Sewing is a valuable skill that both boys and girls can benefit from. If you have a young child who you believe would benefit from learning how to sew, one of the easiest ways to get them started is through fleece crafts or projects. There are even options that are no-sew, which is perfect for young people who feel a little unsure about their skills, and need some coaxing to start. Take a look at some of these ideas and see how you can use them to encourage your children to get crafty and try something new.
A No-Sew Blanket For A Pet
One easy way to get started sewing is to try your hand at working with fleece fabric and making a no-sew blanket for a pet. Because it’s for a pet, it’s usually a smaller amount of fabric to work with. It’s also normally easier to finish quickly, which can be important when teaching these types of skills to a young person since you don’t want them to forget about it, or get too frustrated and discouraged. No-sew projects usually involve tying the fleece together in small, attractive knots. See how your child does after making a pet blanket and evaluate their readiness from there.
A Larger Blanket Once They Get The Hang Of It
If your child enjoyed the first project, perhaps they would like to make a blanket for themselves. This can be fun since they can pick out any fleece design they want. From here, you can help them decide if they want to sew by hand or use a sewing machine. Sewing by hand doesn’t need to be tricky. In fact, this might be a good opportunity to teach them a simple whipstitch in order to hem the blanket. If they decide they want to use a machine or they need to because they are attaching cotton batting and fabric to one side, help them learn how to use the pedal and move the fabric along. Taking it slow at first is important until they get the hang of it.
A Simple And Stylish Scarf
Scarves can be a great gift for your child to make to give to their friends, or even if they just want to play around and make several for themselves. Make sure you are working with your child to select a fleece that is going to be thick enough to be an effective scarf and look up a pattern that they think will be appealing. Usually, scarf-making involves simply cutting the fabric and stitching it so it does not unravel, but this might vary depending on what they’ve chosen. Get enough fleece for a couple of scarves, in case they don’t like how the first one turned out, and want to re-do it.
Fleece Mittens For Extra Warmth
Another fun project that can be created using leftover fleece and that makes a perfect gift for any age is fleece mittens. Make sure your child knows who they want to create the mittens for, so you can plan for the size of the hand. You’ll need enough for four pieces all together, adding extra length on the fabric so the front and back of the mittens can be stitched together. This can be helpful for ensuring no fabric goes to waste while creating something that others can enjoy.
There are many different types of fleece projects your child can work on, which can help them build their sewing skills. Making a no-sew blanket for a pet is a good way to get started, and your child can always graduate up to making a blanket of their own, using stitching either by hand or machine. Scarves and mittens are other fun projects that can be created for just about anyone and even given as gifts. Fleece fabric is usually easy to work with too, making this an ideal first step for someone who is learning how to sew.
