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If the thought of knitting or crocheting brings your grandmother to mind, think again. The fiber arts are making a comeback among an unlikely crowd: tweens and teens.
Working with textiles is the kind of hands-on activity that will benefit your kid in so many ways. These crafts are wonderful for improving fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, creativity, patience and even STEM skills. For atypical learners, these crafts can also provide focus and calm. Plus, who doesn’t love a handmade masterpiece you can actually wear or display?
No matter whether your kiddo already has a textile craft they know and love or has never tried one before, we’ve scoped out some awesome sites, blogs and channels to inspire their artistry. From nostalgic needle felting to operating a loom, the following craft masters present ideas that will get your child knotting, threading and creating in no time.
Folk art
Wee Folk Art was started by a mother-daughter duo that shares a love of crafting, homeschooling and folk art. This homey (yet trendy) site has it all: project ideas, handy guides and loads of free patterns for knitting, crocheting, appliqué and sewing. Make a funky fuzzy boa scarf or learn to stitch an appliqué picture, then move on to the more complex afghan knitting series.
Sew along
Fun-loving art teacher Cassie Stephens is an ace at every type of crafting, but her funky sense of fashion particularly shines in her work with all things fabric. Her YouTube channel features a dedicated fiber arts playlist chock-full of video tutorials on everything from embroidery to shibori (a form of Japanese tie-dye), weaving to colorful string art. Try your hand at an adorable stuffed pizza or follow a sew-along series to stitch together a pretty kitchen apron from scratch.
Everything I know, I learned from this crochet prodigy
When Jonah Larson was 5, he taught himself how to crochet by watching YouTube videos. Now that he is a teen, his own easy-to-follow and fun crocheting tutorials have gone viral. Jonah’s sunny personality and extraordinary mastery with the crochet hook earned him the title of “crochet prodigy,” and he has gained thousands of followers on his YouTube channel, Jonah’s Hands. He generously donates profits from his creations along with series of books, DVDs and crochet kits to the orphanage in Ethiopia from which he was adopted.
Teen crafts that aren’t stupid
Created by a couple of friends to help fill the niche of crafting for the younger generation, A Little Craft in Your Day is full of fun projects accessible to kids and young adults. A sizable section is dedicated to sewing, felt crafts and DIY fashion design. There are felt egg pouches, leather tassel earrings, trendy faux fur vests and an entire series of “Teen Crafts That Aren’t Stupid,” which even your too-cool-for-crafting high schooler will appreciate. Helpful tips, such as how to hem or sew a straight line, make it a breeze for beginners to get started.
Get a little knotty
DIY Macrame Accessories on YouTube
Macramé décor and accessories are all the rage lately among teens and tweens, with the art of knotting twine, yarn or other materials enjoying a revival from a retro hobby to a popular pastime. Discover the soothing craft on the creative YouTube channel Macramé Magic Knots, which is filled with tutorials for projects of all levels and abilities. While there is a dedicated kids’ playlist featuring various friendship bracelets, key chains and more, the general-audience videos include plenty of doable pieces, such as macramé purses and funky earrings.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated for 2022.
