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Clothing & Jewelry

Making Hide & Canvas Boots

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Course Overview

Remember the last time your feet were too cold to enjoy wonderful wintry weather? Do away with rigid, non-breathing footwear and discover  the perfect footwear for your snowshoeing or cozy winter cabin adventure. The flexibility of the natural materials used in construction allows the foot to generate heat, and a breathable layering system allows moisture to escape. Learn to make a pattern on your own foot, then use it to cut out the leather and canvas pieces (a technique that may apply to other footwear projects including slippers and liners). The leather will then be hand-stitched, and a sewing machine will help with the canvas seams. Jo has guided hundreds of students through the process of pattern making and handcrafting their own pair of winter boots with knee-high or shorter uppers. The instructor will provide the leather (moose or elk hide), the canvas, and sewing materials. Sewing fear?  Not to worry.  Folks who have never sewed on a button have danced out of this class in their own new boots! Youth aged 12+ may register with a full-paying adult. The youth student will receive a 25% intergenerational discount; call to register.


Required Tools

  • Boot liners (felted wool is best) and socks
  • Needle nose pliers or small nose pliers
  • Cloth tape measure
  • Ruler
  • Fine tip marker
  • A roll of Duct Tape - Regular silver or a light color
  • Pencil
  • 2 paper grocery bags
  • A plastic grocery type bag

Optional Tools

  • Reading glasses if you need them
  • Leather awl
  • A thimble 
  • Canvas and fur to trim your mukluk uppers (see notes in your confirmation email regarding this)
  • Rick-rack or trim for the canvas uppers to personalize your mukluks & sewing machine thread to match the trim (@1 1/2 yards per pair)

Dates

Fri, Feb 28th, 2025  –  Sun, Mar 2nd, 2025

Course Details

Hours: 9am-5pm each day
Tuition: $315.00
Materials fee: $125.00
Latest Update: View recent changes →

Meet the Instructor

North House Folk School photo of instructor, Jo Wood
Jo Wood
Hovland, MN

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Making Hide & Canvas Boots