If you dance Southern Straight, you know the otter fur turban is one of the most recognizable pieces of the outfit. And if you've ever priced a finished one, you know why so many dancers decide to make their own!
Our friends at The Wandering Bull put together a full step-by-step video showing exactly how a turban comes together — from a raw otter hide all the way to a finished piece ready for your beadwork and brooches.
What You'll Learn in This Video
Chris from The Wandering Bull walks through the whole build, including some tips that will save you real money and frustration:
Cutting the Hide the Right Way
Otter hides aren't cheap, so you don't want to waste an inch. Chris shows how to turn the hide inside out and cut from the leather side with a razor — never scissors through the fur. Cut through the fur and you'll have hair everywhere and a ragged edge. The belly sections you trim away aren't waste either. Save them for other projects.
Sizing It to Your Head
The turban in the video is cut 4 inches tall and sized off a 23-inch head measurement, with extra length added so the head of the otter overlaps in front. Chris keeps the face on the hide so it sits over the right ear on the finished turban — a detail you'll see on a lot of Straight Dance turbans.
The Rawhide Insert Makes the Difference
Here's the tip that separates a good turban from a floppy one. A rawhide insert, cut just slightly shorter than the fur, slides between the hide and the liner. That's what makes the turban stand upright and hold its shape year after year. In the video you can see the difference side by side — the turbans without the insert are soft, and the one with it has real body.
Lining and Sewing
The liner is calico fabric, ironed to width with the edges folded under for a clean finish. Chris sews with single-ply imitation sinew and a glover's needle, always pushing the needle in from the leather side so you're not dragging fur through with every stitch. Small tip, big time-saver.
Attaching the Tail Drop
The otter's tail hangs down the back of the turban — that's your canvas for decoration. Chris doubles up the sinew here since the tail puts tension on that seam, and he starts stitching from the center and works outward so the tail hangs straight instead of ending up off-center.
Make It Your Own
Once the turban is built, the decoration is where your own style comes in. Edge beading, ribbon along the top, a beaded rosette, silver brooches, or a simple brass concho in the front — it depends on where you're from and the look you're after. Northern styles tend toward floral beadwork, while down in the Southern Plains you'll often see a single concho front and center.
There's no one right way to do it. Look at the turbans around you at the next pow wow, and you'll see how much variety is out there.
Get Your Supplies
The Wandering Bull carries everything used in this video:
- Otter hides
- Rawhide for the insert
- Imitation sinew and glover's needles
- Glass beads, wool, feathers, and brooches
Visit WanderingBull.com or give their knowledgeable staff a call at 1-800-430-2855 — they're happy to answer questions about your project.
The Wandering Bull is a proud partner of PowWows.com. They've been supplying Native American craft materials for decades, and we're glad to share their expertise with our community.
