In Stitch and String Lab for Kids, art teacher and winner of the Netflix bake-off show Nailed It! Cassie Stephens presents 40+ inventive projects that explore everything from simple sewing, embroidery, and weaving to string art, needle felting, and yarn crafts.
Stitch and String Lab for Kids leads children, step by step, through a huge range of sewing and fiber art projects. As they go, they will learn a variety of techniques, develop dexterity and coordination, and enjoy making a variety of creative projects. Kids will employ simple embroidery stitches to embellish a sun catcher, wall hangings, and an appliqué animal. Sewing projects include a drawstring bag, a sketchbook jacket, and custom plushies. Children will learn how to make custom looms to weave bookmarks, bracelets, and even a mini rag rug. They will also experiment with string art, needle felting, shibori dyeing, pompom animals, as well as finger knitting, yarn art, and cool wrapping projects.
Each project includes a materials list and illustrated steps, and the book is filled with useful tips, tricks, and shortcuts. Stitch samplers will teach the basics, and templates are included for plushies and stuffies. Kids are encouraged to make variations and personalize the projects to their own style and personality.
These 44 creative projects offer a broad and rich sampling of sewing, fabric, and fiber crafts—Stitch and String Lab for Kids is perfect for keeping kids busy with educational activities at home, learning techniques and experimenting at school, or having a ball at camps and parties. Parents, teachers, homeschoolers, and facilitators will appreciate the easy, illustrated instruction and the curriculum-friendly format, with projects that can be completed in any order.
The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.
Stitch and String Lab for Kids is book 21 of (currently) 24 books in the Labs for Kids series. Released 23rd July 2019 by Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 144 pages and available in a flexibound workbook and ebook formats. Aimed at middle grade readers and their adults (parents, guardians, school resource personnel/teachers etc), it includes more than 40 short lab units for diverse fibrecrafts including embroidery, sewing, knitting, weaving, and braiding.
This is a very appealing colorful and kid friendly book. An introductory tools and supplies chapter leads into some short very basic stitching and cutting tutorials. All of the tutorials are very well photographed and easy to follow. The following chapter units: embroidery, hand sewing, fiber arts, and weaving & string crafts, are composed of self contained sub-sections composed of self contained short project tutorials which would be very well suited to art classes, VBS, camp crafts, public library school holidays clubs, and similar venues. Outlets for creativity and exploration are vitally important for kids' social and intellectual development and these projects are fun and whimsical and stimulate that vital development.
This is a fun and worthwhile book. It would make a great classroom library book, resource book, homeschool resource book, or support text for kids 7-10(+). There's also a wide range of activities and most of the labs use easily sourced materials. The photography is appealing and easy to follow.
Five stars. This is a great book and part of a solid series.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
