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Activities / Jutti / Jutti Felt Keychain

Jutti Felt Keychain

Mini Jutti Keychain: Embroidered Felt Slip-On with a Curled Toe

Level
Beginner
Duration
1.5 - 2.5 hours
Budget
₹100 – ₹1,225
Age
10+
State
Punjab
Craft
Jutti

Materials

  • Felt sheets in 2 or 3 colours, A4
  • Embroidery floss in 3 colours
  • Embroidery needles
  • Small beads or sequins
  • Keyring with a small chain
  • Cotton wool for stuffing
  • Scissors, pencil and paper for the template

Steps

  1. Set up a bright table and lay out felt, thread and tools
    Sit near a window or under a lamp. Lay out two or three colours of felt, the embroidery floss, a needle, scissors, a pencil, a sheet of paper and a small cup for beads. Real juttis are cut and stitched from leather by hand, and you are making a tiny felt version with the same curled toe. Common mistake: working on a dark table, where black felt and beads vanish from sight. Put a white sheet of paper under your work.
    Tip: Use a small tray or lid for beads, so they cannot roll away.
  2. Draw a 7 cm slip-on shoe on paper and cut it out
    On the paper, draw a flat sole line 7 cm long. At one end add a rounded heel about 2.5 cm tall, and at the other end draw the toe curving up and back to a point about 3 cm above the sole line. Join the top edge in a gentle curve and cut it out. It should look like a tiny Punjabi jutti with a curl at the toe. Common mistake: a flat toe. The upward curl is what makes it a jutti.
    Tip: Fold the paper in half before cutting, so both sides of a shape match.
  3. Trace the template four times on felt and cut the pieces
    Pin or hold the template on felt and trace round it with a pencil. Trace it twice on your main colour for the outer sides, and twice on a matching or contrasting colour for the inner sides. Flip the template for one of each pair so you get a left and a right shoe. Cut with sharp scissors in slow, smooth strokes. You have four pieces, which makes two shoes, each with an outer and an inner piece.
  4. Embroider the toe of each outer piece before you join them
    Thread the needle with 2 strands of floss (pull the 6-strand thread apart and take 2). Knot the end. Stitch a row of small running stitches, about 4 mm long, along the upper edge, then fill the toe with 5 to 6 French knots or a single sewn-on bead at the tip. Keep the stitches small and evenly spaced. It is much easier to decorate flat felt than a finished shoe. Common mistake: pulling stitches too tight, which puckers the felt.
    Tip: Let your needle hang for a moment now and then so the thread untwists.
  5. Place each inner piece under its outer piece and blanket stitch the edge
    Line up an inner piece beneath an outer piece with the edges even, and hold them together with a clip or two fingers. Sew round the edge with blanket stitch: push the needle through both layers from the front, pass it under the loop of thread, and pull until the thread lies along the edge. Space stitches about 3 mm apart and 3 mm deep. Start at the heel, and leave a 2 cm gap at the heel when you return. Common mistake: stitches of different depths, which look messy.
    Tip: Keep the thread under the needle each time, so the loop forms a neat line along the edge.
  6. Stuff the shoe lightly and stitch the gap shut
    Pull a pinch of cotton wool (about the size of a chickpea) into the gap and push it towards the toe with the blunt end of a pencil. Fill the shoe so that it is softly rounded, not hard. Then finish the blanket stitches across the gap and tie off with two small knots on the inside edge. Cut the thread. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the second shoe.
    Tip: Use less stuffing than you think. Too much stretches the felt and opens the stitches.
  7. Sew a loop to each heel and clip both shoes onto a keyring
    Cut a 12 cm length of floss, fold it in half and stitch both ends to the heel of the shoe with 3 firm stitches, so the loop stands out. Knot it on the inside. Slip the loop onto a small chain or ring and attach both shoes to a keyring. Tug each loop gently to check it holds. Give the shoes a minute to settle, then admire the pair. Beads are small, so keep the keychain away from children under 5.

Sustainability

Medium - uses felt and thread scraps; felt is usually made of synthetic fibre. Inspired-by exercise: real juttis are hand-stitched leather

Safety

Needle pricks, so use a thimble; scissors are sharp; beads are a choking risk for under-5s