Sewing Practice Sheets
Learning to sew can be really intimidating. I hear all the time how hard it is to sew a straight line. So I wanted to share these sewing practice sheets so you can practice your sewing without having to waste any valuable fabric. Print these on printer paper or card stock and then get to practicing. If you are brand new to sewing, start HERE with how to use a sewing machine.
Sewing Practice Sheets Printable
Are you BRAND NEW to sewing and not sure where to start? Check out my new free Sew Simple Series where I will walk you through everything you need to know starting at the very beginning!
These printables are perfect for practicing with your machine sewing before you dive in and sew on fabric. These are also great for kids who are new to a sewing machine and still unsure about their sewing skills. Find the printables at the end of this post.
Remember that you should always change your needle before each project. Sewing on paper may dull your needle so make sure and change it after you have finished practicing. You can tape the needle to the paper for future use if you are wary of tossing it so soon! For more tips about supplies see THIS post for all your beginner supplies!
Sewing Straight Lines:
I have provided an entire page of straight lines. You can isolate and print this page as many times as you need. This page is great for practicing straight line stitching but there are lots of other things you can do with it!
- This is a great page to practice some of the decorative stitches on your machine. If you aren’t sure what they are or what they will look like go ahead and use the straight line page to test them out.
- Use the straight lines to test out the different stitch lengths and widths of your zig zag stitch. Take note of the length and width directly on the page and keep it as a reference for future projects. This way you will always have a visual of what the different settings look like.
Rectangles and Stars:
Sewing straight lines is only part of sewing. For many projects you must then learn to turn your fabric and sew in a square.
The rectangles are good for practicing this turning. Then use them to perfect your 1/4″ seam. Line the rectangle up with your 1/4″ mark and sew inside the square keeping this seam uniform.
Practicing Circles:
Circles can be really intimidating. These circles are a great way to practice.
NOTE: Be sure to lift the foot and turn the paper frequently. You might be able to get by without this step on the paper because paper is more forgiving than fabric. But if you don’t lift and turn when sewing with fabric it could warp or move the circle and cause problems with your finished piece. Plus it will cause lots of frustration!
The zig zag stitch is a great thing to practice for raw edge appliqué. You want to be able to accurately straddle the edge of the fabric with your stitch. So these circles are a great place to practice that technique.
Sewing Practice Sheets for Kids
These sheets are great for kids to learn on. If you are still researching teaching kids to sew make sure and check out THIS post with THE BEST sewing machine for beginners and kids.
These sheets are fun because they can double as coloring sheets which is always fun! Let the kids create fun drawings before or after they have stitched the sheets.
These pages are also a lot cheaper than starting with fabric! You can print a ton of these for super cheap rather than wasting any fabric which can be expensive.
Tips for printing:
I have test printed these and they fit perfectly onto the page.
- If for some reason they are not fitting try scaling to fit to the page.
- Print on regular weight copy paper or use card stock if you prefer.
- You can print these in gray scale or with increased opacity so that you can see your stitches a bit better.
- I have given suggestions for use directly on the first page so be sure to read those for more direction.
Printable Practice Sheets <—Download Here
Have questions about these sheets? Share with me in the comments below.
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Beth D says
Thank you so much for this idea. I’m wanting to teach my granddaughter to sew but we only have one week a year on vacation two if we drive up early and bring them back with us. It’s just not enough time to get in enough sightseeing and sewing before she leaves. This she can do at home on the machine I bought for her and her mother. My daughter can show her how to use the machine for straight stitch. I think this will work fantastically. Thank you.
sewwhatalicia says
Yay! I am so glad this will be beneficial for you! Thanks for commenting Beth!
Carmen Montmarquet says
Thanks so much for these practice sewing sheets. My grandson is having fun with all these different shapes! He has shown interest in the past but now actually wants to learn how to thread the machine and more! Thanks again for sharing!
sewwhatalicia says
I am so glad that he is enjoying them! <3 Alicia