Sewing buttons! I can’t express how great it is to see my children enthusiastic and eager to practice the lessons (or variations on them) they have learned in school. Before Thanksgiving break, Oliver asked to sew buttons after school. I remembered having some extra fabric in my closet leftover from a ripped shirt I had saved for… I have no idea. I grabbed an old wooden frame from the basement, popped out the glass and backing, and tightly hand-sewed the fabric to the frame:
If I had a sewing machine, I would have used that, though I’m not sure it would have ended up as nice and tight if I hadn’t hand sewed. Either way, it didn’t take long and Oliver got started. I got him started by threading the needle and tying a knot in the end, and he carefully sewed his first button to the sewing frame.
Since that day, Oliver has sewn many more buttons onto his frame. He is improving his fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The repetitive motions of sewing, weaving, and knitting is also a very soothing and calming activity.
Oliver’s work in progress
If you’d like a more in-depth Montessori lesson on sewing with preschool-aged kids (and up), check out this post on Montessori for the Earth. There’s also a very short video clip on how to teach your child to tie a simple knot by looping the string three times over the needle and pulling. Happy sewing!
Love this! I can’t wait to teach my kids how to sew. Such a useful skill!
I love this! My grandmother taught my sister and me to sew when we were young, and it is one of my favorite childhood memories. I actually just sewed a few curtains and throw pillows last week, and every time I pick up a needle and thread, I think of her. She hand-quilted several full-sized quilts for us, and its always amazing to me to look at her perfect, tiny stitches and think of all of the time, effort and love that went into creating them.
That’s awesome, I love these posts!
great idea! what a perfect activity for a little one 🙂
This is brilliant! I learned how to cross stitch when I was six, and that led to learning how to sew. I now make some of our clothes, and sell some of the things I sew – very practical life skill indeed! I have been wanting to start teaching my three year old, and this is perfect. thanks!