Making Pillows

Our program keeps an extensive collection of recycled materials. Some of our materials come from a store that collects reclaimed materials and sells them at a fair price. The materials available in the store are plentiful, engaging, and affordable. Parents and teachers are also excellent sources of recycled materials. Our current collection of recycled materials features a giant bag filled with colorful fabric cutouts of many shapes and sizes.

In recent work, the children created cardboard homes for their stuffed animals. Some children were looking for a way to accessorize the rooms in their cardboard homes. One child asked if they could look through the cupboard where we store the extra recycled materials. In their search, the child found a bag of microfiber leftover from another project. The child asked, "what is this for?" I replied that "we used it to make pillows last summer." The child said, "I want to make a pillow for my stuffed animal."

Our conversation continued; I asked the child, "How will you make a pillow?" The child replied, "I am going to sew it." I asked, "what do you need to sew a pillow?" The child said, "I need a needle and some thread." As our conversation continued, I learned that the child had previously practiced hand sewing and was comfortable using a needle and thread.

Next, I searched through our supplies to find a needle and thread. After searching for a few minutes, I discovered we did not have either. A child wanted to create a project, and we did not have the necessary materials. I told the child I would buy some needles and thread and bring it in the following day. They said, "okay," and resumed playing with their stuffed animal.

The next day, the child started creating a pillow. First, the child dumped out the giant bag of fabric and sorted through it to find a color and pattern they liked. Once the child found a suitable material, they cut it into a rectangular shape. Next, the child pulled out some thread and cut it to length, pushed the thread through the needle's eye, tied a knot on the end, and prepared to sew. Working slowly, the child sewed three sides of the fabric closed, then stuffed the fabric pouch with microfiber before sewing the final side closed.

The child placed the finished pillow into their cardboard house for a stuffed animal to rest. I noticed the pillow moved into different rooms in the cardboard house. As the children played together, other children saw the pillow. Inspired, other children wanted to make a pillow for their stuffed animals.

As the children worked to make pillows, some struggled with hand sewing. We tried to support the children as they learned to sew, but some children found it too frustrating. As we talked with the children, they came up with a solution, double-sided tape. The children remembered using it for other projects and asked to use it for making pillows.

For a few weeks, pillow-making took over the program. Children made all types and sizes of pillows. We had plenty of fabric but had to buy more double-sided tape and thread so the children could continue their work uninterrupted. Some pillows stayed in the program as props for children's play. Other pillows went home.

The pillow project was enjoyable for the children, and the learning community came together to support one another. Older children helped younger children learn how to sew by hand. Every project, invitation, and investigation help us grow together as co-learners and builds our community and the bonds between us.

What I learned from this experience may benefit your learning community.

Recycled materials are plentiful, and children enjoy the versatility and open creativity they offer. Acquiring recycled materials is easy. All it takes is a little coordination with parents and teachers in your program. In some cities, stores that collect and sell recycled materials are a fantastic resource for adding interesting and recycled materials to your program.

Recycled materials take up space, so storage is essential in a program that features recycled materials. It is important to curate materials to create beautiful invitations and workspaces and store extra materials out of sight in the classroom space. Organizing recycled materials can be a challenge. Think ahead about how you are going to manage your collection.

Be responsive to the children's work. Sometimes we do not have the materials a child needs to work on their idea. Our role as educators is to get the necessary materials as quickly as possible. Our quick response keeps children's interest alive and a project moving forward.

Every project has challenges that are a part of the learning journey. Talking with the children about the challenges of their work helps them discover new ideas and solutions. When we support children through conversation, then challenges become opportunities.