Sewing project/kit for a 4.5 year old?

[KrisM]

DD wants to learn to sew! I do not sew. I hate sewing. I am bad at sewing. I have no desire to teach her just on what I own and can do myself. I am more than willing to help her complete a kit or project that is age appropriate for her (and me!). I just don't want to come up with a project myself.

She's pretty creative and can make most anything out of paper. My guess is that she wants to be able to make things out of fabric or yarn or something other than paper. We have paper elephant trunks, crowns, magic wands, etc.

She's also pretty good at fine motor skills. She ties her shoes, puts her hair in pony tails, etc.

Searching Amazon, I found these:

http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Toys-First-Sewing-Kit/dp/B000F3V2MW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289618768&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Toys-395F-Simply-Needlepoint/dp/B000HV0ER6/ref=pd_sim_t_4 (not sewing, but similar motions)

Do you think either would be okay for her? Or is there something better?

[salsah]

dd1 has the first one that you linked to. she received it as a gift when she was about 3 yrs old but didn't start making anything until she was around 4 years old. so far she has made the bag, a stuffed animal (the elephant), and the notepad and pencil holder thing. i don't have anything to compare it to, but i think it is decent. since i sew, don't think i would have bought it myself (i could have put together a kit myself). but for someone who doesn't sew, i think it is i nice choice since it comes with all the basic supplies and directions (general as well as specific to the included projects).
if you think that your dd wants to make things, i would go with this one, not the needlepoint. the first one is more about construction whereas the second one is just making a picture. dd1 has tried needlepoint too but she doesn't have the patience for it, she likes the idea, but hasn't finished a project yet.

[KrisM]

I'm glad to hear that it can be doable at 4.5. I'll go with the first one then!

[new_mommy25]

DD is the same age. She loves to embroider. I just put some fabric into a hoop and give her a kind of blunt needle with some floss and she is good to go.

[brittone2]

In the past I've given DS1 an embroidery hoop w/ burlap in it (I think I got the idea from soulemama?). Plastic needle to start (can get big ones at Michaels), threaded w/ embroidery floss.

[bubbaray]

DD#1 learned to embroider last year from one of the other daycare moms who is a home ec teacher. She used stiff paper stock, traced designs on it, punched out holes (about 1/8" apart) using a thumb tack. Then the kids embroidered the paper. They subsequently moved to fabric + hoops.

Michaels has a floss organizer box, which is nice to have (using a coupon). They also sell multi-color packs of embroidery floss, blunt plastic needles and hoops (I prefer the plastic ones, but wood work too).

GL!

[KrisM]

Great ideas on the embroidery hoop. I think maybe I'll pick that up for a long car ride that's coming up.

[larig]

When I was a kid I did latch hook, it was awesome. ;-)

Plastic canvas is another good medium for little kids. Same idea as the burlap, but bigger holes. You can use it to build stuff too. It's kind of like needlepoint, but on a much larger scale.

Cross stitch is good too (the ones with pre printed Xs), but I like the dull needles in the plastic canvas project.

I love the idea of stitching on paper that bubbaray mentioned. That is really clever. I will definitely try that with DS when he is old enough for this stuff.

If she wants to construct something, then maybe she could sew a doll pillow?

[salsah]

When I was a kid I did latch hook, it was awesome. ;-)



i remember doing that too! that is another good option, i'll have to add it to my list for my girls.

[salsah]

Great ideas on the embroidery hoop. I think maybe I'll pick that up for a long car ride that's coming up.

if she's just starting, i would try the cardboard first. both of my girls started that way at school (it is standard, part of the curriculum at Montessori schools). it is easier to follow the straight lines of dots (limited number vs. all over -- it's like doing a connect the dot with string vs drawing a picture on a blank sheet) and she'll like that she made a picture. it is also easier to sew into something small and firm. you can make them yourself easily and it is expensive
(all you need is cardboard, a pencil, a thumb tack or pin poker, some string (not thread), and a needle). at our school they use real needles and have spools of thicker string in different colors. you can make as many images at you want.

i'll try to take a picture of my girls' finished work to give you an idea.

[squimp]

I was going to suggest an embroidery hoop as well. You can draw designs on white fabric and then your DD can sew along those lines. A big embroidery needle and some pretty colored embroidery floss and you should be set. If she can tie her shoes I bet your DD will be able to get it! Then she could make pillows out of the designs.

[salsah]

here is one that my 3 yr old dd did recently at school.

[larig]

here is one that my 3 yr old dd did recently at school.

that is really cute!

[jhamman]

About a year ago (when he was 5yo), DS went through
a phase where he really enjoyed the Alex Toys needlepoint kits
(the second link in the OP).

They were great for sick days, rainy days, etc;
I just wish they had a few more generic/unisex themes,
since a lot of them are geared toward girls (pastel kittens, flowers, butterflies).

[KrisM]

here is one that my 3 yr old dd did recently at school.

Very cute! I like your thoughts and will try this for the car ride and do the sewing kit as a gift. We'll do the embroider later when I can sit with her, I think.