7 gifts to sew for a tween girl
Are you looking for a thoughtful and easy gift to sew for the tween girl in your life? Look no further! I’ll walk you through 7 easy gifts to sew for a tween girl in this post. I’ll bet you’ll find at least 1 that will resonate with your tween.
How old is a tween girl?
When I say tween, BTW, I’m talking about girls aged 9 to 12 or even 13. So these gift ideas are great for 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 year old girls! But I bet even an 8 or 14 year old might like some of these ideas.
Why make a handmade gift?
Handmade gifts are the gifts we remember & cherish. They show our loved ones that we’re thinking of them & giving our time to them. Handmade gifts are gifts that they’ll remember well past their birthday or holiday.
No matter what your skill level, there’s a sewing project for you that’ll bring a smile to her face & that she’ll actually remember and, if you pick wisely, she’ll actually use regularly.
How do you find out what your tween girl is into?
The easiest way is to ask her! What are her hobbies? What shows is she watching? Favorite podcast or musician? What’re her favorite colors or foods these days? If you can’t chat with her or you want to keep it a total surprise, ask someone who knows her well (parent, best friend) – they’ll probably know what she’s enjoying these days.
How to make your gift to a tween girl truly personalized.
The lovely part of DIY gifts is that you can tailor it to exactly what your tween is into these days. Tailor your handmade gift to her favorite colors, hobbies, TV shows or movie characters. You can use her favs to find a fabric or a patch to put on a bag and make it hers. Or embroider her name onto one of these! It doesn’t get more personalized than that!
How to make sure your handmade gift won’t end up as waste
As a maker, it’s up to us to be mindful of where our makes will end up down the road. The beauty of ALL of these projects is that they’re FUNCTIONAL. So even if your tween decides to pass it along at some point, someone can find a use for it.
These projects are also designed to be washable, reusable, and fully compostable at the very end of their life. If you use my tutorials to make these bags, they’ll be made with just all natural materials (or upcycled materials) and can decompose in a home compost pile at the very end of their usable life.
Alright, are you convinced yet that there’s something good for you here? I hope so! Let’s jump in.
Here are 7 DIY gifts to sew for a tween girl.
1. A zippered bag for toiletries and/or makeup.
The tweenager in your life might be accumulating more bathroom supplies these days – deodorant, face soap, her favorite chapstick, etc. And she might be getting into makeup too. If she’s not already, she’ll soon need a pouch for period supplies too.
I have lots of zipper pouch tutorials to choose from for this. My absolute easiest lined zipper pouch project is here.
The second easiest lined zipper pouch is here – it has boxed corners and is just a little bit larger than the first project.
The third zipper pouch project I have is also very beginner friendly but requires a little more patience & precision. You can check it out here.
I honestly feel like a person can’t have too many zippered pouches. They function like little organizing bins for travel, desks, workout bags, dance bags, art supplies, sewing supplies and whatever else you can think of. I keep the third version of the zippered bags on my night stand and it holds all my bedtime accouterments (chapstick, ear plugs, face moisturizer, etc.). And when we go on a trip, I just grab it and toss it in my bag and it’s ready to go!
2. Scrunchies (regular or giant-sized!)
Chances are your tween uses scrunchie now & then. Scrunchies are great for a quick ponytail or bun. And they look cute on your wrist, too! Your tween can wear a scrunchie on their wrist until they need it. If they’re like me, they might pull their hair up & then down a couple of times in a day.
Scrunchies are an EXCELLENT beginner sewing project – perfect for your very first sewing experience. I sell kits in my shop for 100% organic cotton scrunchies (with instructions & a video tutorial)! But if you have some long scraps of fabric & elastic, you’re good to go!
You can view my video tutorial for a simple scrunchie here.
And if you’d like to make an EXTRA LARGE scrunchie, check out this tutorial.
3. Stretchy headbands
Fabric headbands make a great fashion statement but are also functional. These will keep your tween’s hair out of her face during sports or dance or when she’s washing her face at the sink.
You can make a simple headband with any stretchy fabric. You can even upcycle and old t-shirt or pair of leggings into a headband. Fabric headbands are a super fast sewing project. I’ve got a full video tutorial right here.
4. Pencil bag
Help your tween stay organized in style with a DIY pencil bag. These bags are an excellent scrap buster! I used pieces just 2.5” tall x 8” wide for this project – so tiny!
These are great for their bookbag & also a thoughtful gift for a budding artist! You can adjust the measurements to make the bag taller or wider.
Here’s the full video tutorial
5. Wall garland (hearts, stars, leaves – whatever they’re into!)
A wall garland can really brighten up & personalize a space. I love the pop of color I get in my sewing studio from this heart garland.
Find out what colors & shapes your tween might be into and sew a garland to hang in front of their windows, over their bed, or even just across the door. Wherever you place it, it’ll brighten up their life.
If you’re tween might like a star garland, I’ve got a tutorial that shows you how to make a fabric star from scraps!
You could also make a flower garland using the tutorial I made for fabric flowers right here. Flowers in a a few different shades of their favorite color would be GORGEOUS.
6. Cute pillow
I made my daughter a pillow to match her bedspread one year and it’s one of the BEST gifts I’ve made her. She keeps it on her bed & uses it every day. It brightens up her bedroom & makes her bed feel fancier & more welcoming!
This is a really simple project that I walk you through in this video right here. 100% completely, absolutely beginner friendly.
7. Tote bag
It shocks me how many tote bags my girls use REGULARLY. They’ve got one for dance bags. One for overnights. One for piano. One for a walk to the boba shop. One for a day at the beach. They each have a few different totes that I’ve made them (and 1 that they’ve made) and they use them ALL.THE.TIME.
I have a few different tote bag tutorials.
The world’s EASIEST tote bag tutorial is unlined with cotton webbing for straps & just 2 rectangles of fabric. Watch the full tutorial here.
The next level up is a lined tote bag with optional matching handles. Also VERY beginner friendly. Check that out here.
If you have a little more experience under your belt, I’ve got a tutorial for a tote with a zippered closure. I upcycled a pair of pants to make this bag but you definitely skip that part and use regular fabric instead.
Where to find fabrics that a tween girl might like.
My fabric shopping advice always starts with what you already have. Shop your stash! You might find a pattern you forgot about that’ll be perfect for her. These projects can work with old clothes too! Got an old baby onesie? Transform it into a scrunchie or headband or a cute fabric garland!
Another fabric idea: vintage vibes are in (are they ever not in style?) and thrift stores are GREAT resources for vintage fabrics. You might find sheets or pillowcases or blankets that are just what you want to use in your project.
If none of those work and you need to shop for new fabrics, I love Etsy. Just enter the color, sport, animal, hobby and the word “fabric” into search, and I’ll bet you’ll find something she’d enjoy. I always try to buy organic cotton when I’m shopping for new fabric. You can definitely find all the colors of the rainbow in organic fabrics on Etsy. If you’re looking for a very specific print, it might be a little harder to find it in an organic fabric.
There you have it – 7 gifts to sew for a tween girl. Which one of these handmade gifts is your favorite? Do you have any gift ideas to add? Leave a comment and let me know!
Thanks for reading!
xo,
Liz