Care of the Person

Sewing on a Button
Materials basket; embroidery hoop; fabric to fit hoop; variety of two-holed
buttons in a container; needle; thread; scissors; cushion; dish for button

Purposes Visual Motor Coordination

Fine Motor Coordination
Care of the Person
Preparation for further sewing activities

Age 4 and up

Presentation 1. Invite an individual child. “Would you like to sew a button?”

2. Show the materials and invite the child to bring them to the table.
3. Remove the items from the basket; place the hoop on the table.
4. Go to select a piece of fabric.
5. Show child how to place take hoop apart, placing fabric on inner
circle, setting outer circle on top, pressing down, and securing.
6. Place hoop to right. Bring down container of buttons; choose and
place one on the other dish. Replace the button container.
7. Get thread and scissors. Cut thread length of table. Replace material.
8. Bring down needle in pin cushion. Remove the needle and thread it.
9. Pull the thread so the ends match and put the needle in the cushion.
10. Show the child how to tie the ends together.
11. Hold needle in middle of your right hand and hoop in your left.
12. Show child how to put needle through center of fabric by turning
hoop to see back, placing needle through, turning hoop over, and
pulling needle through with right hand until knot stops the thread.
13. Place the hoop down on the table.
14. Pick up button and put needle through one hole, sliding button
down thread towards the fabric.
15. Holding button against fabric with left hand, put needle through
second button hole, top to bottom.
16. Turn the hoop over and slowly pull the thread through.
17. Put the needle back up through the fabric through the first hole.
18. Repeat this process three more times, ending underneath material.
19. Show the child how to make a knot.
20. Cut the thread near the knot and place the needle in the pin cushion.
21. Invite the child to repeat.
 Care of the Person

Points of Interest  The needle threader

 Tilting the embroidery hoop
 Finding the button
 Choosing a button
 Choosing thread
 Hand movements
 Opening and closing the boxes
Following
Exercises 1. How to sew on a button with 4 holes.
2. How to sew on a button with a shank.
3. How to combine buttons and embroidery to make a design.

Pedagogical  Bead stringing, lacing cards and sewing on card stock using a yarn
Notes needle and yarn would be presented before sewing a button.
 Embroidery stitches are offered in the art expression area.
 Simple sewing exercises can also be offered.
 When the hoop is full, the buttons should be carefully removed by
the adults at the end of the day, out of the view of the children. The
fabric should be steam ironed to minimize the appearance of the
holes and the buttons should be returned to the container.