Needle and Thread Crafts

About the projects

Have some sewing (and weaving) fun with these projects that use needle and thread. All are simple enough for new sewers while allowing for creativity for those with good sewing skills.

The projects range in difficulty from VERY EASY to AVERAGE.

Browse down this page for descriptions and illustrations of the projects, then select a project and have some crafting fun!

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  Fabric Mitt Hand Puppets - In this project sew up versatile mitt-shaped fabric hand puppets. Printable patterns are included for cat and rabbit puppets. Starting with the basic mitt-shape, use fabric markers, embroidery and a few felt cutouts to make puppets of your own design.

  EASY

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  Stuffed Felt Animals - The project features stuffed felt animals—a chick and a bunny. Beginning sewers will use the overcast stitch to assemble the animals, while more experienced sewers can improvise with stitches and embellishments of their own choosing.

  EASY to AVERAGE

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  Sewing Cards - For generations children have been playing with sewing cards. In this project, see how easy it is to make your own sewing cards out of cardstock then sew on them with colorful yarn. Adults can take the sewing cards a step further to make scrapbook and greeting card embellishments.

  VERY EASY

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  Woolly Octopus Friday Fun - In this craft project learn the British way of making a yarn octopus. This technique is a disarmingly simple way to make a cute toy with items found in most people's homes, and it will use up those leftover scraps of wool (yarn).

  EASY

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  Mittens from Sweatpants - In this project use old sweatpants to make mittens for kids. This is a great way to recycle the fabric from all those holey and stained sweatpants (and sweatshirts) that no one can wear anymore. This is a good project for new sewers.

  EASY

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  Yarn Octopus Friday Fun - See how easy it is to make a little yarn octopus that is the perfect size, about 5 inches, to hang on your backpack. It also makes a terrific gift or craft bazaar sale item.

  EASY

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  The Game of Achi - Make a felt or paper game board for Achi, a game from Ghana in West Africa. Children play similar games all around the world. Some of the oldest games are in a group called games of alignment. Tic-tac-toe is one of the most popular of these games in the United States, but in Ghana the children play one called Achi.

  EASY

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  Handwoven Bookmarks - Make a handwoven bookmark simply and easily while learning the basic concepts of weaving using a cardboard loom. The bookmark makes a wonderful gift, or maybe use it as a rug in a doll house. Make the loom in different sizes and sew the fabric into coin purses, coasters, hot pads—whatever you can imagine!

  EASY