Baby Moccasins

I decided to make these moccasins for my daughter (5 months).  I figured I could share how to make them with you all.

Just so you know, they are relatively simple in design and in concept, but they can take a little bit of time, if you like to pay attention to detail.

First off, the reason this project belongs on this site is that I got the leather these are made from from a thrift store in the form of the outside of a couch.  (The leather was never actually part of a couch, it was sewn to become a couch and for some reason made it into a thrift store instead–maybe the company went out of business or the couch didn’t make the cut.  It only cost me $10 for the couch, and I’ve already made a pair of leather gloves from it, and various other things like the leather punch earring(s) in some other posts.

This time, I made the moccasins, and I like how they turned out.  They fit my 5 month old pretty well, but she is petite–so, you may want to put the pattern into MS Paint or something more advanced and increase the size by 110% or 150% to make the right size for your child (I suppose you could make some for your neighbor’s child, or the kid across town–your call).

The pattern below is actual size, both pieces, of the one I used for the moccasins pictured above.  The small dots in the small piece sew into the small dots in the big piece (rounded side only).  The small dots on the big piece, across from the rounded side, stictch together.  The rest are much easier to do something with, if you sew the project in the order I just mentioned.

To start off with, I taped the pattern to my leather.  (Be cautious, if you are using a side that isn’t finished, this may cause some superficial damage to your leather project.)  Then, I marked the holes and traced the pattern.  I used a leather punch (but you could sew with a leather needle, if you wanted to finish them a different way) and punched small holes for the small holes, and large holes for the large holes. (Huge surprise there, eh?)

I then cut lacing from my leather with scissors.  Make certain that, if you do the same, you make the lacing similar in size to the whole you punched.  It makes the project easier.  As you lace the rounded side, leave some slack for a few holes, then gradually follow up and tighten–the leather will pucker more evenly (yes, it is supposed to pucker, look at the finished product, the front puckers–it is the design of this type of moccasin).  To start and finish a line of stitching, tie a knot in the end of the lacing.  This will keep it from pulling out.

Now, after you finish with the front (rounded end), you can start on the back.  Put the knots (beginning and end) on the outside of the project, or the baby will have a knot in the back of her foot when she wears them (I made them for my daughter.  The baby is a she and a her).  Lace throught one side, then the other side, then the middle tab and then the second holes on either side before pulling the lacing tight, this will make it easier to form the correct back to the moccasin.

Once the back is finished, cut some slightly thicker lacing and running from the large holes in the small piece, around the top of the moccasin, and back through the second hole in the small piece.  End by tieing decorative knots on the ends of the lacing, that way they won’t pull back through easily.

Now, repeat the steps for moccasin #2.

Good luck, and let me know if you find any variations.