Quilting is a great craft that you can teach your child, and eventually she can do it on her own.
Quilting is a project that children can learn. It teaches children basic sewing skills, eye/hand coordination and patience. There are many easy quilting projects that you can do with your child, no matter what her age. When you quilt with your child, start out small. Make a doll sized quilt first and then as your child’s skills progress, try a larger quilt. The following are some easy quilting projects that you can start with your children today.
Scrap Quilt
If you enjoy crafting and sewing, then you probably have lots of leftover fabric. You can put it to use by making a scrap quilt with your child. You and your child can make this easy quilt in no time. Start by cutting many 2x2 inch squares from scrap or leftover fabric. You can make a cardboard square for your child to use as a guide. Show your child how to make a basic straight stitch on the sewing machine. Put the squares front to front and sew together on one side.
Continue until you have a strip about 24 inches long. Make several of these strips and sew together to form the top of the quilt. Cut a piece of batting the size of the quilt. Cut another piece of fabric slightly bigger of the quilt for the back. Layer the quilt top, batting and quilt back together inside out. Pin together around the edges and stitch leaving an opening for turning out. Turn out and stitch the opening closed.
No Sew Fleece Quilt
Fleece is widely available and inexpensive. In addition, the added advantage of using fleece is that your child can easily cut it and it does not have to be hemmed. The finished project looks great and provides plenty of warmth.
You will need one piece of solid fleece and one piece of colorful or patterned fleece that are the same size and cut into a square. Put the two pieces of fleece together, with the wrong sides together. Cut a five-inch square from each corner of the fleece. Cut fringe around all sides, about five inches deep (depending on the size of your fleece) and about one inch wide. It might be easier for your child to make the cuts using a sharp fabric rotary cutter and a wooden ruler.
Starting at one of the corners, begin tying the two layers together using a "balloon" knot—a knot that you would use when you tie off a balloon. Work around the edge of the quilt until you have tied off all of the fringe. You now have an easy and warm fleece quilt. You can have your child make matching pillows using the same technique, too.
