Best Sewing Books for Kids

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Sewing is a fantastic skill for just about anyone to develop. Not only does it equip you with a very practical life skill, but it also serves as a creative outlet where you can express all your inner most artistic desires. Accordingly, it goes without saying that teaching your kid sewing is a worthwhile investment that’ll pay off in dividends in the very near future. We often send our kids to piano lessons and swimming classes at the earliest of ages so why not add an additional activity to the mix?

Now here’s the kicker. It’s really hard to tell whether a kid will actually enjoy doing something and investing in sewing classes can be a pricy notion to many. Thankfully, there is an affordable way to gauge interest.

This is where sewing books come in – written specifically with children in mind, it comes with detailed yet digestible instructions along with countless projects which you and your kid can work through together.

They will be a fantastic way to kickstart your kid’s sewing journey so if you find yourself in the market for a good sewing book for your kid, just read on and check out our take right below!

Table Of Contents

Best Sewing Books for Kids
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Best Sewing Books for Kids

My First Sewing Machine Book

Written carefully for the child in mind, if your kid is at least 7 years old then Emma Hardy’s My First Sewing Machine Book should be high on your list. In here you’ll fine fun projects for your child to work on that have been created from scratch by an author who’s known across the world as one of the foremost stylist, designers, and lifestyle writers. Through its 128-pages of well-written and educational content, you’ll find up to 35 unique sewing projects that start beginning with the humbler of sewing projects to the more complex.

Your kid could start out simple by working on some scarfs in preparation for winter or even skirts to complement their wardrobe. Then once they feel comfortable sewing, they can even work on more ambitious projects such as purses and sleepover bags, and even elaborate dresses later down the line. And don’t worry about your child getting lost.

Each project not only comes with simple instructions but elaborate artwork that’ll ensure no child gets left behind on this sewing journey.

My First Sewing Machine Book: Learn To Sew: Kids

Standing as one of the most popular sewing books for children on our list for good reason, Alison McNicol’s take on a kid’s sewing book is one not to be missed. She combines her lifestyle of passionate sewing along with a love for education to produce a 40-page wunderkind that’ll transform any child from a total novice to a competent sewist.

Getting your child started on their sewing journey couldn’t be easier here. With countless projects to work with including tote bags, cushions, and more, you’ll never need to worry about your kid getting bored when sewing – variety is the spice of life after all right? Better yet, every page comes with bright and easy-to-follow illustrations that’ll cover everything from the absolute basics to the actual sewing.

From teaching children how to thread, how to measure, and how to select the ideal fabric, it’ll make a solid sewist out of just about any child if given a chance. Heck, we’d go as far as to claim that it’ll even work on adults too!

My First Sewing Machine: FASHION SCHOOL: Learn To Sew: Kids

Another fantastic contribution by Alison McNicol for kids more interested in the fashionable side of sewing, Fashion School will serve well either as a complementary book or even as a total standalone. Perfect for children as young as 8 to as old as 12, across its 44-pages any reader will find densely yet informatively packed sewing guidance by a seasoned veteran to the craft. Your child here will start learning the absolute yet essential basics.

We’re talking about how to even start threading your machine, how to wind the bobbins, how to work corners, all the way to actually crafting things that they could wear in public. From making clothes from scratch with fresh fabrics all the way to reusing old outfits and transforming them with the magic of sewing into something totally new, your child will get a flexible perspective on sewing here without a doubt.

Instructions are well-written, well-illustrated, and are easily understandable (they are written for children in mind after all) and covers a wide range of subject matter including simple sewing patterns, pants, mittens, and so much more.

Sewing For Kids: 30 Fun Projects to Hand and Machine Sew

Alexa Ward’s Sewing For Kids is a personal favorite of ours because of simply one reason: it’s awesome. Why exactly? Well we think Ward’s little book is a great introduction for any kid to the world of sewing because it introduces them to a wide variety of projects that’ll ensure your child fully appreciates how vast sewing can be.

Sure, on one hand sewing is a practical skill that can create very practical things like clothes and bags but on the other hand (we feel this doesn’t get emphasized enough), sewing is also a mode of artistic expression that can be as enlightening as the fine arts if done right.

Across all 250-pages the projects in this book are designed to emphasize just that. From teaching the absolute basics such as threading needles and knowing what tool does what, once your kid gets the basics down they’ll be ready to work through numerous fun yet artful projects. They could start simple and make a comfortable beanie for the autumn months and eventually move onto working on complex shapes such as houses, shark tails, sloths, and so much more.

Sure, they may not be as practical as clothes but they sure are fun to do and will make for highly effective yet entertaining sewing practice!

A Kid’s Guide to Sewing

Sophie Kerr’s contribution to the world of children’s sewing books is one that’ll appeal strongly to the more mature of minds. Specifically, those aged between 11 to 14. With a more mature tone that’ll appeal to more mature children, the instructions, and projects here are just as every bit kid friendly, engaging, informative, entertaining, and plain old fun to work through as any other option on our list.

Written by a professional quilt maker and founder of one of the most well-known quilt studios in the country, you can rest easy knowing that your kids will be under the indirect tutelage of a pro here.

With projects that’ll be right for the beginner to the more advanced of child sewists, projects here come accompanied with clear instructions that have been trialed on children before for weeks on end. In fact, the author regularly consults her very own daughter for feedback! Now throughout its 144-pages, you’ll find that the complexity of the projects evolves alongside the skill of the reader too!

So you could start with something simple like a fleece and eventually progress to pool cover-ups, ornamentations for backpacks and stylish hairbands.

My First Sewing Book KIT: Hand Sewing

If you don’t yet own a proper sewing machine at home yet but still want to test the waters with your kid when it comes to their interest in sewing, opting for a book that focuses purely on hand sewing is the wise and highly economical option. Winky Cherry’s My First Sewing Book will fit the bill in this case.

Promising to provide the best introduction to young, would-be seamsters, this book has been written with someone with a respectable track record in publishing sewing books for children along with instructional DVDs. In fact, she’s actually pioneered an entire system of sewing called the Winky Cherry System of Sewing!

Now opening the book will reveal 43 unique yet highly educational patterns to work with. You’ll also find included, a set of precut bird shapes along with three yards of four different colors of crochet threads that are ready for your child to start using. From the simplest of stiches to making entire dolls to play with, this book will instill not just the basics of good sewing in the mind of your child but also patience, safety, and hand dexterity skills.

Complementing this, the guide not only features entertaining illustrations but also clever and humorous rhymes that’ll make reading through the book just as every bit as enjoyable as the actual sewing.

So if you’re looking to educate your child not just in terms of sewing but also good practice and safety and discipline, you’ve absolutely found the right book for you.

Girls Style Book: [Sewing Book, 24 Patterns]

Yoshiko Tsukiori’s Girls Style Book is a sewing book that’s simple, elegant, and effective. Promising to be a unique addition to any child’s collection of sewing books, we’d suggest this fun little book for any child with a keen interest in fashion. Each project has been meticulously written by a respected designer of women’s designer garments so know that your child will be getting the best possible guidance.

Designs here are also adequately illustrated and will be easily readable for any kid. Long gone are the needless colors, cartoons, and animations – a book like this cuts straight to the point like a razor blade.

Here, you will find up to 24 unique and full-sized sewing patterns to work through coming in five different sizes. From simple accessories to complex tops and beautiful dresses that’re designed to be worn and cherished for girls aged as young as 4 to as old as 10, it is hard to ignore the unique trace of Japanese fashion here.

All projects will lead to clothes that are stylish, pleasing to the eye, and extremely comfortable to wear. We think you absolutely cannot go wrong with a book like this!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is sewing dangerous and will my child be safe?

Sewing is an extremely safe activity if done right so you shouldn’t have to worry about your child’s safety at all. They will however be working with potentially dangerous tools such as pins, machines, and even scissors but then again, these are tools that they’ll be expected to use sooner or later in school. Consider this an early learning experience for them.

That being said, when first starting out we absolutely suggest you stay by their side and teach them how to safely use and store sharp tools!

What are the benefits of teaching my child sewing so early on?

Sewing is a fantastic life skill that’ll have applications onto pretty much any faucet of life that involves clothes or garments. If your kid ever finds themselves with ripped pants while away from home, they’ll be easily able to overcome their little problem with their sewing skills. They’ll even be able to express their inner creativity (which is ever so important in developing the mind of child) by using sewing as an outlet.

Of course even beyond sewing, we’d venture as far as to say that it develops a whole host of other highly relevant cognitive skills including problem solving, patience, hand-eye coordination, and even concentration.

Would buying my child a book be a better option than sending them to actual sewing classes?

Sure, classes are a fantastic way for any child to learn sewing. Being under the watchful gaze of a mentor who can correct any mistakes on the spot is a fantastic thing to have if you yourself aren’t an experienced sewist.

But we still think you should opt for books at the very beginning not just because they’ll complement actual classes if you decide to go for it. Books will allow your child to work their way through sewing projects at a pace that feels comfortable for them and they might offer a less stressful option for the time being.

They also are pretty effective tools and because they’re far cheaper than actual classes, you can estimate whether your child is actually interested in sewing for the long-run by simply starting off with a good book or two.