Teaching sewing classes to kids

Teaching sewing classes to kids can be hectic but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

I’ve been teaching kids to hand sew for over 30 years, in everything from small sewing workshops to fairly large groups. Over that time, I’ve learnt a lot about what makes teaching kids to sew easier, everything from choosing a suitable first sewing project and preparing supplies to managing needles and helping the kids become confident, independent sewers.

Whether you’re teaching hand sewing in a classroom, starting a kids’ sewing club or simply teaching a small group, the most important piece of advice I can give is: be over-prepared in every possible way.

In this guide, I want to share the practical tips and ideas for teaching kids to sew that have worked for me over many years.

Why I Teach Kids to Hand Sew

My workshops have always focused on hand sewing rather than machine sewing.

There are a few reasons for this. I love hand sewing, but more importantly, it’s wonderfully accessible for kids. They can continue sewing at home without needing a sewing machine, the supplies are inexpensive and portable, and you can teach a group without needing lots of equipment.

And kids love sewing and are really good at it. There’s something wonderful about watching a child realise, often for the first time, “I made this myself.”

How Many Kids Should You Have in a Sewing Class?

If you’re new to teaching sewing, start small.

Four or five children is a good number for your first class, depending on their age. It gives you a chance to see how long children actually take to complete a project and time for you to discover the little problems that inevitably pop up.

And there will be problems!

Threads mysteriously knot themselves. Children sew their softie to their clothes. They sew over the edge. They get distracted talking to the person beside them and forget to look at what their hands are doing.

It’s all part of teaching kids to sew.

Once you know what to expect, teaching a larger group becomes much easier.

If you’re teaching sewing in a classroom, I also have a series of interviews with classroom teachers sharing the practical ways they organise and teach sewing with their students. Tips for Teaching Kids to Sew

How Long Should a Kids’ Sewing Class Be?

This depends on the age of the children and the project you choose.

I’ve taught everything from hour-and-a-half classes to all-day workshops running from 10 am to 3 pm.

Whatever length you choose, allow a little more time than you think you’ll need. There’s nothing more stressful than having parents waiting at the door while a group of children are desperately trying to finish their softies.

I also keep a box of felt scraps for kids who finish early. They can use the scraps to create something of their own while everyone else finishes sewing.

What Supplies Do You Need to Teach Kids to Sew?

One of the great things about hand sewing is that you really don’t need very much.

You do, however, need good quality supplies.

Blunt needles and scissors that don’t cut make sewing unnecessarily frustrating for children. Before a class, I always test the materials myself. Does the needle pass easily through the felt? Does the thread break when you pull it? Do the scissors actually cut?

I’ve put together a more detailed guide on the Essential Sewing Tools for Teaching Kids How to Sew  which includes a discussion of supplies that I’ve found work best with children.

Organising Needles and Thread in a Classroom

If you’re teaching a class, keeping track of needles and thread can be a challenge.

I like to have pre-threaded needles ready, particularly when I’m working with a new group. It allows children to start sewing straight away instead of spending half the lesson trying to thread a needle.

I’ve also put together a guide called 7 Easy Ways to Organise Needles and Thread in the Classroom  that shares some of the practical systems teachers have used to keep track of students’ needles. Their systems include numbered containers, magnetic dishes, needle parking sheets,  ready-to-go sewing kits and more.

Good organisation makes an enormous difference when you’re sewing with a group.

Where Do You Begin?

Some teachers like to begin with a separate introductory lesson where children learn how to thread a needle, tie a knot and sew a running stitch.

That works well if you’re teaching a series of classes.

My workshops are often one-off classes, so I tend to do things differently. I want children sewing as quickly as possible.

I often have each project cut out, pinned together and ready to sew. I give the children a threaded needle and let them concentrate on learning the running stitch and enjoying the actual sewing.

There’s plenty of time to learn threading later. And when children do learn to thread their own needle, it’s a real achievement. I even have a free Certificate of Sewing Achievement you can print out to celebrate when they master this new skill.

The important thing for me is that their first experience of sewing is fun and feels achievable.

What Age Can Kids Start Sewing?

I’ve taught children as young as five.

If you’re teaching sewing for the first time, though, you might find it easier to begin with children around eight and older. Once you become familiar with the problems younger children tend to have, it becomes much easier to teach younger age groups.

Age isn’t the only consideration. Children develop fine motor skills at different rates, and some five-year-olds will happily sit and sew while an older child might need more help.

The important thing is to choose a project, and a way of teaching, that suits your children. You might like to check out this post: Teaching a Child to Sew: Five Things to Think About

What Makes a Good First Sewing Project?

Keep it simple.

Zenki softies are great (I designed them specifically to make sewing with kids both easy and creative).

For beginners, I like projects with fairly straight lines, (they’re are easier for children who are still learning to control their stitches), and one of my favourite first projects is Square Zenki.

Square zenki’s straight sides make him a wonderfully simple first sewing project. He allows children to concentrate on learning the running stitch without having to negotiate curves and, just as importantly, he allows plenty of room and opportunities for kids to have fun and exercise their imaginations.

Once kids have mastered a square zenki,  Circle Zenki is a great next project. It introduces sewing around a curved shape while keeping everything else simple and familiar.

You can also use my Get to Know My Zenki Worksheet to encourage children to think about the zenki they’ve created: its personality, its story and all the little details that make it their own.

If you’re looking for more projects to use with a class, sewing group or at home, have a look at my Sew a Softie Workbook Series. The workbooks offer projects such as Kandinsky inspired zenkis, different kinds of square zenkis, and a whole selection of iconic Aussie critters. And all make sewing with kids easy, achievable, creative and lots and lots of fun.

But whatever project you choose, the children shouldn’t have to struggle to finish it within the allotted time.

What If Their Stitches Are Wonky?

One of my most important rules is: Every stitch a child sews is a good stitch.

I never ask children to undo stitches simply because they aren’t perfect. I show them how to make their stitches smaller and how to follow their sewing line, but wonky stitches are part of learning to sew.

I usually draw a sewing line on the felt for young beginners to follow. My favourite tool for this is a white chinagraph pencil. It shows up beautifully on dark felt and the marks brush off easily. If you don’t have a chinagraph, a piece of white soap cut so it has a sharp edge will work just as well.

And what happens if the stitches are so large that the stuffing is escaping?

Well, don’t undo them. Simply get the child to sew over the stitches again. Using a different colour thread helps the young sewer to see where he or she is sewing.

Problem solved: the stuffing will stop spilling out and the child’s original sewing is still there. So no sense of failure!

Which Stitch Should You Teach First?

For me, it’s the good old running stitch.

It’s easy for children to master, it’s quick to sew and it can be used for an enormous number of projects.

That matters. Children get a real sense of achievement from finishing something, so a stitch that allows them to make an entire softie without learning lots of techniques is ideal.

Once children are comfortable with a running stitch, other stitches make much more sense.

If you want to explore other useful stitches, have a look at my Essential Stitches for Teaching Kids to Sew.

Prepare More Than You Think You’ll Need

If there is one practical lesson I’ve learnt from teaching sewing classes, it’s to prepare for children working at very different speeds.

Always have something ready for the children who finish early. I keep lots of little felt scraps that they can use to make accessories with. And then there’s another favourite rule: Every zenki needs a baby!

Kids love this. Once they’ve finished their zenki, they can use the felt scraps to make a little buba zenki, or start creating accessories for the one they’ve just made. It keeps them happily sewing and, even better, encourages them to come up with their own ideas rather than simply following another pattern.

I also like to have plenty of pre-threaded needles ready to go. They’re lifesavers when several children need help at once, particularly towards the end of a class.

The more you can prepare beforehand, the more time you have during the class to actually help the children sew.

Don’t Worry About Perfect Sewing

I’ve touched on this point before, but it’s worth returning to: when you teach children to sew, the aim isn’t to produce a row of identical, perfectly stitched softies. You want children to discover that they can make something all by themselves.

They choose the face. They choose colours. They decide what their softie will look like. They solve little problems all along the way.

That’s where so much of the value of sewing lies. And also, where so much of the excitement and joy that kids get from sewing lies.

More Tips for Teaching Sewing in the Classroom

Since I first wrote this article, I’ve conducted several more interviews with classroom teachers who have introduced sewing to their students.

They share their ideas about managing supplies, teaching large groups, choosing projects and helping children become independent sewers. You can find these inerviews in my Youtube series Sewing with Kids: Tips for Teachers from Teachers.

And if you’d like me to personally guide you through the entire process of teaching children to hand sew, there’s my Everything You Need to Teach Kids to Sew Workshop.

For schools and groups in Sydney that would like me to run a hands-on session, you can also enquire about booking a sewing workshop.

Why I Still Love Teaching Kids to Sew

In one of my sewing workshops, many years ago, two young girls met.

Years later, one of their mums stopped me in the street and told me that her daughter was going to her best friend’s wedding that very weekend. She reminded me that they had first met in my sewing class and had remained inseparable friends ever since.

That story has stayed with me.

Sewing classes are wonderfully social places. Children sit together and talk while their hands are busy. They look at what everyone else is making, share ideas, help each other and inevitably copy each other,  always in their own way.

It’s a supportive, non-competitive environment where kids thrive.

In my all-day workshops, I always make the children stop for morning tea and lunch. And one of the questions I hear most insistently, usually after about five minutes is: “Can we go back and finish our sewing now?”

After more than 30 years of teaching children to sew, I still love hearing that.