MDC Bucksin Leather "First Steps in Buckskin Leather" Workshop

Our ancestors utilized deer hides for making clothing, containers, musical instruments, shelter and more. This class highlights how buckskin was made, which can then be used to make durable, long-lasting, eco-friendly clothes.

You will need to spend time preparing your hide prior to class. Prior to class, you will need to soak, flesh, and scrape the hide (as shown in the Nov. 2025 issue of the Missouri Conservationist).

In this workshop, you will learn how to take your prepared hide and place it in a tanning solution, wring it out, and stretch it. Instructions will be provided for smoking the hide.

We will discuss the science of hide preparations and options that exist. You will bring and work with a deer hide you harvested and scraped prior to class. We will have demonstration hides in various stages for you to learn from also.

Wear old clothes and bring a rubber apron, if you have one. A heavy trash bag can be used in place of an apron.