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Activities / Jutti / Jutti-Style Felt Slippers

Jutti-Style Felt Slippers

Jutti-Style Room Slippers: Stitched Felt with an Embroidered Curled Toe

Level
Intermediate
Duration
5 - 8 hours (over 2 days)
Budget
₹788 – ₹1,059
Age
15+
State
Punjab
Craft
Jutti

Materials

  • Felt sheets, A4, 2 mm thick, in 2 colours
  • Embroidery floss in 3 or 4 colours
  • Fabric glue, 50 ml
  • Sewing kit with needles, thimble and pins
  • A few beads (optional)
  • Scissors, pencil and newspaper for the templates

Steps

  1. Set up a big table with good light and gather your felt
    You will need a table at least 60 cm wide, a sheet of newspaper or A3 paper, and 8 to 9 sheets of A4 felt. Real juttis are cut and stitched from leather with a hand-turned sole, so this is an inspired-by version that copies the shape in felt. Lay out the felt, floss, needle, thimble, pencil, scissors and fabric glue. Put on music, because this is a two-day project. Common mistake: starting without checking that your foot fits an A4 sheet (up to about 27 cm long).
    Tip: If your foot is longer than 27 cm, join two felt sheets with an overlap and glue them first.
  2. Trace your foot and draw the sole shape with a curled toe
    Stand on a sheet of paper and trace round your foot with a pencil held upright. Draw a second line 5 mm outside the first one, because the slipper must be a little bigger than your foot. At the toe, pull the outline to a point that curves slightly upward, like a jutti. Round off the heel. Cut it out and check it against your foot. Common mistake: tracing with the pencil tilted, which makes the sole too small.
    Tip: Trace the left foot only and flip the paper for the right slipper, so both match.
  3. Draw a toe cap for the upper that reaches the middle of your foot
    On a new sheet, draw a rounded cap shape. Its bottom edge should match the front half of the sole outline, and its top should arch over your toes. Hold the paper over your foot and mark the point where your foot is widest. The cap should cover your toes and the front half of your foot, about 10 cm wide and 9 cm long for an adult foot. Cut it out, then test it again on your foot. Common mistake: making the cap too low, which squashes your toes.
  4. Cut the felt pieces for both slippers
    Trace each template on felt and cut with sharp scissors. For each slipper you need 2 soles in one colour, 1 insole in the second colour and 1 cap in the second colour. Flip the sole and cap templates when you cut the second slipper so you get a left and a right. Then cut two strips for the heel backs, each 4 cm tall and 22 cm long. Cut slowly, because felt stretches when you hurry.
  5. Glue two felt soles together to make a stiff base
    Spread a thin layer of fabric glue on one sole with a finger or a scrap of card, then press a second sole on top, lined up exactly. Place a heavy book on top for 1 hour. The double sole should feel firm. Do the same for the second slipper. Common mistake: using too much glue, which soaks through the felt and makes the sole hard. A thin layer is enough.
    Tip: Put a sheet of baking paper under and over the soles, so the glue does not stick to the book or table.
  6. Embroider a flower or a diamond on each toe cap
    Thread a needle with 3 strands of floss in your first colour. Draw a small flower or a diamond on the cap with a pencil, about 5 cm wide. Stitch over it using chain stitch: bring the needle up, make a loop, and go down just inside the loop, then come up a stitch length ahead. Add a bead at the tip of the toe, stitched on with two passes. Work with thread about 40 cm long, since longer thread tangles.
    Tip: Sew with a thimble on your middle finger, so you do not hurt the pad of your finger.
  7. Stitch each toe cap to the front of its sole with blanket stitch
    Thread the needle with 6 strands of floss (doubled thread). Place the cap on the sole with the edges even, at the front of the sole. Sew them together with blanket stitch: push the needle through both layers, pass it under the loop of thread and pull until the thread sits on the edge. Space stitches 4 mm apart and 4 mm deep. Work from one side of the foot, round the toe and back to the other side. Common mistake: pulling too hard, which cuts into the felt.
    Tip: Use a clip or two fingers to hold the layers, since felt slides.
  8. Sew the heel strip round the back of each sole
    Curve the 4 cm strip round the heel of the sole with its bottom edge even with the sole edge. Pin it at both ends, then stitch with blanket stitch the same way as the toe cap. Stop where the strip meets the cap on each side and sew the joins with 3 firm stitches. The slipper now has a front cap and a back strip, and you slip your foot in from above. Common mistake: making the heel tight. Try your foot in before you finish.
  9. Glue the insole inside and add grip dots underneath
    Spread a thin layer of fabric glue on the inside of the sole, covering the stitching, and press an insole on it. Weigh it down for 30 minutes. Then turn the slipper over and squeeze 8 to 10 dots of fabric glue on the sole, about 2 cm apart. These dry into rubbery bumps for grip. Let them dry flat for 24 hours before you walk on them. Common mistake: wearing them on tiles before the dots are dry.
  10. Try them on, trim and tidy the thread ends
    Slip your foot in and walk a few steps. If an edge feels lumpy, trim it with small scissors. Snip all loose thread ends close to the felt and pull off any fluff. Use the slippers indoors only, and spot-clean them with a damp cloth because soaking will ruin the felt. Put them in a cool dry place after each use.

Sustainability

Medium - uses felt and cushioning offcuts; synthetic felt does not biodegrade. Inspired-by exercise: real juttis are stitched from leather with a hand-turned sole

Safety

Needle pricks; thick felt can tire the hands, so use a thimble; add the non-slip dots to prevent slipping on tiles