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Many see sewing as a fun hobby. For others, it is a way to reduce household expenses by making or repairing clothing and other textile items. For whatever reason you’ve decided to start sewing, having a well-stocked sewing kit is essential. If your sewing kit is missing a critical tool or material, pausing a project you’re working on until you can shop for the necessary item is an inconvenience.
Taking a few moments now to identify and purchase everything you’ll need will allow you to keep it all organized and ready for use. This will keep everything right at your fingertips, and you’ll be able to focus on the sewing project you’re working on—rather than worrying about finding the materials you need to complete it.
1. Sewing Scissors
Identified as the “Easiest to Use” in our guide for the best sewing scissors, the Fiskars Titanium Easy Action Scissors are ideal for beginners. The spring-action design of these scissors re-opens the blades after cutting, reducing the strain placed on your hands. The 8-inch titanium blades easily cut through thread and various fabric types, including denim and silk.
Get the Fiskars Titanium Easy Action Scissors at Amazon for $23.31
2. Needles
No sewing kit is complete without needles, such as this pack of assorted needles from Singer. It includes 25 needles of different varieties, including sharps, betweens, darners, and embroidery needles. A plastic storage case keeps the needles organized and prevents them from getting lost when not in use.
Get the Singer Assorted Hand Needles at Amazon for $4.83
3. Thimble
The Dritz Soft Comfort Thimble is a welcome addition to any beginner’s sewing kit, as it protects the tip of your finger when sewing by hand. The thimble features soft sides and ventilation openings to keep your finger comfortable and cool while worn. This model also has a textured design to ensure needles don’t slip as you work.
Get the Dritz Soft Comfort Thimble at Amazon for $2.69
4. Cutting Mat
PROMOTED PICK
A cutting mat makes the task of measuring and cutting for a sewing project much easier. The Crafty World Self-Healing Sewing Mat offers a thick, nonslip design to provide lasting durability and protect your work surface against damage. This small 12-inch by 18-inch cutting mat offers easy-to-read measurements and angled guides for trimming fabrics.
Get the Crafty World Self-Healing Sewing Mat at Amazon for $19.99
5. Thread
You’ll always have the right thread colors for hand sewing projects with this pack of 24 mini-spools of thread from Singer. Each spool includes 10 yards of 100 percent polyester thread. Three needles and a needle threader are also included with each set.
Get Singer Polyester Hand Sewing Thread at Amazon for $6.99
6. Needle Threader
These needle threaders from Phinus will reduce eye strain and frustration when trying to get thread through a needle’s tiny eye. The 24 needle threaders in this set are designed to be long-lasting with their high-quality elastic steel wire and durable plastic components.
Get the Phinus 24-Piece Needle Threader Set at Amazon for $4.49
7. Seam Ripper
When working on a sewing project, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll need to remove stitches at some point. This small CampTek tool kit includes two large and two small seam rippers, as well as a small thread snipping tool. The smaller seam rippers are designed to get into tighter spaces or undo finer stitches, while the large seam ripper easily removes unwanted stitches with its long, easy-to-grip handle.
Get the CampTek Seam Ripper and Thread Remover Tool Kit at Amazon for $6.99
8. Pincushion and Pins
The Grabbit Magnetic Sewing Pincushion offers a modern-day twist on traditional pincushions. Rather than having to push your pins into the pincushion, a powerful magnet attracts pins to keep them safely in place. Additionally, the design of the pincushion and magnet means your pins can be kept organized and easy to grab when needed. 50 colorful pins with round plastic heads for hand sewing projects are included with the magnetic pincushion.
Get the Grabbit Magnetic Sewing Pincushion at Amazon for $12.50
9. Measuring Tape
This 60-inch measuring tape from Singer is another must-have product for a beginner sewing kit. The pink measuring tape is made of a durable vinyl material and features easy-to-read black markings in both inches and centimeters. There are also metal tabs on both of the tape’s ends to prevent them from fraying.
Get the Singer 60-Inch Tape Measure at Amazon for $2.99
10. Sewing Machine
While a sewing machine is too big to fit inside a sewing kit, it’s still a necessity for beginners looking to do more than basic hand sewing projects. The Brother XR9550 Sewing and Quilting Machine is designed to be approachable for beginners with its automatic needle threader, drop-in top bobbin, LCD display, and 165 built-in stitches. This machine, which was named “Best Overall” in our guide to the best sewing machines for beginners, comes with a wide table to help with larger sewing projects, eight sewing and quilting feet, a protective cover, and an instructional DVD.
Get the Brother XR9550 Sewing and Quilting Machine at Amazon for $229.99
11. Fabric Adhesive
Using Bish’s Original Tear Mender, you can quickly repair rips or tears in fabrics. This adhesive, our top pick in our best fabric glue guide, has a non-toxic formula that quickly creates a permanent bond on fabrics and leathers when applied. After just 3 minutes, the adhesive will be dry enough to wear or use the fabric, and the material can safely be washed after 15 minutes.
Get Bish’s Original Tear Mender at Amazon for $8.44
12. Sewing Kit
This portable sewing kit from ARTIKA is stocked with all the essentials beginners will need to tackle their first sewing projects. Multiple spools of thread, needles, pins, a thimble, a needle threader, a pair of scissors, and more are all included in the case. The kit, recognized as “Best Overall” in our guide to the best sewing kits, features elastic bands to keep the contents organized and a durable zipper to keep everything safely in place when you aren’t working.
Get the ARTIKA Sewing Kit at Amazon for $12.74
The prices listed here are accurate as of publication on 1/18/21.