It is amazing how well children as young as five years old can pick up and learn to sew by hand. As they learn how to make the stitches, it relaxes them, and they begin to focus on the project. In fact, they often love it so much and get excited to see the finished project.
When you teach children to sew by hand, start with the basics and only bring up rules when it is relevant to what they are doing. You can start with an easy project, such as making a simple dress for a doll. They can begin learning by sewing the hem and the seams, and you can build on these skills.
When you are teaching a child to sew by hand, you can follow these simple steps to get them started:
- Gather the supplies, including a spool of thread, a sewing needle, scissors, and fabric.
- Unravel the thread and cut it from the spool.
- Weave the thread through the sewing needle loop.
- Tie a knot at the end of the thread.
- Use the needle to bring the thread up through the fabric, and then make a stitch and put it back through the fabric.
- Continue making stitches, and try to make them the same length.
- When you get to the end, tie a secure knot and cut the thread near the knot.
These steps are the perfect way to teach a child the basic skills needed for hand sewing. Continue reading to learn everything that you need to know about how to teach a child to sew by hand.
How to Teach a Child to Sew by Hand
Start out by teaching the child what supplies are necessary for this sewing project. You need the fabric, a spool of thread, a sewing needle, and scissors. Once you have the supplies, teach the child how to unravel the thread and cut it from the spool. Show them how much thread they need and explain how to determine the right amount.
It is always better to have too much than too little. Once they cut it, teach them how to weave the thread through the loop of the needle. Although it requires a great deal of concentration to thread the needle, children enjoy the challenge. Be patient and give them as much time as they need to get this step done.
Once the thread is through the needle, pull it until the needle falls in the middle of the piece of thread. Then, show the child how to tie a knot at the end. They will need to knot it two or three times. Now they are ready to begin.
You might start with two small pieces or fabric as you teach them how to make stitches. When you want to know how to teach a child to sew by hand, it is important that they understand the simple stitches first. Let them start by pulling the needle up through the fabric and show them how long the stitch should be before sending the needle back down through the fabric.
Now they can go across the fabric and try to make the stitches the same size and the same space apart. This is a great way for them to practice before they make the doll dress. Make sure that they know that they will need to tie another knot when they reach the end of the fabric.
Once they successfully complete this exercise, you can let them sew the doll’s dress. Make sure that you have made it so that they only need to sew the seam and the hem. This is a terrific project and it allows children to create something they can be proud of in a short time.
Things to Remember When You Teach a Child to Sew by Hand
When you are learning how to teach a child to sew by hand, there are a few things that you should remember as you move along. Remember that they are children and they are likely to be eager to learn.
First of all, don’t waste time undoing stitches, no matter how messy they might become. The key is for the child to feel positive about the exercise. It isn’t about being perfect. It will take some experience to develop this skill.
Make sure that you let the child make all of the decisions about the colors of the fabric and thread. Think of it the way you would when a child draws a picture. You might teach the basic shapes, but the child will choose what colors to draw. It is the same with sewing.
If you have a group of children learning how to sew by hand, encourage them to look at each other’s creations. This helps them get more ideas and can get their creative juices flowing.
Another important thing to remember is that you should have patience and never rush the child. When you are learning how to teach a child to sew by hand, one of the most important rules is to let them take as much time as they need.
Easy Projects for Kids When They Are Learning How to Sew by Hand
If you are learning how to teach a child to sew by hand, you will want to have a few great projects for them to try. After they practice the stitches and are ready to create a project, you can choose any of these projects.
1. Organizer for School Supplies
For this project, the children can choose two different colors of felt fabric, thread, a sewing needle, scissors, ribbon, and a hanger. Let the kids decide on the colors, and let them choose the size of the organizer and the number of pockets.
The child can choose how to create the layout of the organizer and you can guide them in how to sew the smaller pieces onto the larger piece of felt. They just take one piece of felt and cut the other one to make the pockets. Then, sew the organizer to the hanger and use the ribbon to decorate it.
2. Bookmark
Another easy project is making a bookmark. You will need a pressing iron, different fabrics, a needle, thread, and scissors. The kids can make a rectangle out of one fabric, and then cut two different squares and sew one at the bottom and one at the top.
The children can make even stitches around the edges of the fabrics and they will have their own bookmarks when they finish.
3. Pillow
Another fun, simple project is to make a pillow. They can start with two pieces of fabric, stuffing, a needle, thread, and scissors. They can cut the fabric into any shape; it can be a circle, an oval, a rectangle, a square, or some other type of shape.
Next, they can sew three sides of the fabric. Once this is done, they can stuff the inside of the pillow and then they will finish sewing it up. This is a simple project that gives them a pillow that they made all by themselves.
In Summary
When you are learning how to teach a child to sew by hand, you will enjoy creating these fun projects. Watching children focus and get excited as they sew their own creations is quite rewarding and it is a great activity.
