Make It, Wear It

Check out this fun carnival! Pin It Now!

Sew Easy Your Kids Can Do It!

Our homeschool group decided to host a Kid's Craft Bazaar at a local mall this year. Our kid's have been working hard the past couple of weeks making crafts to sell at the Bazaar.

When I first announced the project to the kids, they were up for it but slightly creatively challenged. Most of their ideas centered around making things from cardboard boxes. Figuring no one fork over a dollar, even at a Kid's Craft Bazaar, for anything made from a cardboard box, I suggested that maybe it was time for the oldest two to learn how to use the sewing machine.

Luckily for me, I had just had the opportunity to make Christmas stockings for a prison ministry with the lovely ladies in my prayer group which is where this stocking pattern came from.

So the kid's and I picked out some Christmas fabric that was on sale for less than $2 a yard. I only bought half a yard of each fabric, but we were still able to get two stockings out of each.

As you can see in the picture above, you'll need to draw and cut out a simple stocking pattern out of large plain paper. Remember that once sewn, your stocking will be slightly smaller so allow for that in your pattern.

Have your children fold the fabric in half (right sides together) and trace the pattern onto the fabric.

Once the pattern is traced, they can cut it out. Since the fabric is folded, they will be cutting both sides of the stocking at once.


H4 isn't quite proficient with scissors yet, but she was able to help by pinning the stockings together once they were cut. (Remember right sides together!)


Both G8 and A7 were able to operate the sewing machine very well. A7 did most of the sewing, though.

This is a great first sewing project, because the next step is to simply sew from one top corner of the stocking, down and around the foot, and straight up to the next top corner. (Leave the top open.)

Notice in the picture above that I just instructed the kids to keep the outside edge of the fabric aligned with edge of the foot to make sure they were sewing straight. You'll definitely want to sit right next to them if it is their first time with the sewing machine and expect mistakes. Remind them that practice makes perfect!

Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of the next step, it was pretty simple.

First you want to show the kids how to turn the stockings right side out. Then they will need to turn the top edge inside about a half an inch so that it can be hemmed. But first it must be ironed! G8 was really good with the iron and we didn't even need to pin the fabric in place to hem the top.

Your child should open the stocking and slide it onto the sewing machine to hem the top. But before they hem, they will need to cut about 5 inches of ribbon and form a loop. Slide the loop on the inside of the stocking and they will start to hem at that spot. But don't let them go to far...


Once they've sewn just far enough to pass the loop, instruct your child to sew backwards to lock it into place. Then choose a pretty lace as a border and secure it under the foot as well. They will need to make sure that they continue to line the lace along the edge as they sew it on and hem the top of the stocking all at once. Once they make it all of the way around they will finish by overlapping and turning the lace under slightly.

Here are the kid's finished stockings! Pin It Now!

Sew Cute

Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to get together with some friends and participate in a service project. The boys played, the girls made beaded bracelets, and the moms made pillowcase dresses to send off with our church members who are going on a mission trip to Africa. To learn more about making pillowcase dresses as a missions project make sure to check out http://littledressesforafrica.org/ .

Now, I should tell you that I have very limited experience with a sewing machine even though I've owned one since I was about 10. However, these dresses are so easy to make, that I learned how to make them in less than an hour and promptly came home and made matching dresses for all three of my girls last week. I've never made dresses before, so these are the first. The girls wore them last Sunday to a birthday party.


They are summer dresses and the weather is still cool here, so we put long sleeve shirts and tights on the girls as well. Also, these dresses can be made out of pillowcases, but it was actually cheaper to just buy the fabric and easy enough to start from scratch. I bought 2 yards of the green fabric for $4.50 a yard and 1 yard of the pink fabric for $1.50 a yard. So for less than $15 I had enough to make 3 dresses, a headband, and still had fabric left over.


A standard size pillowcase will make a size 7/8 dress. You can find complete instructions and a very helpful video tutorial here.


I think the dresses are a little "boxy looking" so I sewed a decorative ribbon on the front and let the ribbons hang loose in the back to tie. I think it gives the dress better shape.


The older girls' long hair cover it up, but you can see in this picture of Baby L that the dresses tie at the shoulder. I finished the dresses a little past midnight on Saturday night and quickly used some extra fabric and elastic to sew up a headband and bow for Baby L. She was asleep so I couldn't measure her head and it wound up being a little snug. But it was awfully cute. :o) Pin It Now!