peel the bark from the Fig tree. First of all one scrapes the outer layer of the bark to in order to get to the inner bark to obtain a thinner and finer product. The stripping is then done by a straight cut along the stem and then to peel bark off the tree. After having stripped the bark it is boiled and is later placed on round timber to be smashed with a mallet. The bark will become longer, smoother and broader in its structure. The material is then stretched out and placed on the ground to dry in the sun. Drying takes about three days. The dried bark will be sewn together if any small holes show, this is made by hand with the help of handmade sisal twine. Alternatively, it may be patched up by using small pieces of ready-made Bark Cloth.

The tree will not be damaged due to harvested and it will recover completely until the next harvest. Bark Cloth is a ecologically sustainable material and a good replacement for such materials as leather. Most information on material can be found on the company Bark Cloth Europe website.