How to Teach a Child to Cross Stitch

If your child (or grandchild), who loves to watch you cross-stitch, asks, "Mommy, teach me to stitch," what should you do?

When Should You Teach Your Child to Stitch?

Make your decision on your child's enthusiasm, as well as physical and mental ability to start learning. At first, you may be tempted to tell her, "I'd love to teach you, but you're just too young. But if she's old enough to know not to put a needle in her mouth or hurt herself, then she's probably ready to start learning how to stitch. In other words, if she can draw a needle through a hole with thread, then she's all set for a first lesson.

However, if she's only about four or five and hasn't yet learned to tie her shoes, then she should probably wait as needs to develop the fine motor skills necessary to cross stitch. Again, this varies with different children. While some six-year-olds are ready to stitch, others are behind in their motor skills.

Cross Stitch Materials for Young Children

Plastic Yarn Needle and Large-holed Canvas----If you're doubtful that your child is too young to handle needles, then substitute a steel one for a blunt-tip plastic yarn needle. Find a large count Aida, such as size 7 or 11, as it will be much easier for her to maneuver the thread through larger holes. If you can't find size 7 Aida, then perhaps you could use a rug canvas which has big holes for young eyes and hands. Plastic canvas and yarn is also good when teaching young children to stitch.

Instead of using embroidery floss, have a young child make their first stitch drawing yarn through a rug canvas. If she seems confident, then, of course, you can have her graduate to regular cross-stitch Aida fabric. At first, start her out with 11 count fabric and progress to smaller sizes, such the regular 14-count fabric.

Other stitching aides may include a small embroidery hoop so your child can keep her stitches taunt and even. A water-soluble quilter's pen is also a good idea, as it will help her learn to keep her place. After all, it's much easier keeping up with a 10 x 10 square grid than an entire chart, as I described in my article "How to Cross Stitch a Large Cross Stitch Project".

Ziploc bags are also great for organizing floss colors. Show your child how to label each bag, writing a color's symbol as well as DMC floss number. Show how to put the different colored floss in numerical order, according to their DMC number. Then have her take two rings to secure the plastic bags.

Simple Stitching Projects for Kids

Find projects that are very simple, such as bookmarks and small ornaments. There are also scores of patterns for beginning stitchers, as well as children that you can find by doing an online search.

Initially, it may seem a bit overwhelming when your young daughter asks, "Please, Mommy, teach me to stitch." But if you invest the time and are patient, you'll be glad you did. Besides teaching your child a new craft, you'll also be making precious memories, as well as passing on a lifelong hobby that she can, in turn, share with her own children someday.