Getting Kids Into Sewing

If you have an affinity for sewing, you may want to pass your passion and knowledge down to your children, grandchildren, and niece and nephews. Sewing is a skill that is functional, useful and promotes attention to detail, patience and skill. After all, it is an art. Giving children a head start in a skill that can prove useful for the rest of their lives is a great gift to give. So, how would you go about getting your kids into sewing, using sewing machines? We’ve sewn together a great little guide below to help you build the next generation of stitchers.

What age should they start?

Due to the need for hand-eye coordination and patience, we recommend children can start sewing from the age of 5 although some people wait a few extra years. Make sure they are supervised at first before being allowed to sew without supervision, for safety reasons. There are some great children’s sewing kits on the market to introduce them to the idea but to foster a true love of the art, you’ll want to show the real possibilities of what sewing can offer by creating something together on your sewing machine.

Equipment

Some sewing equipment may scare parents when thinking about handing over shears, scissors, needles and machinery to their children which is why it is important to teach them well and closely supervise them as they learn. There are however child-friendly equipment and sewing machines out there in NZ to make this transitional period from a common needle and thread to a sewing machine easier. Reach out to us at Sewingtime today to ask our expert opinion on which of our equipment is more suited to young hands. 

What to make?

The world is your oyster! With no limit of things to make, let them choose what interests them, from stuffed toys to clothes and accessories, to cushions, curtains and the classic patchwork quilt for their bedroom. 

How to be safe

The simpler the kid’s sewing machine is to use, the less chance there is of things going wrong and accidents happening. There is also safety equipment you can add to your sewing machine, such as a finger guard. Familiarise your youngster with the stop/start button and foot pedal and practice before embarking on creating something together. Use scrap fabric and go through different scenarios until they are confident enough to move on to the real thing.

Contact us today for more guidance on which equipment is perfect for getting kids sewing safely.