4 Tips For Helping Kids Learn To Sew


My baby girl sewed up a drawstring backpack! I’m so proud of her sewing skills. To be fair, I was already planning to sew it for her to keep her swim goggles and stuff in.


So yesterday I cut out the pieces using fabric that she picked from my stash (these are Flutterby Kisses and Marble Wonder in the Natural Wonder collection from Blend Fabrics).

But then today I simply ran out of time and I asked her to sew it instead. She did a wonderful job!


This pattern is totally easy, but here are some ideas for helping kids sew… and finish something to be proud of:

  1. Choose a project that they can finish in a reasonable amount of time – before they lose interest. It helps if you have made it before.

  2. Let them pick the fabric… kids love this step – we do too!

  3. See if any elements of the pattern can be simplified. For example, my original drawstring backpack pattern calls for sewing the drawstring ties and side tabs from fabric. For Chloe’s version, we decided to skip those and use rope and twill tape instead.

  4. Be available to help when needed (another reason it would be good for you to have experience with the pattern), but don’t do it for them. Pinning, sewing an even seam allowance, and trimming corners are skills that beginners must learn by doing! But I occasionally un-pick Chloe’s mistakes so she can take a break and not get too frustrated (she still does plenty of unpicking herself). 

Do you have any other tips for helping kids learn to sew? Share them in the comments! And guess what? My boy sews too. See Carl’s sailboat quilt here.

Happy Sewing!


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4 Comments

  1. I used to help out with the Boys and Girls club sewing classes, and one thing all kids need to know is how to thread the machine and wind a bobbin. When the thread breaks or the bobbin runs out, they are able to solve their own problems and feel good about their skills. I think it builds even more confidence, and pride in their projects.

  2. Michelle White says:

    I taught my oldest how to do french seams when I was showing her how to sew something, and now that she has done it a few times, it has become less painful to do those extra steps to make a garment or a bag look more professional.

  3. Lucy Brown says:

    We just made these same bags in our Friday afternoon sewing group, the last Friday of the month we make a project that is donated to charity. One of the ladies has been bringing her grandaughter and she did a great job sewing up her bag. we added simple pockets to the outside, but i really love your idea for the twill tape and rope!

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