How to Make Moccasins

By Sharon Buczaczer

Originally published by Wilderness Youth Project

The most comfortable ‘MOCS’ in the world

Materials:

  • Artificial sinew
  • Glovers needles
  • Paper bag
  • Leather ( 20”x16” +)
  • Pen
Instructions
  • Trace your left foot on paper bag.
  • While foot still in place, drop down from high point on top of foot and mark on each side, on the line you just drew. Remove your foot and connect the dots with a straight line.
  • Find the center of both front and back of foot and mark a dot on each. Connect with a straight line.
  • Place your hands on the paper (palms down) with your thumbs together so your nails and top knuckles touch each other, with touching knuckles meeting at the “T” you just made. Squeeze all your fingers together and draw them towards each other so the index fingers meet.
  • Trace the outside edges of your palms. This rounded triangle should go from about 1/4″ above your toes, down and out at an angle to about 1″ below the bottom of your heel. Connect the line ends to complete the rounded triangle. Cut this entire template out.
  • You just made a template for your top and bottom left foot. Flip this over & you have your right foot.
  • Trace the template on the inside of leather and write “left.”
  • Put a dot on the leather where the “T” is.
  • Flip & repeat for “right”.
  • Cut out the sole of your foot from the paper template. Trace it on the leather and write “left.”
  • Flip & repeat for “right.”
  • You can now cut out these four pieces from the leather and are ready to start sewing.
  • With the triangular piece on top, start sewing the edges from the big toe to the middle heel. *(You are going to flip this inside out so make sure you start with the sides you want touching your foot to be facing out.)*
  • Start at the top of the big toe again and sew the other side.
  • Fold back edges out and sew up until about one inch shy of top.
  • Cut from top of ankle stitch inward to the dot you made on the leather earlier, keeping a uniform inch. YOU DO NOT WANT TO CUT THIS PIECE OFF! It is the tongue of your shoe.
  • You should now have a moccasin that you can slide your foot into, after you have flipped it inside out.