Guide to Creating A Custom Wardrobe

With a few basic sewing skills, teenagers can create a fashionable, homemade wardrobe. Basic sewing machines can be inexpensive and are essential for creating handmade shirts, pants, and dresses. Teens can also learn to sew accessories such as scarves and purses with a machine, or by hand. Crafting a wardrobe or even simply making a few garments from scratch lets a teen tap into their creativity and learn a life-long skill. As they become more skilled, they can also learn other fiber crafts, such as knitting or crochet.

Sewing 101

For a beginner, the world of sewing can seem intimidating. Some patterns and tutorials are written in a jargon that is unfamiliar to teens who have never picked up a needle and thread before. Learning important sewing vocabulary is key to getting started sewing. Teens should learn to identify tools used in sewing, such as a thimble, which protects the thumb, the bobbin, which is a spool that holds thread in sewing machine, and a seam ripper, which is used to pull stitches out. Other key vocabulary words include 'seam,' which is the area where two pieces of fabric are stitched together, 'interfacing,' which is a material used to reinforce fabric, and 'mitering,' which is a way of folding corners.

A teenager also needs to learn a few simple stitches, even if they plan on doing most of the work on a machine. A running stitch is the basic straight stitch used to sew fabrics together. Basting stitches are longer versions of the running stitch and are used to temporarily hold fabric together, for example. Zigzag stitches are used to sew stretchy fabrics, such as knits, together. The zigzag stitch has some give, so the stitches will not snap when the fabric stretches.

The sewing machine can seem like a confusing object at first. Once a teenager learns to thread it and wind the bobbin, they should be good to go. They can practice the various stitches on scraps of fabric before beginning a project. A teenager should also familiarize themselves with the different feet that come with a sewing machine. The feet hold the fabric while the machine operates. There are feet that are specially shaped for attaching a zipper or for creating a buttonhole with the sewing machine.

Tops

Handmade tops can range from simple projects, such as a tube top or tank top, to more complicated garments, such as pleated button shirts or sweaters. A teenager who is just learning to sew may want to start with a simple shirt project that does not require complex stitches or lots of extra details such as ruffles, buttons, or zippers.

Bottoms

Some styles of bottoms are a lot simpler to sew than others. For example, an elastic-waist pull-on skirt is probably the most simple of sewing projects. Pajama bottoms are considerably easier to construct than a pair of jeans, as they do not have zippers or pockets in most cases. Other easy sewing projects include work-out pants or boxer shorts.

Accessories

Once a teenager gets sewing, they can start making a wide range of accessories out of fabric. Purses and scarves are simple projects, perfect for the beginning sewer. They can also branch out and use other materials, such as beads or metal chains, to make jewelry. Winter accessories can be sewn out of wool.

Other Crafts

Other crafts such as crocheting, knitting, and embroidery can be used to create custom-made garments or to add details to a piece of clothing. Teens can learn to knit garments such as sweaters or socks. More advanced projects might involve experimenting with conductive thread and try adding electronics and lights to wearable garments. Teens can also turn old or worn-out clothes into new garments by cutting the pieces to use for new projects, or adding appliques and other details.

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