Teaching Kids to Sew with Sewing School Books
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I have something seriously fun to share with you today! I’ve always loved sewing little projects for myself and my kids, and now I’m thrilled to pass that love on to the next generation.
A few years ago, my daughter had been asking—okay, begging—to learn how to sew. I kept meaning to get around to it but kept putting it off. When I was approached to review a new book called Sewing School 2: Lessons in Machine Sewing by Amie Petronis Plumley and Andria Lisle, I was SO excited! It was the perfect motivation to jump in.
Their first book, Sewing School, taught kids the basics of hand sewing. Sewing School 2 takes it a step further, teaching kids (ages 7 and up) how to sew using a sewing machine. The projects are designed so that children can work independently, with minimal supervision if needed. The book is written at about a 2nd-grade reading level, making it incredibly kid-friendly and approachable—even for absolute beginners.
When it arrived in the mail, I was immediately impressed. The full-color photos are beautiful and the step-by-step instructions are crystal clear. Best of all, there’s a built-in pocket full of real patterns tucked inside the back cover—no printing or extra supplies needed! It made it easy for us to jump right into our first project.
There are 20 fun and creative sewing projects included, such as secret message pillows, water bottle holders, a zippy pouch, and even a fabric microphone and guitar. Each project feels exciting and accessible for young makers.
We chose to make the microphone and guitar because they were just so cool and unique! My kids wanted to be as independent as possible. They helped select fabrics, did the cutting, and managed much of the sewing themselves. I stayed close to offer guidance, but they truly accomplished these projects almost completely on their own.
Look how amazing they turned out!
We are so proud of what they created, and this is just the beginning—there are many more projects we can’t wait to try.
Why Teaching Kids to Sew is So Valuable
Sewing offers so much more than just a finished project. Here are just a few reasons why teaching kids to sew is worth the effort:
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Fine Motor Skills: Using a needle, thread, and fabric improves hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
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Creativity: Kids can customize their projects and learn how to bring their own ideas to life.
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Patience and Perseverance: Sewing teaches persistence and problem-solving—valuable life skills for any child.
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Math and Measuring Skills: Reading patterns, measuring fabric, and estimating material needs all give kids practical, hands-on math experience.
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Confidence: Completing a sewing project gives kids a huge boost of pride and accomplishment.
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Practical Life Skill: Sewing is a skill they’ll use throughout their lives, whether for creative hobbies or practical repairs.
Tips for Teaching Kids to Sew
If you’re new to teaching sewing or just want it to go more smoothly, here are a few tips that worked well for us:
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Start with Simple Projects: Look for patterns that use straight lines and basic stitching first.
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Use Kid-Friendly Tools: Blunt-end scissors, clips instead of pins, and kid-sized measuring tapes can make the experience safer and easier.
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Set Up a Kid-Sized Workstation: A small table or a lowered sewing machine helps kids work more comfortably.
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Practice Machine Basics First: Before starting a project, teach them how to thread the machine, sew in a straight line, and control the foot pedal.
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Be Patient: Mistakes are part of the process! Let them problem-solve and fix minor errors when possible.
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Celebrate Progress: Focus more on the effort and learning than on perfect stitches.
More Helpful Resources for Teaching Kids to Sew
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First Sewing Machine Recommendations: A lightweight, basic machine without too many complicated settings is ideal for kids. Brands like Brother and Singer have great beginner models.
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Other Kid-Friendly Sewing Books:
We have loved Sewing School 2 for years and continue to come back to it anytime one of my kids wants a new creative project. If you’ve been thinking about teaching your kids to sew, this book is a fantastic place to start.
Happy sewing!
See More Sewing Projects and Ideas for Kids:
Life Skills: How to Sew a Button for Beginners
My seven year old is begging me to teach her to sew with my machine, and I have no idea where to start, especially since I’m not great at sewing myself.
Every time I get the sewing machine out my daughter asks to help. This would be a great resource to get her started:)
My girl has been begging me to teach her to sew as well! This looks fabulous 🙂
My daughter wants to learn how to sew but I can barely sew a button!
Can not wait to learn with my little ones. Been wanting to for a long time.
I have been trying to teach my 11 year old how to sew – I need this help!! 🙂
I would love to teach my 2 girls how to sew, (I need to learn some myself) 🙂
My daughter has been bugging me to teach her to sew and this would be an awesome help!
What a great idea! I love this book and would love to use it with my kids.
I have been looking for a book like this – I thought I was gonna have to write my own!
My son is taking a sewing class this fall and we are planning to do a denim quilt. I actually just checked this book out from the library!!
This looks like lots of fun! Cute pictures!
My daughter has been taking sewing lessons from a lady in our church, so she know the basics. This would give her some projects that she could do more independently.
My daughter really wants to learn how to sew on my machine but i haven’t really known how to start. This book looks great.
My daughters really want to learn to sew, but being as I’ve never been formally taught, I’m at a loss for how to teach them. They’d love to start doing sewing for 4H projects.
My daughter would love to learn how to sew on a machine. She loves to knit!!
I have two daughters who are beginning seamstresses but these projects looks fun and do-able! They would love to try them out 🙂 Love your pictures!!
I have 4 little girls who could benefit from this book.
I’d love to win this because we are using Sewing School right now for the hand sewing! What fun to do machine sewing! In fact, I posted about sewing on my blog today by chance! http://nodoubtlearning.com/2013/07/17/handiwork-teaching-kids-to-sew/
How exciting! As a homeschooling mom to 3 daughters, I would love to win this book. We are a family of creators. We spend many hours each week just making things. From making cardboard dolls or sewing baby doll clothes out of fabric scraps or inventing to designing structures out of toothpicks and marshmallows, we seem to always be making something.
Sewing is an activity that my daughters have all shown interest in, but I haven’t really gone beyond teaching them hand sewing as I have never been formally trained to use a machine myself (not that that has stopped me from using it all the time!). Having a book with patterns and instructions specifically designed for kids would quickly become a often-used book in our home. Best of luck to everyone! 🙂
I just got my little girl her first sewing machine. This would be perfect for us to work on together! Thanks for the chance!
I have two step daughters that have been asking to learn how to sew for quite a while now. I would love to teach them, so that they can learn to love sewing as much as I do. I also would love to someday teach my 3 year old.
I would love this for my daughter, who already enjoys the first Sewing School book.
I have two daughters who are afraid of my sewing machine — I’d love to use this book to help them get over it! Thanks for the giveaway!
For my granddaughter and I to have quality time together.
(smjohns63 at yahoo dot com)
My three girls like to sew. Sadly they will only learn to sew from me……I just cut the pieces out & sew them together without any instructions. 🙂
For my kiddos! Looks like a practical and fun book! Thanks for the chance!
I’d love to win this for my daughter. It is perfect for moving her sewing on to the next step!
My daughter really wants to learn to sew and I think this is something she can use to try some stuff on her own 🙂