Everyone should know enough about sewing that they can make a minor repair. Boys sometimes balk at the idea of sewing, but if they end up with a job that involves travelling, they may end up in a situation where they have to sew a button on their shirt, or fix the seat of their pants.
This Easter chick pin teaches the overcast or whip stitch which is a basic sewing stitch used to hem garments. The eggshell can also be sewn with a blanket stitch which is a decorative version of a whip stitch that is used to edge blankets and make button holes.
This project is best suited for small groups of children. Girls in third grade or boys in fifth grade should be able to make this project with adult help.
It can also be made on a sewing machine. A quilting foot will turn the curved edge without having to raise and lower the pressure foot every few stitches.
To make it you will need:
- White or pastel colored felt
- Pinking shears
- Sewing scissors
- Orange felt
- Small wiggle eyes
- Craft glue
- Safety pin
- White thread and needle
- One-inch pompom
- Small craft feathers (optional)
- Cotton balls or scraps of quilt batting
Cut an oval of white felt that is 1 1/2 inches wide and three inches long. Cut the oval in half with pinking shears to make a broken egg shell shape. Whip stitch a safety pin to the back of one shell piece, sewing around the side of the pin that has the head on it. Place the other shell piece on top, matching the curved sides, and whip stitch the curved sides together.
Open the straight, pinked, edge to make a pocket. Stuff a small amount of cotton or batting into the bottom of the pocket. Put a dab of glue on the front and back, inside the pocket. Tuck a craft feather inside the pocket to make the chick’s tail, if desired. Press the pompom into the pocket to make the chick’s head.
Cut a small equilateral triangle from orange felt. Put a dab of glue on the pompom, and glue the triangle to make a beak. Put two dabs of glue above the beak, and add wiggle eyes.
These pins make nice party favors. They can also be used as a plant poke by taping the pin to a skewer. If used for a fund raiser, they can be sold for about a dollar.
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