Crafts

How to Get Started Sewing with Kids

October 1, 2024

Here are some easy projects to help you try sewing with kids. Plus some tips and resources to help beginners get started.

Updated November 2024

Sewing with kids can be a fun and rewarding activity, opening up a world of creativity, patience, and practical skills! If you’re wondering how to get started, don’t worry—it’s simpler than you might think.

With a few basic tools, a bit of planning, and some patience, you can introduce kids to sewing.

Here are some easy first sewing projects, along with a few tips and resources for sewing with kids.

Materials for Sewing with Kids

Before we start, here are some materials you might want to have on hand if your kids are showing an interest in sewing.

Fabric: Any fabric is fine, but you may want to start with one that is thicker, yet still easy to run a needle through, such as felt or burlap.
Embroidery thread: We find that thicker embroidery thread is easier to use and keep track of for beginner sewing projects.
Needles: Again, a larger needle with a larger eye is easier for beginner sewers. We also like plastic needles for the youngest sewers.
Fabric Scissors: Kid-safe scissors just don’t work well on fabric, so if your child is able to use regular scissors, a smaller-sized fabric scissors will work great. Younger kids might need your help cutting out fabric pieces.
Chalk: For the perfectionist kids, it can be helpful to draw the outline of what they’re making on fabric with chalk first. This allows them to visualize the piece better, is fixable (they can redraw the line if necessary), gives them a line to cut along, and washes out easily.
Stuffing: Polyfill or something more natural such as wool or cotton is great for stuffing into pillows or dolls. This is optional, depending on what your kids like to sew.
Embroidery Hoop: An embroidery hoop holds fabric or burlap taut while beginners learn how to sew a line, knot thread, or just play around. It’s also great for beginning embroidery.

Projects for Sewing with Kids

Simple sewing projects are best when introducing hand sewing to kids. Think pillows, bean bags, pockets, and the like. Also, anything that really interests children is fair game, like clothes and accessories for dolls and stuffed animals.

Project #1. Pillows for Stuffed Animals

These are sewn using felt pieces, embroidery thread, and a large embroidery needle, and then stuffed with polyfill. As you can see, they were sewn with the stitch left visible on the outside. This is the easiest for beginner hand sewers. Once they have a few projects under their belts, you can show them how to hide the stitches.

Sewing with Kids :: Doll Clothes & Accessories

Project #2. Doll Clothes and Accessories

A brilliant no-sew “sewing” project for beginners are doll clothes and accessories. These can be doll vests, blankets, and scarves. These don’t involve any sewing, just cutting and shaping.

A child could always add buttons, decorations, or pockets while keeping the project super simple. Making doll pillows and accessories are also an easy and motivating way for kids to get started sewing.

Project #3. Large Pillows

If you a sew a tiny pillow, you can sew a large pillow! Kids typically move on from making smaller doll-sized items to making the real deal. Just make sure you have lots of stuffing on hand for these!

Have your kids done any hand sewing?