Teaching Kids to Sew

Teaching children to sew can be a very rewarding experience but only if you couple it with fun! Whenever I begin to teach a child to sew, I always start by showing them fun fabrics, trims and ribbons. I let them free sketch and talk to them about how the sewing machine can be their best friend and help them to create their own unique designs.

This usually sparks their imagination and then they are ready to learn! Always start with the basics:Safety first, how to turn on and off the machine, where they need to keep their fingers,the different parts of the machine, the bobbin and thread and how the machine actually works. Kids are always curious about how things operate.
After showing and demonstrating all of these basics, it's time for a test drive- let them explore! Let them cut a piece of fabric ( swatch) that they chose earlier and give them free rein.
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yes I did say free rein! They will have fun exploring all the different stitches that a machine can do.
They will try to turn and keep their the foot on the foot pedal all by themselves.
During this time, I really don't critique or correct.

Remember, sewing is fun and I want children to love the art first and master their imperfections later. After seeing so many students sew at our studios, I don't even notice the crooked stitches because I am enjoying the smile on the childs faces! After they feel comfortable, you can move on to a basic project.
I think making an elastic ribbon headband is a great first project.

Now is the time to teach them correct skills- this fun project teaches them to sew in a straight line, back tack and tips on measurement.

But the best part is it's quick, easy and they can wear it all in 10 minutes.
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Instant gratification! Sewing can be fun but only if your ready to teach it at a child's pace.
Happy Designing! Jenifer