Summertime means longer days, which inevitably means MORE PLAY TIME! That’s right, through the sunnier months there will be more hours to throw into crafting with your kids, whether it’s outdoors on a picnic blanket, basking up the British weather, or inside spread across the dining room table as Mother Nature rains down on the garden. After a few years of finger painting, biscuit baking and crayon colouring, maybe it’s time to put those sewing skills to use and teach your child how to devise using fabrics!
Patchwork squares are a brilliant way to get the kiddywinkles into haberdashery and other crafts, due to their simplicity and unlimited creative outcomes. There are loads of ways to incorporate patchwork into everyday useful items, fashion accessories and decorative features – many that could be used in your child’s bedroom, meaning they could design and make something they would love to surround themselves by! Patchwork squares can be handmade fabric pieces or simply scraps of material you have lying around your home – there are no rules as to what you can use, that’s the beauty of it!
To help you get started we’ve compiled a little list of ways you could use patchwork squares to decorate your children’s bedrooms and of course, they can help!
5 Fun Ideas for Crafting with Patchwork Squares for Children
- BEDDING
The most obvious project is to get stitching blankets, duvets, pillows and throws! Work around the aesthetic of the bedroom; if the room is neutral why not opt for some pale pastel colours and soft floral prints? If you’re child likes loud and bold statement colours then brighten it up with some ethnic printed patchwork squares!
For extra decor, add bows, beads, lace, buttons and even embroider their names into the fabric for a personal touch (this works great with twins or siblings who share bedrooms!).
- SCHOOL BAG
Every new term I would insist my mum bought me another school bag – I had to keep up with the latest trends (whatever they were back then), but coming from a little town, it was usually the case that most of my classmates and I would end up with the same one! Here’s how to eradicate that: MAKE YOUR OWN!
It’s super fun and will allow your child to design their dream school bag! Opt for a rucksack for extra storage and comfort, or perhaps a Cambridge style satchel – of course, all created using patchwork squares. Sneak in hidden pockets and make it a true one off – something your little boy or girl can show off on the school playground as their original design!
- TOYS AND PLAY THINGS
One of my all time favourite ideas is creating a play set all from fabric. Teddies, dolls, fabric animals… and a little home for them to reside to when play time is over!
Have some extra fun by getting your child to write a short story involving multiple characters – get them to design and describe the fictional characters and use these to then create the toys! With all their adventures and excitement, the characters are going to need a place to rest, so stitching them a pocket bed will help keep them cosy and tidy until next time!
- PLAY MAT
A play mat should always be vivid and imaginative – encouraging for its purpose of play! Create a blanket style square or rectangle from patchwork squares full of vibrancy and textures for the younger ones. Busy blankets like these could also be used as a game in themselves; play eye spy and get your little one to find characters/animals hidden in the intricacy!
- CLOTHING
What little designer doesn’t want to create their own clothing? Whether your daughter wants to be the belle of the ball in a stunning patchwork dress, or your son wants to roll through town in his patchwork pocket shirt – the details are down to them! You can handle the scary sewing machine whilst they sketch up ideas and hand pick the fabrics!