Description
The Moccasin Making Workshop is a full-day, hands-on craft experience held from 09:00 to 17:00 at our World of Bushcraft Centre in the Peak District National Park. With a maximum group size of eight, the workshop offers a relaxed and supportive learning environment, allowing plenty of individual guidance from experienced instructors. This workshop is open to participants aged 16 and over, with under-18s welcome when accompanied by a responsible adult. Over the course of the day, participants will be guided through the process of creating a pair of traditional grain leather moccasins, developing practical leatherworking skills while producing a piece of footwear that is both functional and deeply connected to woodland tradition. Craft, Comfort, and Connection: The moccasin is one of the most enduring forms of footwear, valued for its simplicity, comfort, and intimate connection to the ground beneath the feet. Lightweight, flexible, and often described as offering a “barefoot” feel, moccasins allow the wearer to move quietly and naturally through the landscape. During the workshop, time is taken to explore the history, folklore, and practical use of moccasins, alongside their continued relevance for woodland travel, camp wear, and everyday comfort. Learning the Process: Participants are guided step by step through the moccasin-making process, gaining confidence in both design and construction. Instruction includes: - Understanding grain leather and its properties. - Measuring and using templates to design moccasins tailored to individual foot size. - Cutting leather accurately and efficiently. - Learning and applying traditional hand-stitching techniques. - Shaping, pulling, and assembling the moccasin for comfort and durability. The emphasis is on developing transferable skills rather than rushing the process, ensuring participants leave with a clear understanding of how to continue leatherwork independently. A Realistic and Supportive Outcome: While the intention is for participants to complete a full pair of moccasins during the day, individual pace and experience naturally vary. All participants are guaranteed to complete at least one moccasin, and will leave with the knowledge, materials (excluding hardware such as needle, scissors, awl, etc), and confidence required to finish the second at home if needed. All tools and materials are provided, and free tea and coffee are available throughout the day to maintain a relaxed and sociable atmosphere. Only paid participants will have materials allocated for hands-on work. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times. In Summary: The Moccasin Making Workshop offers a rewarding introduction to traditional leatherworking, blending practical skill, cultural context, and craftsmanship. Participants leave with handmade footwear, a deeper appreciation of traditional design, and skills that can be applied to future leather projects. This workshop is ideal for those interested in traditional crafts, bushcraft clothing, leatherwork, and creating practical items by hand.
What's included in the price?
All materials needed for the workshop plus tea and coffee.
Duration
8 hours
Cancellation policy
Strict - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 8 weeks before the course starts
Maker
We are first and foremost a leading bushcraft company employing a small close knit and highly experienced team of individuals. Together we hope to bring you the very best in Bushcraft & Survival Courses both in the UK and overseas bushcraft training courses and experiences. Over the years since Woodland Ways' inception we have become widely recognised for the diversity of courses we operate and the utmost attention to detail and professionalism imparted on those courses. Our delivery of activities on courses has safety, enjoyment and learning at the forefront of everything we do. By an appropriate blend of explanation, demonstration and participation you will be encouraged to gain as much hands on experience of bushcraft as possible. We operate courses the year round in a range of outdoor arenas from our own diverse British woodlands, to the far flung reaches of the African bush and the wilder places of Europe. The natural environment supports us, inspires us and is fundamental to our businesses success. As such we have a very strong message of environmental sustainability and sensitivity. Woodland management and respect of flora and fauna feature throughout all of our courses. Our ethos is designed to show you how to have a minimum reliance on modern materials and equipment and instead to really work with nature and her seasonal variability for your comfort and needs out of doors. It is important for us to clearly state we do not promote heavy handed boot camp approaches to our activities and neither do we rely on a more spiritual ethos (although we respect both traditions) rather we see ourselves as non-romantic, practical woods people. We want you to leave our bushcraft courses with a new skill set and great memories.
Suitable for
- Adults
- Suitable for beginners
- Intermediate level
- Parking provided
FAQs
There are many reasons we can give, and several are mentioned below but the first one is customer reviews. A lot of businesses will select reviews to display on their web sites, but it’s easy to cherry pick the best and display them prominently, we’re more confident. Take a look at our Google reviews, we have no control to cherry pick the best but are proud of what we achieve - take a look.
You can see bushcraft skills on the internet, but you really gain the skills and confidence by experiencing them for real with our team on hand to guide you through the learning process in a safe environment. Our dedicated instructors have honed their knowledge and skills through real-life, practical application and then draw on this experience to teach you the skills that enable adventures of your own. The breadth and depth of knowledge of a Woodland Ways Instructor far exceeds the content of a given course, and the structure and design of the courses gently pushes you to find a new comfort zone, becoming comfortable in the wild and with new skills.
You will be surrounded and guided by like minded people, and you will learn skills that are not only practical and enjoyable but also build a great deal of respect for the lives and skill sets of our ancestors stretching back to the beginnings of humanity. Once we’ve taught you something, that information is yours. If you forget something a week, a month, a year or 10 down the line, get in touch and we’ll be glad to go through it with you.
