Needlepoint is a craft that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Even very small children can participate with the right materials. Traditionally, needlepoint has been considered a woman's activity, but needlepoint for kids allows children to hone their fine motor skills. Additionally, needlepoint for kids is a creative outlet that results in projects that make perfect keepsakes that can be enjoyed for years to come. Some of the best tips about choosing appropriate needlepoint crafts are that the projects should be appropriate for the child's age, that projects should be things that the children will want to make, that improvised materials can be useful teaching tools and that children should always be supervised by an adult while doing needlepoint.
One of the most important tips is that one should make sure that the projects are appropriate for the child's age. Additionally, adult supervision is imperative, especially when a child is using a sharp needle. School-aged children can work with improvised materials, such as plastic kids' needlepoint canvas and blunt-end tapestry needles. Toddlers can even get in on the fun; teachers can create makeshift needles out of pipe cleaners and use kids' needlepoint thread or yarn to make stitches on cardboard that has holes punched in it. Older kids who have mastered the process can use a kids' needlepoint kit or work from a pattern.
Needlepoint for kids is a process that teaches the most basic techniques, then adds more difficult procedures as each child is ready to advance. Threading a needle is a great way for one to start out teaching needlepoint for kids. Threading a needle by hand can be frustrating, especially for younger kids. Many experts recommend using needle threaders because they are simple to use and enable kids to thread their own needles.
After the children know how to thread needles, the next step is for them to learn the most basic needlepoint stitches. Teachers shouldn't worry too much about kids not forming the stitches perfectly. The key to teaching needlepoint for kids is for the instructor to get them going with a needle and thread, then worry about having them form perfect stitches later.
One of the best ways one can teach needlepoint for kids is to offer projects about which children will get excited. That might mean suggesting that children create items that can be used every day, such as bookmarks or coasters. Alternatively, children love to create needlepoint items as gifts, whether for a birthday, holiday or another special day. Most teachers agree that sessions should be kept short in order to keep frustration to a minimum. Allowing children to choose their own projects and thread will ensure that they are excited enough about a project to complete it.
