April 16, 2020

Sewing a Felt Wallet or Pouch

After tracing with thread, and making a small felt pillow, your child is acquiring some awesome sewing skills! Time to take them one step further with this wallet or pouch!

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There is even some opportunity for customization here! You can do some embroidery on any of the pieces before you assemble them the same way you did in the Tracing with Thread – you can draw a picture, write your name, whatever you would like, and then go over it with embroidery thread for a personalized pouch!

Supplies:

1 felt piece that measures 5 1/2″ x 6″
1 felt piece that measures 4″ x 5 1/2″
embroidery thread and needle
small button
pins
Pilot Frixion pen, fabric marker, or pencil

Instructions:

1. Begin by placing the smaller piece on top of the larger piece. Pin in place so that it doesn’t shift around. With the marking tool of your choice, make evenly spaced little dots around the whole thing.

2. Make a mark in the top center of the smaller piece where you would like the button to go. Now unpin the two pieces, and taking that smaller felt piece ONLY, we are going to sew a button. This is something you child can do! Just make sure to use the thread knotting modifications discussed in Teaching Hand Sewing to Littles. You will center your button on the mark you made – since I forgot to take a picture of my mark, here is where I put my button for reference:

Here is a short video tutorial on how to sew a button:

Once you have finished sewing the button on, if you would like to do any embroidery on the pouch pieces, do it before you assemble the pieces in the next step.

3. Parents: You may need to start the thread for your child (at least the first few times!) Pin the two pieces together again so they don’t shift while sewing. Start the needle going down through the back piece so that the knot will be hidden on the inside.

Bring the needle down through the closest top dot and go through both layers. Now your child can continue going down through both layers on the dots around the whole pouch.

**Note: if you start to run low on thread, you will need to knot your thread before it gets too short. That way, your stitches will not come out! Here’s a review of how to knot your thread to finish it and start a new thread:

Open up the layers and bring your needle underneath your last stitch. But before you pull it through all the way, go through the little loop.

Then pull it all the way to tie the first knot. Do this same thing a second time so that you have a good solid knot. Clip your thread.

Start a new thread the same way you did at the beginning – go down through the back layer to the back so that your knot will be hidden between the layers, and then complete one stitch by going down through the top layer’s nearest dot.

Finish going all the way around the three sides of the pouch.

4. If you would like, you can switch colors of thread for the top flap (or you can just continue with the thread you were using!) If you do switch colors, start your new thread the same way you have been starting a thread, but underneath the edge of the smaller piece so that the knot will be hidden.

Continue around the top going down on the dots as before.

Once you make it to the other side, tie the knot as before – make one last stitch, go through the loop, pull knot closed, then repeat one more time and clip your thread.