Whether it’s your own child or not, sewing can be a very beneficial craft for a kid to learn. It can help with hand-eye coordination, brain growth, and help improve their mood among other things. It can also be an important life skill that can go with them into adulthood. There is no need to throw out a shirt with a loose button if you know how to sew it back on!
But, children are wiggle worms and often have very short attention spans. How do you even begin to teach them to sew? Well, it is possible, and it isn’t hard. Here are four tips to get you started.
Patience
Let’s be real here, kids like to move around a lot, and are not nearly as patient as an adult might be when learning a new craft. Schedule short sessions to help keep them on track. Also remember that children have less patience with their own parents than they do another adult or teacher. So, if you are teaching your own kids you might want to add a bit more patience on for yourself too. This will help keep both you and your student happy, while also helping you to retain your sanity.
Consider Their Age
You are going to need patience no matter how old the child is, but it’s safe to say that the younger the child the more patience you will probably need. While you can teach a child at any age, 6 and over is a good place to start. That’s because at this age they are starting to do school work, and learning to sit still for short periods of time. This will allow you to get those small lessons in without spending the entire time asking them to stop wiggling.
Start with The Hands
It’s important that you provide kids, or any beginner sewer, with a solid foundation of the craft before you move on to more complicated matters like a sewing machine. Teach them how to thread a needle, secure sides together, sew a straight line, and undo mistakes before you move them on to more complex lessons. This will help them to be confident in what they are doing when they move on to the sewing machine, which can be harder to master.
Once it’s time to move to the machine take the time to pull out your sewing machine manual and teach your student all the parts. Teach them both the name and how the part works within the machine, this knowledge will help them a lot later on.
Keep Items Their Size
Your child might enjoy learning to sew more if you keep the items they are working with their size. For example, a mini sewing machine is less daunting because it is their size. This offers convenience because everything is smaller and easier for small hands to reach and maneuver.
Other things like small scissors to cut patterns and fix mistakes, or a child size thimble can also help out. You can also buy them a small sewing kit of their own to keep handy for when they want to practice.
Start with Easy and Quick Projects
Easy and quick projects will help build a child’s confidence because they are able to efficiently complete the task. This can be small patchwork projects, like pillows, doll clothes, or even simple stuffed dolls themselves. As their skillset improves they can eventually move up to small bags, clothing items that they can wear, and patchwork blankets.
Teaching a child to sew might seem like a complicated task, but it really is something that can do a lot for them as they grow. Not only as a practical skill, but it can provide mental and emotional support as well. Hopefully these tips give you the confidence to pick up some fabric and get to teaching, your children will thank you later!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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