Hemp is one of the oldest textile fibers in the world, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood.
A lot of us associate hemp with rough, burlap-like materials, but the truth is that modern hemp fabric can be as soft as linen and as durable as canvas.
So, how does a tough, woody plant become breathable, wearable fabric?
The process is lengthy and complicated. In this hemp fabric guide, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step process of how is hemp fabric made. We’ll understand what actually happens between harvesting the plant and wearing it as a shirt or jacket.
Step-by-Step Process to Make Hemp Fabric
Hemp fiber is strong, but in its raw form, it is extremely coarse and rigid. That’s why it has always been used to make things like ropes.
So, turning hemp into soft fabric is a multi-stage that breaks down tough stalks, extracts fibers, and refines them into soft, durable textiles.
The steps below determine the texture, strength, and usability of the final material.
Step 1: Cultivation
The way hemp is grown determines how good the fiber will be. Hemp plants cultivated for textiles aren’t the same as those grown for CBD oil or seeds.
- For fabric production, hemp is planted densely to force the stalks to grow tall and straight with minimal branching.
- It’s harvested before flowering so that the fibers remain soft and flexible. Hemp grows fast, just 90 to 120 days from seed to harvest. So, the best time is just before the plant reaches full maturity when the fibers are still flexible but strong. If harvested too late, lignin content increases, making the fiber coarser and harder to refine.
Unlike cotton, which depletes soil nutrients, hemp restores soil health by preventing erosion and increasing organic matter. It also requires far less water compared to cotton.
Step 2: Harvesting
Hemp has to be harvested when the stalks are strong but before they get too woody.
The farmers cut the plants close to the ground and lay them out in the field to dry. But unlike cotton, you can’t immediately process the fibers because hemp requires retting, which is a crucial step that naturally loosens the fibers.
Step 3: Retting
Hemp fibers don’t come off the stalk easily as they’re bound by a natural glue called pectin. Pectin holds the fiber and woody core together. Retting breaks down this glue so the fiber can be separated.
There are a few ways to do this:
Dew Retting
The simplest and most natural method. Farmers leave the stalks in the field for a few weeks, where rain, dew, and microbes slowly eat away at the pectin. The only downside to this method is it’s slow and weather-dependent. Too much rain can rot the fibers, while too little slows the process even further.
Water Retting
This one is a much faster but more labor-intensive process. The stalks are soaked in water (often in large tanks or ponds) for about 10 days to encourage bacterial growth, which speeds up the breakdown process. Although this method produces higher-quality fiber, it requires significant water management.
Enzyme Retting
A modern approach that uses enzymes to dissolve the pectin. It’s efficient but more expensive than traditional methods.
After retting, the stalks are dried again before moving to the next stage.
Step 4: Decortication
Hemp stalks have two main parts:
- The bast fiber, which is the soft outer layer used for fabric
- The hurd which is the woody inner core used for paper, insulation, and other materials
At this time, the hemp looks like a dried plant, and the fiber is still attached to the hurd. Separating these two is called decortication.
Earlier, workers would beat the stalks against hard surfaces to break them apart. But now, decorticators crush the stalks, strip away the woody hurd, and extract the long fibers.
The goal of this step is to extract the long, clean bast fibers that can be used for textiles while removing the short fibers and woody material.
But even after decortication, the fibers are still rough and tangled. To refine them, they go through the next stage, which is scutching and hackling.
Step 5: Scutching and Hackling
Even after decortication, raw hemp fiber isn’t ready for spinning. It still contains a lot of impurities, short fibers, and plant debris. So, they need to be cleaned and prepared for spinning.
The two steps to refine hemp fiber are:
- Scutching is where the fibers are beaten to remove any remaining hurd and plant matter.
- Hackling, where the fibers are pulled through metal combs to separate the long, high-quality fibers from the shorter, coarser ones.
At this point, the fibers are cleaner and more uniform, but they’re still stiff. They need to be softened before they can be spun into yarn.
Step 6: Degumming
Raw hemp fibers contain lignin and natural plant waxes, which is the reason they’re stiff and scratchy. So, they need to go through a process called degumming, which is removing the pectin, lignin, and waxes to make the fiber more flexible and comfortable.
There are a few ways to degum hemp like:
- Boiling in water or steam loosens the fibers naturally.
- Alkaline treatments break down plant compounds, making the fibers more flexible.
Some factories use eco-friendly degumming methods that avoid harsh chemicals, preserving hemp’s natural sustainability.
Step 7: Conditioning and Pre-Treatment Before Spinning
If the fibers go straight into spinning at this stage, they can be too dry, too stiff, or irregular. They won’t spin smoothly, which can lead to uneven yarn thickness, excessive breakage, and a lower-quality fabric.
To prevent this, manufacturers condition the fibers by adjusting moisture, flexibility, and alignment.
Most commonly, fibers are stored in humidity-controlled rooms to prevent them from drying out. A little natural oil or wax may also be applied to reduce friction and help fibers move smoothly through spinning machines.
At last, the fibers are passed through rollers or brushes that straighten and blend them to get an even texture before spinning.
Step 8: Spinning
There are two ways to spin hemp:
- Wet Spinning: The fiber is softened in hot water before spinning to create finer, smoother yarn.
- Dry Spinning: The fiber is spun as-is, producing a coarser, more textured yarn.
This gives you the hemp yarn that’s ready to be woven or knitted into fabric.
Step 9: Weaving and Knitting
At this stage, hemp yarn finally looks like a textile material. It can be woven into anything from lightweight, linen-like materials to heavy, canvas-like textiles.
The weave pattern determines the final feel:
- Plain weave creates a crisp, breathable fabric.
- Twill weave results in a softer, more flexible material.
- Knitted hemp is stretchier and often blended with other fibers for added softness.
But before the fabric is used, it undergoes some finishing treatments.
Step 10: Dyeing and Finishing
Hemp fabric in its natural state is beige or gray, but it absorbs dye exceptionally well. Unlike synthetic materials, hemp holds onto color without excessive fading.
This is a key part of how hemp fabric is made, as finishing treatments determine the fabric’s texture, durability, and final use.
Other than dyeing, finishing treatments improve softness, prevent shrinkage, and enhance durability. Now, the fabric is ready to be turned into clothing, home textiles, or industrial materials.
Conclusion
Unlike other natural fibers, it doesn’t start out soft, it has to be broken down, refined, and processed before it’s ready to be spun into yarn.
But that effort pays off.
What makes hemp fabric unique is how versatile it is. The same plant can be turned into coarse canvas, breathable summer clothing, or fine linen-like textiles, all depending on how you process it. Every choice, retting time, fiber selection, and spinning technique shapes the final fabric.
FAQs
How does hemp fabric compare to cotton?
Hemp fabric is stronger, more durable, and more breathable than cotton. It also softens over time without wearing out, whereas cotton tends to break down faster with repeated washing.
Why isn’t hemp fabric more common if it’s so durable and sustainable?
The biggest barriers are processing costs and technology. Most textile machines are designed for cotton, not hemp, making large-scale hemp production more expensive.