How to Make Gathered Toe Moccasins

Some people use gathered toe moccasins as a slipper they can wear indoors, due to it having a soft sole. If you want to make gathered toe moccasins, you can make them yourself using very basic sewing skills. Gather together the supplies you need, and you will have gathered toe moccasins made in a few short steps.

1. Lay a piece of cardboard on the ground and stand on it. Have someone use a pencil to trace around each of your feet to create a foot template. Use scissors to cut the foot templates out.


2. Purchase some tanned leather, which you can find at most fabric stores. Place the leather on the floor, making sure the soft side is facing up. Place the foot templates you just cut out on the leather. Use a measuring tape, and tailor’s chalk to make a mark 1-½ inches from around the foot template on the leather.


3. Use the scissors to cut the pieces of tanned leather using the chalk line you just made as a guide. This creates the foot for each moccasin. Place each moccasin foot on the floor with the soft side up and stand on them, with each foot centered on the correct leather base.


4. Gather together the sides and toe of the moccasin foot, and use a measuring tape to measure the space from the top of your foot, and measure the length from your toe, stopping one inch before your ankle.


5. Gather the heel of the moccasin foot around your heel so it is smooth, and then pull the sides of the moccasin foot up. Use the tailor’s chalk to mark lines on each side of your heel, where any extra material overlaps, so you can cut the extra leather out.


6. Use your scissors to cut two pieces of the leather to be used for the tongues of the moccasins. Be sure to use the measurements from Step 4. Cut the dart lines from the heel so the material fits smoothly around your foot.


7. Place the moccasin feet and tongues on sweatshirt fleece, which can also be purchased at a fabric store. Use the leather pieces as a template and cut the fleece.


8. Put fabric glue on the soft side of the leather pieces, and then center the fleece lining on the glue. This will make your moccasins super soft inside. Let the glue dry.


9. Center the toe and tongue on the toe end of the moccasin foot. Use quilting thread and a glove needle to sew the tongue on the base. Make sure you attach the tongue to the sides of the moccasin and at the toe end of the base. Sew a running stitch at the toe end, as you pull the materials into a pucker.


10. Use a running stitch to sew the heel darts together. Fold down ¼ inch of the fleece lining over the sides of the moccasin. Use a running stitch to fasten the turned down fleece across the bottom edge of the moccasin.