Today we have a special post from our sweet contributor Ana:

Hand sewing is the best way to begin the life-long journey of  sewing love.

A hoop button project is the best first sewing project for children.  They will learn how to handle a needle and thread to make stitches.  The hoop keeps the fabric straight.  Buttons add a quick brightness to their project.

• Embroidery Floss
• Embroidery Hoop
• Muslin or light solid fabric
• Pinking Shears (optional)
• Chenille Hand Sewing Needles
• Large Eye Needle Threader
• Buttons
• Erasable Pen
• Child Scissors

See Child Sew Kit for all supply details.

Before your child can begin the project, it is easier to do some advance preparation.

Prepare the fabric.  Trace around a standard paper plate onto the muslin with the erasable pen.  Cut out the circle.   Pinking shears will prevent fraying of the fabric.  Press the fabric to iron out wrinkles and remove the line.  Set into a small embroidery hoop.

Prepare the needles.  Cut about 30″ of the  embroidery floss.  I use the entire strand of 6 threads of embroidery floss in green.  Use the needle threader to thread the needle.  Once threaded, pull the thread through so one end of the thread is longer than the other.  Knot the longer end of the thread and leave a tail with the shorter end.  Prepare at least 2 needles in advance.

Note:  The object of this first project is to have fun as they learn to stitch.  Children get very frustrated in threading a needle and knotting the thread.  Leave this part of learning for another lesson.

Design.  Let the child pick out buttons and lay them on the fabric.  Using the erasable pen, let the child design some stitching lines and mark where the buttons will go.

Note:  Encourage creativity.  I thought a few green stitches would be stems to flowers. These girls added grass, leaves, and a sun.  Give them time to create before the stitching begins.  I encouraged using the 2-hole buttons instead of choosing the 4-hole buttons.

Let the Stitching Begin

• Begin from the back of the project where the first button will go.  Have the child poke the needle up through the fabric from the back.
• From the front, pull up on the needle.  When you see the thread come up, hold onto the needle and some of the thread.
• Pull the thread until the resistance of the knot is felt. Do not continue to pull or the needle will slip off the tail of the thread.
• Put the needle through the back of one of the holes of the button and let the button drop along the thread until it lays on the fabric.
• Place the needle through the 2nd hole and go down through the hole and the fabric so that the needle comes out through the back of the fabric once again.  Pull the thread through to the back until the thread is flat and smooth along the 2 holes of the button.  This completes one stitch.
• Continue down the child stitching line using a running stitch.  Run the point of the needle along the back of the fabric until you see the dent of the fabric at the top of the next stitching line.  Poke the needle through and draw it all the way up.  Poke the needle down one length of a stitching line and pull the needle through the back.
• Continue in a rhythm of up and down stitches.  Go up the next stem until you reach the top and sew on the next button.
• Sew on the 3rd button and come down the stem.
• Continue in this pattern until all the stems are complete.
• Add any grass, leaves or sun.  This may need a new needle.
• When complete, make a knot on the back side of the project.

Inevitably, the child will make the mistake of going down into the fabric and the next stitch is down again, or up and then up again, instead of the up and down stitch pattern.   This causes a loop of thread across and around the entire project.  To correct this mistake (or any other mistaken stitch):

• Simply slip the needle off the tail of the thread.
• Use the point of the needle to loosen the mistaken stitch.
• With fingers pull the unwanted stitch completely until the end of the thread comes through.
• Repeat this process for more stitches if necessary.
• Once the project has the unwanted stitches removed, use the needle threader to thread the end of the thread back onto the needle.
• Continue with the project.

Remove the project from the embroidery hoop and press the project with an iron.   This will remove all the erasable pen lines.  It’s okay if they drew a masterpiece and only stitched part of it.  You can iron away all the good intentions.

Child stitches are never even.  Some may be loose and some almost gather the fabric because they are pulled so tight.  Pressing the project helps to smooth all these out.

Complete the Project

Let the child decide what to do with the creation.  Some options are:

Without the embroidery hoop:

• Make a pin cushion.
• Make a small pillow.
• Make it into a pocket and add it to a dress, skirt or tote bag.

Add back the embroidery hoop:

• Pin it to a wall.
• Add embroidery floss through the screw at the top to make a loop to hang.
• Do a running stitch around the entire edge of the fabric and cinch it to remove the flange.
• Simply cut close to the hoop from the back to remove the flange.

For more projects see:  Kid Hand Sewing Pinterest Board

For supplies see Child Sew Kit.

My name is Ana Sullivan. I began my blog, The Lost Apron, because people would ask me for advice on parenting. My only qualifications for giving advice is that I have been there and I am proud of who my children have become. I have a daughter in college, a son and another daughter that are college graduates who are working and living on their own. I have been married for almost 30 years to a dream of a husband.

I have been a working mom, a part-time-work-at-home mom, and a stay-at-home mom. Although I have preferred being the SAHM, I try to write my blog in a way that would encourage all moms to be better moms. I hope to be the mentor mom to the young mom and the friend to the older moms and grandmothers. You can visit me over at Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.