I can’t help but use nature to teach my child a new skill. So, when my eldest was showing interest in learning to sew, I didn’t pick up some felt or cloth to show her, oh no, I picked up a leaf.
You see, teaching with items from the outdoors comes so naturally to me now. It doesn’t take much to teach your child more than just the process of sewing when you think outside the box. Teaching your child to sew on a leaf can also build their:
- fine motor skills
- nature appreciation
- leaf decomposition knowledge
- basic sewing skills
- pattern recognition
- knowledge of leaf structure
- understanding of natural vs synthetic materials
Whenever your child is playing or crafting with nature, you’re building onto knowledge about their world.
How to Sew on Leaves
What you’ll need
- Needle (I used a fairly blunt needle)
- Thread (I halved wool threads but you could use embroidery thread too)
- Freshly fallen leaves
Sew on a leaf
- Enjoy the outdoors and take time to collect leaves with spectacular patterns. Falling in love with nature can start by appreciating a single leaf.
- Gently wipe your leaf clean with a wet cloth and let it dry.
- Thread the needle and push the needle into the leaf just as if you were sewing onto cloth. Stay at least half a centimeter away from the edge of the leaf or it may rip. I’d encourage young children to start sewing in the middle of the leaf. Leaves that are still slightly green are the best for this activity.
- Get creative and sew anything you like onto the leaf.
Here’s a quick video on how we made our leaf hearts but there are more examples of what you can do below.
We’ve also made sewn leaf heart gifts with a secret message inside too.
Sewing leaf hearts
Sewing faces on leaves
Sewing patterns on leaves
More leaf heart ideas
Using nature in any learning experience adds so much value and fun to the activity. We’ve been sewing on leaves, how have you be crafting with nature lately?