Looking for an easy hand sewing project for kids? Meet Circle Zenki! This simple felt softie is the perfect way to introduce children to sewing.
Back in 2022, Circle Zenki was chosen to be my video tutorial for the Global Kids Sewing Party. He was very honoured. And he still talks of the time that he helped me to show kids all around this Great Big Circular World, (as he likes to call it), how easy and fun sewing a softie/stuffie can be.
Lately, I’ve been thinking that Circle Zenki really deserves a post of his own. The photo below captures his expression when I ran this idea by him. I think he was thrilled. Or stunned. Or shocked and amazed and completely dumbfounded. Or all of these things at the very same time. And when he finally managed to get out a word, all he could say to me was, Yes!Yes! Yes!
So here is Circle Zenki’s very own personal post on how to sew the easiest cutest funnest most wonderful thoughtful little softie ever with your students or kids.
Why Circle Zenki Is the Perfect Easy Hand Sewing Project for Kids: Sewing Softies the Zenki Way
In 2021, my book The Zenki Way: A Guide to Designing & Enjoying Your Own Creative Softies introduced 14 zenki-style softies. Circle Zenki was one of them.
The aim of The Zenki Way was to show teachers and parents who wanted to start sewing with their kids that sewing softies can be simplicity itself. Zenkis require only two pieces of felt, a running stitch around their torso, and there’s no need for you to insert and pin into place their arms, legs, wings, or whatever else you kids have dreamed up. In short, zenkis are the simplest friendliest softies in the known universe.
Circle Zenki, who was there at the very beginning of zenki evolution, often recites the well-known zenki proverb: Make a zenki and you’ve made a friend for life! That’s absolutely true. And it’s simple to prove. So let’s do it!
What You Need to Make Circle Zenki
Gather the following supplies:
Pins or sewing clips
A marker for sewing lines (wax pencil recommended)
Watch the Step-by-Step Video
Jump right in and play the video!
What the Video Will show You
Here’s a brief outline:
Draw & Pin – How to begin by drawing a circle onto your felt, leaving room for protruding bits like arms, legs, hair, etc and how to pin a second piece of felt on top.
Thread & Knot – How to thread your needle, tie a knot, and make a secure starting stitch.
Running Stitch –-How to sew around the circle with a running stitch, leaving a small gap for stuffing.
Details – How to draw on arms, legs, hair etc and cut out your zenki.
Stuff – How to add stuffing and how to pin and sew the gap for stuffing closed.
Finishing Touches – How to glue on facial features such as eyes and mouth, then personalise your zenki friend in any way you like.
Why Kids Love Zenkis!
Parents and teachers love zenkis because they are perfect projects for introducing sewing into their classrooms, homeschool activities, or family craft time. Zenkis not only teach our kids basic sewing skills, they build the self-confidence that all our kids need to succeed. But kids love zenkis too! And it’s not hard to see why.
Zenkis are so simple to make that they can be created within a pretty short time frame. That’s important for kids. Kids are excited to sew and want to see a finished product. They want to see and hold and show you what they have made all by themselves. Zenkis allow them to do that! And the zenki design allows kids to spread their imaginative wings. They can take their zenki in whatever creative directions they want. Some zenkis are silly, some are cute, and some are wonderfully wild or wacky! And Circle Zenki is no exception!
So Join the Sewing Fun
If you want more zenki-style softie ideas you can have a look at other projects in The Zenki Way, or you can check out my Sew a Softie Workbook Series which includes Sew a Softie Workbook No. 1: Kandinsky Inspired Softies to Sew with Kids and Sew a Softie Workbook No. 2: Square Zenki Softies to Sew with Kids. If you’re looking for absolutely free tutorials and inspiration you might like to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
This little Circle Zenki Softie is a gentle reminder that sewing with kids doesn’t have to be complicated – it can be fun, wonderfully easy, and full of personality! And if you’re looking for more easy hand sewing projects with kids take a look at millicent, an easy to sew halloween monster.
I hope you’ve enjoyed it.
Happy sewing, Trixi
✏️ Author Bio
Trixi Symonds is the founder of Sew a Softie, a global movement that inspires parents and teachers to teach kids to sew. She’s the author of several books and shows how hand sewing can be fun, stress-free, and meaningful for children everywhere.