Tips for Teaching Kids to Sew

I started sewing by hand when I was about 6-7 years old. It was one of my favorite things to do with my mom. I would cut and sew the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls that were on the back of the stuffing, and I just thought it was so cool to have something to show for that was of my own doing. I was 13 when I learned to sew with a machine, and I made a drawstring backpack–which I did NOT love and really made it hard for me to have a continued interest in sewing. When I was a kid, I really wished I had learned to sew something I really wanted to make, which is what I’ve been doing with my kids–my son specifically.

Why You Should Teach Your Kids To Sew

As an adult who learned to sew as a kid, I see many of the benefits. Now, as a parent teaching my littles to sew, these are some of the benefits I see:

• Builds confidence & patience in both you and your kiddo. In sewing, mistakes aren’t failures–they’re part of the learning process. As adults, we learn to put into words the actions that are intuitive or automatic for us.
• Encourages creative expression that is really empowering for kids. From choosing fabrics to patterns to embellishments, your child is now able to express their personality in tangible ways.
• Develops fine motor skills & focus. Between threading the needles, maintaining seam allowances, and cutting, dexterity and hand-eye coordination are regularly exercised.

These are just 3 of many reasons that also include learning life skills, fostering problem-solving and math skills, cultivating mindfulness, and strengthening intergenerational connections.

How To Teach Your Kids To Sew

Depending on your kids’ age and maturity, you can either start with hand sewing or machine sewing. I told my son that when he turned 7, he could learn on a machine. He doesn’t have an interest in hand-sewing right now–it’s a skill we’ll go back to.

1. Choose a great beginner machine. I love the bernette 05 CRAFTER for beginners. It’s a manual machine versus a computerized one, and is pretty heavy-duty. I love that it has the option to include a finger guard because sewing through your finger is a very real fear that can actually happen.

2. Choose the right tools & set-up. Make a kid-safe sewing kit for them that includes age/ability-approved scissors, needles, seam ripper, etc., in a dedicated space for them. It’ll give them a sense of ownership.

3. Start small with projects, but make them interesting. One of the big things that turned me off from sewing when I learned was that I didn’t love my project, so sewing just wasn’t interesting for me. Even as I teach adults now, we work on projects that they legit want to finish. One of the first projects that I did with my son was making a simple bookmark. It taught him how to sew straight lines, and it was functional since we’re big readers. Some other great ideas are:

• Pillowcases
• Doll clothes
• Small travel pouches

4. Model first, then guide them. When we’ve been sewing for a long time, sometimes we forget that beginners don’t know all of the things, so as you model, say what you’re doing aloud for your child to hear and do the same thing the same way each time. For example, when sitting down at the machine, we identify what the seam allowance is and where to find it on the machine. Then we lift the foot, align the fabric with the seam allowance, and drop the foot. When removing the fabric, we do the same thing each time, too, which looks like raising the needle, raising the foot, and trimming the thread. This helps with reinforcing these steps.

5. Have fun. Sewing is super fun and teaching your kiddo how to sew is such a beautiful experience. It helps to see how they learn, process information, and teaches us how to communicate with clarity. Some things that can help make things more fun for both parties:

• Turn threading the machine into a game to see who can do it fastest.
• Let them choose their fabrics and projects.
• Make practicing fun by having them sew together scraps that you later turn into something for them

6. Celebrate their work. Gush over how much they’ve grown and developed. Talk specifically about what they did well. When they wear something they’ve made, proudly talk about it. Take pictures and share (with their permission). Smile a lot. Remember those moments when you made something for the first time and give them what you may have needed to hear.

I’m teaching my third child how to sew, and every time we do lessons, I’m inspired to create, develop my communication, and really foster the relationship between us.

Are you ready to teach your kids to sew? Let me know what other information or help you need!