Top 6 textile craft ideas for children
Whether you are looking for creative homeschooling activities or crafty ideas for the holidays then we've put together a handy list of our top 6 textile crafts and how to get started!
Not only are they fun but textile crafts allow space for creativity and exploring colour, texture and pattern, help develop fine motor and haptic skills and are perfect for slowing down and enjoying some mindful making.
1. Pom Poms
Making Pom poms never gets boring and it's a really engaging activity for children with quick results. It's a perfect way to use up any odds and ends of yarn you might already have in the house and experiment with colours and mixing up textures.
You can make pom poms the traditional way with circles of cardboard or even make them with a fork! But using pom pom makers definitely makes it much easier and quicker. We've tried out many different pom pom maker tools over the years and our favourites include the Clover Pom Pom Makers as they are so easy to use and create amazing pom poms every time. Watch our free tutorial on how to use these pom pom makers here.
If you've got the crafty bug and want to try some next level pom poms and other crafts too then The Loome 5 in 1 Robot Tool is a super tool that allows you to make pom poms, friendship bracelets, tassels, cords and mini weavings! The Loome have a youtube page full of free tutorials on how to use the tool here.
2. Weaving
Weaving is a super skill and allows a lot of room for creative freedom! You can weave with all different kinds of yarns and textures to create wall hangings, coasters, bookmarks and even bags. The repetitive action of over and under is a brilliant skill to master and is really mindful and therapeutic.
This wooden loom is the perfect starter loom thats so easy to set up and comes with metal guides to change the thickness of the woven piece you want to make and helps learners create straight edges. We've also put together a weaving starter kit including everything you need to get weaving and make a wall hanging.
If you've got some coloured card you can also try paper weaving with our free tutorial.
3. Easy Macrame
Macrame is a fun way to learn and practice knots and make wall hangings, jewellery and things to decorate your home or give as gifts.
There are hundreds of knots in macrame but the best way for children to get started is with the simple everyday knot. Use a ball of string or a stretchy jersey yarn like Hoooked Zpaghetti which is made from recycled cotton and comes in lots of different colours.
Learn how to make an easy macrame hanging basket with our free downloadable tutorial here.
4. Finger Knitting
One of our absolute faves, finger knitting is really fun to do and keeps children engaged for ages as they see their creation grow! You can easily make necklaces, garlands and even skipping ropes and it's a useful introduction to the process of knitting before progressing onto using needles.
Use thicker yarns like Hoooked Zpaghetti T-shirt Yarn or two strands of yarn together like we have in our tutorial video below:
5. Cross Stitch
Cross stitching is a great way to practice and gain confidence in sewing for young people. It can be very therapeutic, creates neat results and is an effective way of slowing down.
These cute animal cross stitch cards are a perfect place to start, buy them in packs and use colourful embroidery threads or get a handy cross stitch kit which includes everything you need including ladybird scissors!
They also come in heart shapes, perfect for Valentine's Day. Stick on the front of a card once completed and send to a loved one!
6. Friendship Bracelets
Friendship bracelets have made a massive come back and they are a perfect craft for young people to easily master making bracelets for themselves and their friends! Make one for each friend and send it in the post to let them know you are thinking of them.
This nifty Kumihimo Braiding Tool from The Loome makes friendship bracelet making super easy and you can use up any yarns or threads you have. This tool also doubles up as a pom pom trimmer for super neat pom poms! win win!
You can do all these crafts with odds and ends of yarns or threads but if you don't have any then take a look at our selection of yarns including these colourful packs of mini yarn balls!
We recommend these crafts for children aged 7+ with a little bit of help from parents and carers.
