Crafting With Kids
I’ve put together a quick guide to help you choose the right kit(s) for crafting with your kids.
I am quite partial to a kids embroidery project, mainly because they don’t make as much mess as painting or gluing, but there are also loads of benefits of this type of craft for kids. I heard somewhere (it might have been the embroidery marketing board!?) that needlecrafts are being taught to student doctors because the younger generation use screens so much they don’t have as well developed fine motor skills, needed when you’re training to be a surgeon!
Anyway, here’s our round up of child friendly kits...
All of our wooden board kits are great for crafting with kids. The smaller kits - Rainbow, Loved, Hello, Wooden Bird, Dala Horses - are all suitable for children aged 4 and upwards (but always with adult supervision due to the small parts) and children aged 6 and upwards will be able to complete our larger boards - Be Kind, Home Sweet Home, Shine Bright. It really does depend on the child and their capabilities though so please just use this as a guide.
All our wooden kits come with blunt needles so that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about, and the designs are really easy to follow with clear instructions included but if a wrong stitch is made it’s really easy to unpick the thread and start again avoiding any potential tears!
Small Wooden Kits
Suitable for: 4+ years
Small Rainbow Banner Embroidery Kit
“I bought this for my five year old daughter who wanted to start sewing. This was the perfect introduction. She was able to complete it herself, I just had to help start and finish. It's a cute little addition to our house.” Clare, February 2021
A great starter kit for children - the rainbow design is immediately recognisable and cheery and it’s completed using the simple backstitch. The kit includes everything you need including a blunt needle and string to hang the finished board with, and I hope you’ll want to display it even though it has been made by a child. Crafting beautiful things with kids that you don’t then want to put immediately in the bin is high on my list of priorities!
’Loved’ Mini Script Embroidery Board
This is a great project for children to work on as a gift for a friend, family member or even a teacher / carer. The board is available with three different thread colours - red, mustard and lilac - so the child can decide which is their favourite. The kit includes everything you need including a blunt needle and string to hang the finished board with.
These are one of my personal favourites and I’ve had so many messages from people on Instagram telling me how much their children loved making them. The kit contains three birds to make as standalone, separate decorations or strung together using the string to make the prettiest garland.
Even though the needle isn’t sharp, children should always be supervised when making any of the small wooden kits.
Large Wooden Kits
Suitable for: 6+ years
Be Kind Tassel Embroidery Banner Kit
This is a great kit for children to start learning the cross stitch technique and such a positive message for them to stitch as they do so. It’s available with mustard, coral, green or lilac thread and looks so good hanging in their bedroom once complete.
Shine Bright Cross Stitch Embroidery Board Kit
Another great kit for kids to start their embroidery hobby this board measures 16.5 x 21cm and comes with a lovely mustard thread. Everything comes in the box including the (blunt) needle, board, thread, instructions and cord to hang.
Cross Stitch Pegboard Wall Art Board
For older children this is a great kit that helps to encourage creativity and imagination. The kit is designed to be stitched with the provided wool into a range of different letters, words or shapes - the instructions show suggested patterns including the alphabet in large letters for monograms and smaller letters, for small phrases and words but they can also stitch their own design. It’s easy to unpick if mistakes are made, and also to start again completely when they want to try something new.
FELT HOOP KITS
Suitable for: 10+ years
From customer feedback I’ve received I know kids have made our felt hoop kits - the Alphabet Kit, the Ho Ho Ho Kit and the Heart Hoop Trio Kit - and it’s so nice to hear how much they've enjoyed making them.
These kits all require a sharp needle so do need careful supervision, and I recommend only children aged 10 years and older give them a go because of that, but they are really simple designs so they are easy to complete.
Alphabet Felt Hoop Embroidery Kit
This felt hoop kit is great fun for crafting with kids - being able to sew their own initials really appeals to children. The kit includes 3 x felt hoops for you to stitch letters of your choice using a simple cross stitch, and because the kit contains a template and fabric pen you can carry on making as many letters as you like using extra hoops or even spelling full names onto cushions. A great versatile kit.
Follow our step by step guide for success every time.
Heart Hoop Cross Stitch Embroidery Kit
“I loved this little set! A fun and pretty thing to make, and it's packaged beautifully, too.” Claire, February 2021
This kit contains everything you need to create 3 x 9cm embroidered cross stitch. The hearts are cream with pink, rust with cream and peach with red and as with the Alphabet kit you can use the fabric pen and template to create hearts wherever and whenever you want to!
HOOP KITS
Suitable for: 12+ years
For older children wanting to try something a little more challenging our hoop kits are a good place to start. I’d recommend children aged 12 years and upwards due to the sharp needle and extra concentration required.
A great one I’d recommend for this age group is the Cat Embroidery Hoop Kit designed by Jane Foster. It’s a simple design to follow but does require a few different techniques of stitching which will help develop skills and encourage focus.
I’d also recommend the Love and Hope cross stitch kits - both are great introductory projects to cross stitch. Both of these kits have the added bonus of using a blunt needle to protect young fingers so could be attempted by slightly younger than the suggested 12 years old.
CRAFT SUPPLIES AND TOOLS
As well as the kits and boards we have a selection of craft supplies and tools also available to shop including lots of useful things to help your crafting session be fun and successful. There’s colourful thread, tape measures and the ever popular embroidery scissors - great items for a starter kit to give as a present.
I hope this guide is helpful but if you have any questions, you can contact us here and we’d be happy to help. All of the recommended products, plus more, have been curated into our Crafting With Kids collection - check it out here.
Happy crafting!