How to Make Smocks for Kids

Creative time can be the most enjoyable time of a child's day. Getting messy and having fun while using paint, markers, clay, glitter, glue, and even kitchen ingredients like spaghetti and other pastas can increase brain function, creativity and stress relief. However, it can sometimes leave a big mess behind. Art smocks are simple and protective of clothing during creative time, and are surprisingly easy to make as well.

Things You'll Need

• Thick fabric in several patterns, one for each smock
• Sewing machine
• Needle
• Thread
• Scissors
• Sewing pins
• Sewing pen/marker
• A long sleeve shirt of the child's

Instructions

1. Decide on a pattern for your smock or smocks. This is a step that could be fun for kids to help with, choosing their own smock pattern. The fabric needs to be thick so that paint or glue cannot seep through to the clothes underneath, offering good protection against accidents.

2. Measure the child who will be wearing the smock, or use a large, long sleeve shirt they own as a template. The shirt should be slightly big for him/her. The difference between a regular shirt and a smock will be the length of the tail

3. Trace a shape on your fabric using a sewing pen or marker, using the shirt as a template.. Do this two times, on two pieces of fabric. At the bottom, add six to eight inches before drawing the line. This will ensure that the smock protects as much of the child's clothing as possible without hindering their movement.

4. Cut out both shapes for the front and back of the smock and use sewing pins to pin the two pieces together, the patterned sides facing each other.

5. Sew the two pieces of fabric together, leaving the end of the sleeves, the neck hole, and the bottom section unsewn. Remove the pins as you sew, being sure to get all of them out to avoid being pricked.

6. Turn the edges of the unsewn portions back toward you and pin them into place to form a hem. Then, using needle and thread, sew the hems in place, removing the pins as you go. This step cannot easily be done with a sewing machine, so it will need to be done using just needle and thread.

7. Turn the smock inside out and check for any areas where there is loose thread or unsewn areas. Cut loose any threads and sew unsewn areas into place by hand, if need be. Double check for any pins that may still be in the fabric.

8. Ask the child to try on the smock to see how it fits. It should strike the child just below the knees but no further down than the ankles, and fit loosely but not so loose that he/she gets tangled up in it.

Tips & Warnings

• Try using a different pattern of fabric for the sleeves than you do for the body to make it more appealing to the eye.

• Try using easily washable fabric to ensure a durable and reusable smock.

• Always exercise extreme caution when using scissors, needles, pins, and a sewing machine to avoid injury.

• Never allow children to use any sharp or dangerous objects when helping with this project.

References

• Don't Look Know: Kids art smock pattern
• Martha Stewart: Art Smocks for Kids