How to Make Authentic Indian Clothing
Authentic Indian or Native American clothes can be hard to find and expensive to purchase. However, you can make your own DIY Indian clothes at home. Collect a few materials and get sewing and you'll have your own authentic Indian clothes in no time!
Collect the materials you'll need. This includes:
- Soft leather fabric (enough to make a garment)
- Beads and feathers
- Thick needle and thread
- Scissors
- Fabric Pen
- Lay the soft leather fabric on a flat surface in a double layer inside out.
- Trace a pattern of the garment you want to make. This could be trousers or a dress. Keep the pattern simple as Indians typically wore clothes made from simple patterns. You can use a trouser or a dress you already own to trace around in order to get your size correct. Leave an inch on each side of the garment to give room for sewing.
- Cut along the traced lines using the scissors. Be sure to cut directly on the traced line.
- Sew the trousers or dress along the sides. Leave the appropriate areas left open for your arms, head, and legs.
- Turn the garment outside in.
- Add fringe. If you like the fringe look, use your scissors to cut small slits into the fabric side by side.
- Sew decorations to the garment. Glass and wooden beads are popular choices. Use lots of natural colors such as sea blues, grass greens, browns and blacks. Feathers are another option and very popular in the Native American culture. To make your garment authentic, use real bird feathers. (Warning: Some feathers, like eagle and owl feathers, are illegal to use. Use feathers from birds like turkeys, doves, and sparrows. Check your specific state feather laws).
- Add decorations, like beads, to the fringe. Tie each fringe slit off in a simple knot at the end after the decorations have been added. You can also tie a feather into each knot.
- Wear your authentic Indian clothes!