National Embroidery Month

February is National Embroidery Month! This means that it is the perfect time to introduce your child to the enjoyable activity of embroidering. It may surprise some parents to know that embroidery can not only be beneficial to children, but also can be a fun activity for them.

There are many benefits to be had from embroidery. For one thing, the very act of threading a needle, and then pulling the needle and thread through fabric can develop and improve hand-eye coordination as well as fine muscle coordination. Such skills will help them in other activities such as sports and even playing a musical instrument.

Embroidery for kids is also a fairly easy way for them to express themselves. If you buy a ready-made kit, there are instructions and a pattern for them to follow. It is a very simple activity that lets children create works of art. They may also gain confidence and satisfaction if you let them work on an item to be used within the household such as a dresser scarf for their room, a throw pillow, a towel, or a handkerchief. All of these projects can also be purchased in ready-made kits that provide everything you and your child need to successfully finish the project. Here’s a few embroidery kits that our readers have suggested. These make really fun projects for kids at home during the winter months.

Kids’ Embroidery : Projects for Kids of All Ages Make 15 fun, colorful projects, including bags, pillows, lampshades, journal covers, scarves, pins, and patches.

Alex Toys Super Embroidery Kit Comes with 12 colors of floss, plastic embroidery hoop, scissors, needles, ribbon, sequins, buttons, glass beads, flowers, felt butterflies, five colors of felt, felt shapes, practice cloth and transfer paper. Easy instructions include lots of great project ideas.

Embroidery -Kids Can Do It This embroidery kit features twelve different stitches, full-color photos and simple-to-follow directions for a variety of easy projects.

Simple Embroidery -Klutz This friendly book of instruction shows the ins-and-outs of 14 different embroidery stitches, and comes with all the supplies needed to get stitching, including thread, needles and an embroidery hoop.

More than muscle coordination and satisfaction, embroider may be able to improve a child’s attention span. Other activities such as watching television and playing video or computer games have been shown to decrease attention spans due to the never-ending stream of stimulation they provide. Embroidering is a leisurely activity that teaches constancy and patience. If you want to work on a child’s attention span, you can start with small projects and work your way up to longer projects. Finishing longer and longer projects will help give them greater self-esteem and may spill over into school and work ethics. If a child can consistently work on a piece of embroidery for a few weeks, they will be able to consistently work on other projects as well.

Most importantly, however, embroidery is fun. As mentioned before, it lets children express themselves, especially if you let them choose which project to work on. If you yourself like to embroider, it can be a special bonding experience between you and your child.

The best thing about embroidery is that it is relaxing and doesn’t take up all of your concentration; you will be able to talk to each other while embroidering, or even listen to music or watch a movie. In the end, your child will have something beautiful to display in the house. If he or she has chosen to work on a picture, you may want to frame their work and display it either in the living room or front room, or they may want it in their bedroom. In order to fully boost their confidence, let them know that you like what they have worked so hard on and praise them for it. If they have worked on an item such as a pillow, towel, or other such thing, let them use it and show your child that they have made a positive contribution to the household.

If you find yourself looking for a project to do with your child, or if you have always wanted to teach your child embroidery but have not yet managed to do so, I strongly suggest taking this month to teach your child about embroidery. Celebrate National Embroidery Month by introducing your child to an activity that they may love for a lifetime.