If you’re looking for more kid-friendly craft projects, we’ve written about using knitting looms and making rolled beeswax candles.

Last year (2020) the boys got a sewing machine for Christmas. It may not be the typical gift for a 5 & 7 year old, but know how much they love tools and making things, this was the perfect addition to their arsenal. It goes well with a Viking helmet, don’t you think?

During their first year of having the machine, we did a few things.

Primarily, we focused on letting them get comfortable with the machine. And along the way, we taught them some of the basics of sewing and using their machine:

• choose different stitches (zig-zag vs straight).
• go forward and backward (this will secure their thread at the start and end of a seam).
• manually advance the needle.
• where to keep their hands while sewing. It’s particularly helpful to remind new users that they don’t have to pull or push their fabric through the machine. Let the machine move the fabric, and you just guide it along to keep the seam positioned where you want it.
• when to ask for help. It’s good to have a sense of how the machine should function so that you know when to ask for help because things don’t look right.

Once they were comfortable, I’d let the boys use the sewing machine whenever they wanted. They had a pile of woven fabric and plenty of thread for supplies.

Whenever their urge to sew hit, I’d often find them making pillows, blankets, or other little pieces for their stuffed animals. I didn’t focus on doing any larger or more focused projects with the boys. Instead I wanted them to build their confidence and really enjoy sewing.

Luc has loved sewing even more than Alex, so when this Christmas came around, I thought that he would enjoy sewing a few gifts. I presented the idea, and Luc was game!

Sewing Project: Infinity Scarf

I came across the perfect project on this post from Tessa Greene. She made an infinity scarf using the Pyper fabric from Gordon Fabrics. It’s a linen/viscose blend that scrunches up to produce a lot of texture once it’s been washed and dried.

Sewing the scarves required a bit of tricky folding, sewing a few simple and straight seams, and finishing it by hand-sewing a little hole closed. I did the folding and the final hand-sewing, while Luc did all of the machine sewing! I knew that the textural nature of the fabric would be great for hiding any wonky sewing, but I also new that the blemishes would be small with such a simple project. It was the perfect collaborative project!

Luc sewed up four of these in an afternoon, and it really was a great project choice for him to give as gifts.