It's inevitable: you look at all the kits I have available, and wonder "which one should I get for my child/niece/nephew/friend's kid/whoever you're buying for?"
I'll start off by saying these are just guidelines; some kids develop good hand-eye coordination at a younger age than others.
Also, the project will go smoother if they're interested in it. My boys have both come to me on different occasions, wanting a specific item from my lineup of kits. Because they want the end product, they were both invested in seeing the project through to the end. If they weren't interested in the final product, they'd be a lot less patient in finishing their projects. This is especially true for our ADHD kiddo whose neurodivergent brain is always searching for interesting stimuli.
My First Pocket Pal kits are appropriate for about 3 and up. In the pictures above, the 4 year old was doing the stitching while his mom held the leather and kept him on track with which hole to do next.
The 6 year old was able to stitch hers by herself with minimal help from myself or her mom.
Why the super easy kits are classified as super easy: holes are large and spaced further apart than in the other kits. Simple shapes make the stitch line straightforward and easy, even for younger kiddos. Plastic needles and yarn are also safe and easy for small hands to grasp and manipulate.
My 8 year old son was able to stitch the pig himself under my supervision. I told him what to do and tightened up some of his stitches, but he did all the sewing himself. While he is my kiddo, I don't push my interests on him or our other children, so he's only sewn maybe one other thing before this.
Why the easy kits are classified as easy: there's one piece of leather that is folded in half, with simple side seams. The metal needles are large, easy to grasp, and less liable to get lost. Large eyes make them easy to thread, even when using the thick waxed thread I include in my kits.
My 11 year old came to me recently, wanting one of my notebooks, so I told him he could have one as long as he did the sewing. I got him started and gave him a few pointers along the way, but he did everything himself.
Why the medium kits are classified as medium: two pieces of leather are stitched together, requiring more dexterity in keeping the leather positioned properly while stitching. The needles are smaller and are harder to thread because the eyes are also smaller.
My 11 year old could sew the quiver, which is a hard project, though I'm sure he'd struggle with the crane, which requires the use of pliers to pull the needle through many layers on the last few steps.
Why the hard kits are classified as hard: keeping the leather positioned properly is more challenging and longer/more seams require a longer attention span. As I mentioned just above, pliers are required to complete the crane due to the difficulty of stitching through many layers of leather.
I've taught 11 and 12 year olds, but they tend to struggle more. I teach my students how to punch holes and install hardware by hand, which means there's a lot of hammering. Most tweens just don't have the muscles needed to complete the practice exercises and projects that make up Leatherwork 101. Some can, but if there's any doubt, I recommend waiting a few years. I'd rather you wait a few years to register your teen in Leatherwork 101 and have them enjoy the course than to register them now as a tween and have them get frustrated and never want to go near leatherworking again. Leatherworking is fun, and I want my students to have a positive experience. Adults are welcome to take my course as well!
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