Mod your clothing

What can we use if we don't have fabric markers, safety scissors, or iron-on patches?

Use a pencil or washable marker instead of a fabric marker, small rounded-tip household scissors in place of safety scissors, and leftover cotton scraps or sticker-style patches instead of iron-on patches when preparing and cutting your patch shapes.

My patches keep shifting or my stitches look uneven—how can I fix that?

Secure patches with extra safety pins and baste them with a few large running stitches first, then go back with smaller even stitches and let fabric paint dry flat to avoid smudging while you finish sewing.

How can I adapt the steps for younger children or older kids?

For preschoolers, skip hand sewing and use fabric glue or stick-on patches with an adult to do the pinning, while older kids can follow all steps including threading a hand sewing needle, sewing running stitches, detailed painting with a fine brush, and attaching ribbons, buttons, or sequins.

What are some ways to extend or personalize the finished clothing beyond the basic steps?

Add embroidered initials around the edges after sewing patches, layer contrasting fabric scraps before stitching, use stencils with fabric paint for crisp motifs, or add a hidden pocket and then test a small painted area for washability before sharing your finished creation on DIY.org.