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Moccasin Making Tutorial

In this browse you will see many different moccasin styles that represent different tribes in the United States. Moccasins are made of leather and can also be decorated with other materials like beads, porcupine quills, and cones. Moccasins were and still are worn by the Indigenous people of the United States. Each tribe makes a different type of moccasin based on the material available in their region and the weather conditions where they live. Indigenous people in Alaska are going to make and wear a much warmer and protective moccasin than the Cherokee, who are originally from the Southeastern part of the United States.

In the Maker Moment about moccasins, Gilcrease Museum's former Education & Program Specialist, Danielle Culp, shows how to make puckertoe moccasins. Puckertoe moccasins are a center-seam moccasin that is puckered at the toe and is characteristic of the tribes that come from the Southeast. Please take a moment to browse these moccasins. You will find other center-seam moccasins as well as moccasins from other tribes across the United States.

Find all four tutorial videos and step-by-step instructions here.

Child’s beaded leather moccasins with silk cuffs

Child’s beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs.

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Moccasins with Beaded Floral Designs

Leather moccasins with beaded floral designs.

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Quilled leather moccasins with a geometric floral design on vamp

Leather moccasins with a geometric design on the vamp done in quillwork.

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Soft soled leather moccasins with beadwork on vamp and on cuff

Soft soled leather moccasins with beadwork on the vamp and on the cuff. Beadwork is in a geometric design and is done with a spot stitch.

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Woman's beaded high-top moccasins with silver buttons

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Beaded and painted leather moccasin with geometric designs and fringe

Beaded leather moccasin with geometric designs.

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Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs

Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs.

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Woman’s beaded and quilled leather moccasins

Women’s beaded and quilled leather moccasins. Line of beadwork around perimeter with geometric designs. Rows of red quill work across the vamp. White cotton fabric attached to cuff. All beadwork done with lazy stitch.

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Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs

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Woman's leather moccasins with beaded cuff

Pair of woman's leather moccasins made of white leather with commercial sole. The eared cuffs have picot edging with a blue border.

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Man's beaded leather moccasins

Beaded leather moccasins. White beaded field with zoomorphic designs around perimeter. Lane of beadwork up the seam of the cuff. Geometric designs across the vamp and around the cuff. Beaded tongue with geometric designs. Row of red and white beads on the top of the cuff. All beading done with lazy stitch.

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Woman's semi-tanned leather moccasins with beaded cuff and rosette

Woman's semi-tanned leather moccasins with commercially tanned leather sole. The cuff is decorated with a narrow white beaded edge. In the center of the upper there is a beaded circle design and a narrow beaded band runs along the edge of the sole. Beads are attached with cotton thread.

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Woman’s beaded leather moccasins with floral designs

Woman’s beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs.

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Beaded leather moccasins with copper cones and fringe

Beaded leather moccasins with double lane on white background on toe. Decorated with copper cones and rolled fringe on heel.

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Beaded leather high top moccasins with green paint and metal studs

Beaded leather boot leggings. Hard soles, multicolored beading. White twisted buckskin fringe. White and green Peko edging. Single row of brass studs.

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