When you think of the life skills that you want your children to have before they leave your home, you might have a list that looks something like this: balance a checkbook, understand proper budgeting, be able to cook a decent (and hopefully healthy) meal, change a tire on the side of the road, and with any luck, prepare their own taxes. One thing that’s not common to see is handworking skills.

Generations ago, it was not only common but required that children learned the art of sewing and knitting. Clothes were made from hand; hats and mittens were crafted in living rooms not factories. While your child will rarely need to create his or her own wardrobe from a bolt of fabric and a spool of thread, there are real benefits to investing the time and resources to teaching your child the trick of the handwork art.

Besides the obvious benefit of being able to sew on a wayward button, hem a new pair of pants, or even craft a new baby gift, handwork provides your children with a creative way to:

• develop and mature their finger dexterity and fine motor skills
• find and build their self-confidence
• learn copious amounts of patience (Have you ever tried to trace a pattern!?!?)
• have a social creative outlet for meeting and gathering with friends

You’re on board: your child should learn how to sew. But, how? Do they even offer sewing classes for kids? Of course! And you have a few viable options when it comes to expanding your child’s knowledge of sewing (one of which is very close to home!).

A Local Craft Store

Your local craft store is a one-stop-shop for all things crafts, including sewing. It’s a great place to first introduce your children to the nearly limitless projects they’ll be able to create when they’ve begun to sew. Many stores offer sewing classes for kids, in addition to other crafting classes such as cake decorating, hodgepodge, embroidery, and machine sewing.

These classes are usually an hour or so long and provide enough direction for your children to find interest in the subject.

At Home

Did you learn to sew in Home Ec. class or under the watchful eye of your grandmother? If you, yourself, have a skill and interest (or past interest) in handwork, use that to help foster the same passion for your children!

Choosing to impart your own handwork skill onto your children will take a lot of patience, time and resources (think sewing machine, fabric, pins, scissors, patterns, chalk, etc.), but if you already have the tools, pull them out and get started! Together, select a small project to complete and work through each step, discussing why it’s done in that order and why it’s important to do each process carefully.

With the Experts

You’ve done it, you’ve sparked a passion for handwork in your child. You see their eyes light up at the thought of making something magical out of bits of fabric and beads. They’re ready for more than a local class or sewing along side you - now it’s time for you to consider registering them for a handwork class designed just for them!

Handwork Studios, like ours, are devoted to capturing the importance of handwork and sharing it with the next generation. We offer fun, creative, and unique classes, workshops, and even summer day camps for children 5 through 15! Each student of The Handwork Studio owns their own creative direction, and we provide the professional tools and instruction for them to explore their own limits and abilities. Unlike classes in your local craft store that offer an hour or two of instruction to create a project, The Handwork Studio creates a curriculum that grows with your child building on skills over time.

Interested in learning more about The Handwork Studio’s classes and camps? Search for a location near you!