I have a ton of goals for our home school this year (probably too much). I’m sure Jon Acuff would shake his head at my list and tell me to cut it in half.

While he’s probably right, handwriting and fine motor skills are something we are working to develop this year, so I thought an introduction to sewing might be a nice fit to promote the skill while having fun.

After doing this basic sewing project with my kids, I can say this was a great foundational craft to introduce the basics of stitching (which I plan to build upon as they get older), as well as, a fun way for them to practice those fine motor skills.

I chose burlap and yarn because they are kid friendly materials, and also what I had on hand.

Like I said, most of the materials I had around the house, but not quite all. So, as any mother in the twenty-first century I hopped on Amazon…

Now, as thrifty as I am,  I don’t have time to price check everything. Still, the most frustrating thing is to purchase an item only to find it five minutes later for a couple bucks cheaper. Enter: my newest friend: Wikibuy.com (A chrome extension that basically searches the internet for the best prices and coupons.) Check it out!

Once I had all of the materials, I gave Jovie her first sewing lesson.  She’s almost five, and caught on a whole lot quicker than I thought she would.

*This is a sponsored post brought to you by Wikibuy. All the opinions in this post are based solely on my personal views and experience.*

Her first go at it was a rough draft, trying to figure out the whole front and back thing. However, when I drew the picture on, she followed the line quite accurately.

 

 

NOTE: If your kids are older and are ready for something more challenging than a basic running stitch, check out the different stitches they can learn HERE to spice up their burlap design.

 

 

Sewing on Burlap

 

Materials Needed:

• Burlap
• Yarn
• Embroidery Hoop
• Darning Needle or Plastic Needle
• Tape or Glue (to prevent burlap fray)
• Scissors
• Highlighter Pen
• Stencil

 

Directions:

1. Cut the burlap a little larger than your hoop. Either glue or tape the edges to prevent fray.

2.  Let your child select their favorite color of yarn, then cut it to length. (Not too long, and not too short.)

3.  Have them thread the needle. If they are having a hard time, show them the ‘hot-dog’ trick.  (Place the end of the thread in between a small, folded post-it and insert into the hole.

4.  For beginners, tie the yarn onto the needle with a double knot (so the yarn doesn’t keep coming off). Then tie a double or triple knot at the end of your yarn.

5.   Insert the needle into the back of the burlap, pull it through the front, and teach your child how to make stitches.

6.  Do a couple practice pieces. Depending on your child’s ability, they may need some extra time to learn the back and forth of it al, before they tackle a straight line.  When they are ready, draw a line (with the highlighter pen) and have them practice doing running stitches.

7.   Take a stencil (or free hand) a design on the front of the burlap. Using running stitches, teach your child to follow along the lines with the yarn of their choice.

8.  Once the project is complete tie off the yarn on the back using a double or triple knot. Trim the excess.

These would make really cute gifts for your kid’s  friends or even something you can frame and put on the wall.

HERE are some other yarn crafts that we enjoy!

How did you learn to sew?

*This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.