5 Days of Homekeeping Skills for Girls and Boys – Learning to Sew
Sewing is on of those things not everyone knows how to do but it is a useful skill to have.
I know we can think of all reasons for girls to learn to sew.
- Sewing doll clothes.
- Sewing gifts for friends.
- Sewing quilts and even mending (much as it is a disagreeable chore).
Not to mention the other beneficial aspects of sewing
- Sewing is great for building fine motor skills
- for building math skills
- and sewing itself is a skill that everyone can use at some point in life.
But what about boys? Do they really need to know how to sew?
Well I interviewed my husband for this portion of my post and here’s what he had to say.
“Oh yes! Maybe the boy will grow to be a tailor or enter the military where he’ll need to know general sewing and mending. And what about being a doctor and sewing closed wounds? And then what if he letters in a school sport? He can sew on his varsity letter.”
I nodded in agreement. Okay these are guy thoughts but they are valid.
So now you know some things that may require your son to know how to stitch a line.
What projects can little girls and boys do for sewing practice?
Ten Sewing Projects for Beginners
1. Bags. Envelope purses are very easy to make. Just cut out a large rectangle, fold up leaving a flap, and sew the sides together. Add a strap and voila! You’re done! Drawstring bags are also a cinch.
2. Potholders. The potholder is a classic beginner’s sewing project. When I first got married one of my student nurses gave me a stack of pot holders she had made. I use those things until they were threadbare. They were a lovely gift from a young lady. If you can cut squares out of fabric and filling material and sew seams, you can make one in a snap. Hmm I actually need some more.
3. Heating pad. Heating pads are great for soothing sore muscles, and they’re simple to sew. Just cut a rectangle of fabric, fold the right sides together and sew the sides together. Turn right side out, fill with rice, and sew the fourth side up. Pop in the microwave to heat.
4. Pre-printed pillow tops. Let your kids decorate their rooms with Pre-Printed Pillow Top kits. Just buy a kit and follow the directions for a unique throw pillow.
5. Aprons. Aprons are wonderful gifts for the cook in your life, and they’re really simple to make. They’re basically just a large rectangle of fabric with diagonal cuts at the top. Keep in mind that you’ll also have to have enough fabric to make straps to tie it with.
6. Stuffed animals You don’t have to be an expert to sew a stuffed animal. You can whip one up out of any kind of fabric. Snakes are easy to make out of strips of scrap material. Just fold the right side of the strip together lengthwise, sew the edges together, turn right side out and stuff with batting. Sew the ends closed and draw a face on for a quick and easy toy.
7. Felt toys. I love to make felt toys and it’s a great way to teach kids to learn to sew. They can make all kinds of crafty things to play with from felt.
Six Safety Tips for Children Learning to Sew
The thought of our sweet babies with sharp scissors and needles makes most parents cringe, but we don’t want to discourage their interest in this useful and rewarding pursuit.
With proper safety precautions, kids can start learning to sew at a young age. Here are five safety tips to remember when dealing with your budding tailors and seamstresses.
1. Use age-appropriate supplies. Sewing scissors are too sharp and too large for young hands, and regular sewing needles present a laundry list of dangers. Let your child work with safety scissors and a plastic needle. These can be used on loosely knit, porous fabric, just fine.
2. Watch your child closely, especially during the first few attempts. For the youngest children, swallowing small parts such as needles and spools of thread is a concern. Although if a child is still eating non-food items I don’t know that I would teach them to sew just yet. Keep a watchful eye out.
3. Save the sewing machine until later. Let your young child learn the basics of hand sewing, safely first. They may feel ready to use the sewing machine, and newer models can be slowed way down with finger guards attached but you be the judge.
6. Keep scissors, needles and pins put up and out of kids reach when not in use. These things create a temptation for young, unsupervised kids as well. It is also wise to keep a magnetic pin cushion in case of spillage.
Encouraging your child’s interest in sewing. You never know what may become of it.
Sewing for Kids Resources
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Visit Some More Awesome Blogs this April!
Kathy @ Kathys Cluttered Mind ~ Fieldtripping Fun
Leah @ As We Walk Along the Road ~ Great Kids Reads
Shalynne @ Wonderfully Chaotic ~ Birth and Babies
Lisa Marie @ The Canadian Homeschooler ~ Canadian Teachers Pay Teachers Stores
Nikki @ Angels of Heart ~ Easter: The Cross for Preschoolers
Jenn @ Treasuring Life’s Blessings ~ Family Friendly Finger Food
Lisa @ Golden Grasses ~ The Working Woman’s Guide to Homeschooling
