Easy Christmas sewing projects for kids, by age and skill

The easiest Christmas sewing projects for kids are fabric ornaments sewn by hand for younger children, and simple machine projects, such as a scrunchie, drawstring bag or envelope cushion, for ages 10 to 12 with an adult nearby. Choose a project with straight seams, few pieces and a finish time under an hour, so the child sees a result in one sitting. Ages here are rough guides: judge by the child's focus and hand skill, not the number.

TL;DR

• Younger children (about 5 to 9) can hand sew a fabric ornament with large stitches while an adult cuts the pieces, threads the needle and helps with turning and stuffing.
• Kids around 10 to 12 can use a sewing machine for short projects with an adult close by. Good first picks are the scrunchie (15 minutes), drawstring bag (30) and envelope cushion (40), all free in Sewzy. Every free pattern listed here is a machine project.
• Share the work. The adult cuts, presses and handles anything sharp or hot, and the child sews, stuffs, ties and decorates.
• Adults handle irons and rotary cutters. Count needles and pins before and after every session.
• If you start eight weeks before Christmas, one short project a week is plenty.

Want the full list? See 60 Christmas sewing projects with times and levels.

What Christmas sewing projects are easy for kids?

The table lists projects from our catalog that suit children, with the Sewzy app's time for each. The ages are our suggestions, not a rating, and they assume an adult is helping. Every free pattern in the list is a machine project. The hand-sewing option, the Christmas Ornaments, is a Premium pattern.

What Christmas sewing can younger kids do by hand?

Younger children can learn a running stitch or a backstitch and make something real with it. Hand sewing is slow and calm, so keep each session short, about 20 minutes. Use a blunt-tip tapestry or plastic needle with a large eye, and a long thread that an adult has already threaded and knotted.

Fabric ornaments sewn by hand

The Christmas Ornaments pattern uses woven fabric, not felt. An ornament is two shapes sewn together, turned, stuffed and closed, with a hanging loop. The pattern comes in Mini (3 inches) and Classic (4½ inches) and takes about 30 minutes. It is a beginner pattern. A child can hand sew the seam with big, even stitches, while an adult cuts the pieces, clips the corners, helps with turning and stuffing, and closes the last gap. Our guide to fabric Christmas ornaments has the full steps, and how to sew a stuffed animal by hand explains the backstitch and the ladder stitch.

A no-turn variation of our own, not part of the pattern: a child can sew two felt shapes together edge to edge with the edges showing. Felt does not fray, and nothing needs turning or stuffing, so it works for a very first hand-sewing project.

Puffy Wand Trio

The Puffy Wand Trio makes a star, a heart and a moon, each on a dowel with six ribbon streamers. One fat quarter makes all three Large shapes, which are 6½ inches across. An adult sews the seams and handles the dowel, sandpaper and fabric glue. Sand the dowel ends smooth. Wands are not for children under 3. A child can stuff the shape, choose the ribbon colors and tie the streamers, which makes it a good sibling or cousin gift.

What Christmas sewing can 10 to 12 year olds do on a machine?

Some children are ready for a sewing machine around 10 to 12. There is no set age, so go by focus and hand skill, and keep an adult close by. Before the project, let them sew a few lines on scrap fabric to learn the foot control and how to guide the fabric. The projects below use straight seams and short steps. If you are setting up for the first time, read sewing tools for beginners.

Scrunchie (15 minutes, free)

The Scrunchie is one strip of fabric, 5 x 23 inches for the Regular size, plus 8 inches of ¼ inch elastic. It teaches a seam, turning a tube and threading elastic. A child can make three in an afternoon as gifts for friends. It is a machine project.

Elastic Bookmark (10 minutes, Premium)

The Elastic Bookmark is one of the quickest projects in the app. It comes in Paperback (3½ x 5 inches) and Hardcover (4 x 6 inches) and uses scraps, stiff interfacing and ¾ inch elastic. It makes a good stocking filler for a book lover.

Drawstring Bag (30 minutes, free)

The Drawstring Bag has five short steps. The Small size is 8 x 10 inches and needs ⅓ yard. It teaches a side seam, a casing and threading the cords, and it holds a small gift.

Envelope Cushion (40 minutes, free)

This is the pillow project. The Envelope Cushion has no zipper: two back pieces overlap, so you sew straight seams and turn it out. It comes in 16, 18, 20 and 24 inch sizes, and the 16 inch size needs ½ yard. It makes a gift for a grandparent or a bedroom.

Fabric Crown (45 minutes, Premium)

The Fabric Crown comes in Baby, Toddler and Child sizes. It needs one fat quarter each of outer and lining, ¼ yard of fusible fleece and a short length of ¾ inch elastic. An adult should handle the fusing with the iron. It is a good gift for a younger sibling who loves dress-up. Not for sleep or unsupervised wear.

For confident 12 year olds: gift bags, trees and hats

• Wine and Gift Bags (about 60 minutes): three sizes, from 6 x 8 inches to a tall 4½ x 16 inch Wine bag. They have a box-shaped base and a drawstring channel.
• Cone Christmas Trees (about 60 minutes): Small 8 inches, Medium 14 inches and Large 20 inches. The steps include a pellet bag for weight, so an adult should help with the filler.
• Santa and Elf Hats (about 60 minutes): four sizes, from Toddler to Adult L. The child measures the head first, then the pom-poms go on last. Sew pom-poms on firmly, and skip them for children under 3 (see the Consumer Product Safety Commission's small parts guidance).

How do I keep kids safe while they sew?

• Irons: an adult presses, or stands beside the child. Unplug the iron when you are done.
• Rotary cutters: adults only. Kids can use child-safe scissors on fabric.
• Needles and pins: count them before and after each session. Keep them in a pincushion or a magnetic dish, not loose on the table. No pins in the mouth.
• Sewing machine: an adult stays within reach. Keep fingers clear of the needle, and switch the machine off when threading or changing the needle.
• Hair and sleeves: tie back long hair and keep sleeves clear of the needle.
• Small parts: buttons, beads and pom-poms are choking hazards for small children. Keep them away from gifts for very young kids, and see the small parts guidance for children under 3.
• Wands: sand the dowel ends smooth. Wands are not for children under 3.
• Plush toys: a hand-sewn stuffed animal is a bigger job than an ornament, and it needs an adult for the turning and stuffing. Keep handmade plush away from babies and children under 3, because small parts can come loose. Choose embroidered features rather than buttons or beads for any child who might chew on a toy.
• Breaks: stop when the child is tired. Rushed stitching is where mistakes and pricks happen.

How do I plan a Christmas sewing session with a child?

If you start eight weeks before Christmas, one short project a week is plenty. A short plan keeps it fun:

1. Choose one project and read the steps yourself first.
2. Prepare ahead. The adult prints and cuts the pattern. If you have not printed a PDF pattern before, read how to print PDF sewing patterns.
3. Let the child choose the fabric. Wash, dry and press it first.
4. Split it into short sessions of 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Give the child real jobs: pinning, sewing, stuffing, tying ribbons, picking buttons.
6. Finish with a tag that has the child's name, so the recipient knows who made it.

Make it with Sewzy

Sewzy is a sewing pattern app for iPhone, with every size included in each one, so a single hat or crown pattern covers a toddler and an adult. Print the letter-size PDF at home or take the A0 file to a copy shop. A step-by-step guide walks through each make, and many pattern pages have short how-to videos a child can watch before a tricky step, such as closing the gap on an ornament.

Some patterns are free, including the Scrunchie, Drawstring Bag and Envelope Cushion used above, and all three are machine projects. See them on the free sewing patterns page. The ornaments, wand, bookmark, crown, trees, hats and gift bags are Premium. Get Sewzy on the App Store.

Related guides: girls A-Line Dress Pattern and no-Sew Fleece Tie Blanket.

Free printable: add our free Christmas gift tags to your handmade gifts.