Is sewing a lost art or a life skill? If you ask me, it’s an important life skill that should make a comeback.

Unfortunately, there are few schools today that offer classes like home and careers that teach sewing, cooking, and other types of life skills. Schools are so focused on academics and test grades.

Sewing is an important lifelong skill no matter how old you are. There is no need to pay someone to sew on a button or to fix a rip when you have the knowledge and supplies on hand to do it yourself in minutes?

Sewing addresses so many skills

Fine motor skills
Visual perceptual skills
Eye-hand coordination
Bilateral coordination
Working in midline
Dexterity

Creativity
Perseverance
Motor control to move hand slowly
Attention to detail/concentration
Safety awareness

The skills above are all important skills that our kids need to develop. You can address these skills in your OT session through games and activities, but isn’t it better to teach skills while learning a life skill simultaneously?

When I was eight years old, my grandma taught me how to sew, and I’ve always kept up that skill. I don’t sew too often, but if I have a rip or a button pops off, I know how to fix it.

I love to use sewing as an activity for my upper elementary and middle school students. The act of threading a needle takes a lot of fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, and eye-hand coordination. I am also blown away by how many kids cannot tie a knot. They need step-by-step instructions. Once we get to the sewing part, I teach a simple in-and-out stitch. However, kids with visual perceptual delays will struggle with spacing out the stitches evenly. With those kids, I use a pen and place a dot to show exactly where I want the needle to go to complete that in and out stitch.

Create a long-term project

Our kids will not learn how to sew in one session and will not complete a project in 30 minutes. When they create something, it might take them a few sessions to complete it. Then they take it home with a sense of satisfaction and pride. In the past, I have made simple things. A small swatch that they can stuff with stuffing and use it a pin cushion, a potpourri pillow, or a bean bag. Giving the project as a gift adds extra motivation for the child to work hard and feel proud of their work when it’s complete.

Even though it is not a popular life skill for kids to learn these days, it doesn’t mean it’s not important. In the future, sewing can save you time and money. Don’t let sewing become extinct!