My 7 yr old son is fascinated with "making things" we have made, with my assistance, a pillow, some stuffies, and other misc items. He is in no way coordinated to sew a project on his own (he has mild dyslexia, and issues with place order. I'm also hoping some fine motor projects will help with his handwriting), but I am looking for something he might be able to do with minimal assistance from mommy. He spent a very happy 45 minutes yesterday sewing on buttons, but that novelty is going to wear off quick.
I was thinking maybe plastic canvas? I vaguely remember working on kits when I was a kid. Does anyone have a source for kits/patterns that are boy friendly? It doesn't have to scream Yoshi or Optimus Prime, but all the stuff I've seen is way pink and flowery, or involves purses and doll clothes. I'd even go for something like baby blocks, since he has a baby brother, and a baby cousin arriving later this summer.
What are some other projects you think might work for a crafty but uncoordinated little boy? I have a knifty knitter, but hats in 100 degree heat...ugh. I have never tried spool knitting, but it's pretty much the same thing right? I am not good enough at traditional knitting to teach him, and I don't know how to crochet. Somewhere I have a latch hook rug kit, if I find that we may give that a try. I'm a little stumped though, and maybe you guys have some fresh ideas? Thanks!
I was thinking maybe plastic canvas? I vaguely remember working on kits when I was a kid. Does anyone have a source for kits/patterns that are boy friendly? It doesn't have to scream Yoshi or Optimus Prime, but all the stuff I've seen is way pink and flowery, or involves purses and doll clothes. I'd even go for something like baby blocks, since he has a baby brother, and a baby cousin arriving later this summer.
What are some other projects you think might work for a crafty but uncoordinated little boy? I have a knifty knitter, but hats in 100 degree heat...ugh. I have never tried spool knitting, but it's pretty much the same thing right? I am not good enough at traditional knitting to teach him, and I don't know how to crochet. Somewhere I have a latch hook rug kit, if I find that we may give that a try. I'm a little stumped though, and maybe you guys have some fresh ideas? Thanks!
I had a roommate with severe dyslexia who made origami animals to relax. I still have a mobile of cranes that he made for me. Public libraries are a great place to look for books about origami.
Plastic canvas can be used for so many kinds of projects. The images can be representational or geometric. I wasn't into the girly stuff either, so my grandmother showed me how to make my own geometric patterns with colored pencils and graph paper, and then we used them to design/make boxes and tissue box covers. Everybody can use a box to keep treasures in, and if you are building it yourself, it can be any size you need. www.allcrafts.net has good basic instructions for working with plastic canvas, plus several good (free) collections of stitch patterns and plastic canvas specific graph paper that you can print out yourself. Also, let him pick the colors. My first box was neon green and black, colors my grandmother clearly would not have picked, but I loved it and kept my rock collection in it for years. Start with a couple of sheets of the larger holed plastic canvas and two or three colors of acrylic worsted weight yarn. If following a prescribed pattern is more than he is up for at first, cut the pieces out for him ahead do time, and he can free form on them (aiming toward covering the whole surface) and then either of you could sew it together into its box shape and lid shapes. If he likes buttons, they can get attached as well.
Eventually I became a prolific knitter and crocheter, but until my motor skills settled in, the plastic canvas projects were much more approachable.
http://allcraftsblogs.com/plastic_canva