How to Make a Pair of Moccasins

These moccasins are very comfortable and can be made from a variety of garment-weight leathers. Once you have worn them a few times, a sole will be formed at the bottom of the shoe.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Stand with one foot on a piece of butcher paper or other medium- to heavyweight paper. Have someone trace around the outline of one of your feet with a pencil. Mark the position of the ankle on each side of the tracing. (You'll need to make a pattern for the other foot as well.)

2. Mark a spot on each side of the tracing that is 2 inches outside the ankle position marks made in Step 1.

3. Have your friend measure the distance from where the widest part of your foot touches the floor to halfway across the top of your foot. Add 3/8 inch to this measurement. Draw a line around the tracing that is equal to this measurement (plus the 3/8-inch). Mark only around the toe portion of the tracing, connecting the two marks made in Step 2.

4. Measure out 1½ inches from the heel on both sides of the tracing and draw a straight line that extends to the left and right of the tracing.

5. Measure from the floor to the anklebone and add 6½ inches to this measurement. Add a seam allowance to the side of the pattern, between the front seam allowance to the heel allowance. The seam allowances surrounding the tracing should form a 'T' shape.

6. Cut the pattern out along the traced lines and place the pattern on the wrong side of the leather. Trace around the pattern with a pencil or felt-tip pen. Use leather shears to cut the pattern out from the leather.

7. Fold the leather in half, right sides together, so that all the edges line up evenly. Use an awl to punch holes through both layers of leather, along the seam line, 3/8 inch from the edges. Make holes only at the back seam of the shoe and at the seam that will cover the top of the foot.

8. Use lacing thong and a lacing needle to whipstitch the pieces together through the punched holes. Prepare to whipstitch by first inserting and securing one tip of the lacing into the hollow end of the lacing needle.

9. Do a whipstitch by bringing the threaded lacing needle through the first set of holes from back to front. Pull the lacing all the way through until approximately 2 inches of the free end is left at the back. Bring the lacing needle over the edges of the leather to the back, then through the next hole. Repeat until the entire seam is sewn.

10. Position the free end of the lacing so that it is held under the first few stitches. Secure the end of the lacing in this way as well.

11. Turn the shoe right side out.

12. Place the shoe on your foot and arrange the ankle flap so that it is in the desired position. Make a small pencil mark on the shoe underneath the flap at the back, just above the top of the heel.

13. Attach a piece of lacing to the back of the shoe at the pencil mark made in Step 9. Use lacing whose length is approximately three times the circumference of your ankle. Attach the lacing at its center and use this to secure the ankle flap.

14. Repeat Steps 1-13 for the opposite foot.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a piece of paper large enough so that several inches of paper are left on each side of the tracing.

• Make a mock-up of the pattern from some inexpensive scrap fabric. Make any adjustments and then cut the pattern from the leather.

• Use a 3-4 oz. calfskin, buckskin, doeskin or suede for your moccasins.

• Space holes about 1/4 to 1/8 inch apart. Make sure that the spaces between the holes are uniform.

• Use lacing thong that is the same width as the punched holes.

• Cut fringe along the ankle flap and/or decorate the flap with beads.

• The pattern for the heel portion of the moccasin will not conform to the contour of the traced heel line.