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Keep All Your Supplies Together with a Sewing Kit

Sewing is, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding craft out there. From repairing a ripped pair of jeans to making your own dress from scratch, sewing is a craft that helps you relax, offers you palpable rewards, and could even help some of you make a living.

sewing kits for beginners

If you’re never taken on sewing before, you’re probably not sure what items are needed, so let’s dive into a comprehensive guide focused on helping you find the best sewing kits for beginners.

Top Picks

Best for Travel: Oukaning Needle Scissor Box Household Accessory Sewing Kit

With only 0.77 pounds in weight and delivered in a compact carrying case that measures only 1.97” H x 6.7” W x 9” D, this is one of the best portable basic sewing kits that one can invest in.

Customer’s Choice: Coquimbo Sewing Kit

“So glad I bought this little sewing kit! Having sewing supplies on hand is a godsend when emergencies happen.” (Customer review)

Budget Pick: Embroidex Sewing Kit

If you’re looking for a compact sewing kit of beginners and emergency repairs, this is a budget-friendly option that will save you in a lot of sewing-related situations.

How to Choose a Sewing Kit

When you’re thinking about buying a sewing kit, what you really need to know is what are the different items that are a part of a good kit and make sure that the one you’re thinking of buying has them. But, in order to determine what are the items that you need, you have to know what each of them is used for. So, here is a list of the items that may or not be a part of a sewing kit and which might determine you to choose one product over another:

Tape measure

Having a tape measure in your kit will help you take body measurements whenever needed, but it is also useful for just about any other measuring task within the available length of the tape.

Pincushion and pins

While you’re sewing, you’re going to need a place for all your pins and needles so you can easily pick them up when needed again. A pincushion serves this purpose, as it’s usually filled with wool roving and sawdust. Pins are needed and are available in different sizes so they can serve different purposes. Consider buying a sewing set that has multiple pin sizes.

Hand-sewing needles

These are also available in multiple sizes, with the most common ones being the sharps. They are medium-length pins that have a rounded thread eye and work with multiple types of fabrics. Remember, the more different needles you have, the wider the range of fabrics you can sew.

Sewing needle threader

This little tool is perfect for threading needles when you’re tired or have poor eyesight.

Seam ripper

A seam ripper is useful for removing unwanted stitches. It has a fine tip that you use to select a single thread, but also a rounded tip for when you want to remove the stitches from an entire seam.

Sewing scissors

Whenever you need to cut fabrics, sewing scissors can be of great help. They won’t work for other purposes except cutting fabrics because the blades tend to get dull.

Pinking shears

These are basically scissors that have jagged blades and are used to cut saw-tooth edges on different kinds of fabric.

Tailor’s chalk

A beginner’s sewing kit should have either tailor’s chalk or a fabric pencil, both of these items serving the same purpose. They help you create a guideline on your fabric and it’s kind of like making an outline for a drawing.

Thimble

A thimble can go a long way in preventing you from pricking your fingers, which is bound to happen considering the fact that sewing implies working with sharp tools.

Pros & Cons of Sewing Kits

Whenever we try to review products suitable for our readers, we always consider that each product category comes with advantages and drawbacks, and we try to present them in an honest and objective fashion. However, if you have the slightest need for a sewing kit, there really aren’t many cons to having one, so let’s talk about the few down and many ups of purchasing such a product:

Pro: It saves you money on clothing repairs. That means that if you ever notice a seam coming loose or a part of the fabric on one of your favorite clothing pieces is torn, you can make quick repairs and adjustments without having to spend money on a professional tailor’s services.

Con: You have to learn how to use them. Just because you bought a beginner’s sewing kit doesn’t mean you know how to actually sew. Sewing is a craft that takes a considerable amount of time to master and owning a sewing kit doesn’t make you an expert without loads of practice.

Pro: It saves you from embarrassing situations. If you’re away from home and you happen to have a clothing emergency and are in need of a quick repair, a sewing kit can be compact enough to be carried around even inside a small purse, meaning that you can excuse yourself to the restroom and quickly repair anything that’s torn apart.

Pro: It is ridiculously cheap. You can find pretty good beginner sewing kits for less than $10 if you have a strict budget to stick to. Naturally, less expensive kits will have fewer items, but do you really need that many items if you’re just a beginner?

DIY Tips and Ideas

Sewing isn’t just fun, but also one of the most challenging and rewarding hobbies out there. However, it may take a while for you to master the craft, but it’s absolutely worth it when you think about all the different things you can do when you become good at this. In this section, we are going to give you some sewing ideas that you can start implementing right away.

Learning Basic Hand Stitches with a Sewing Kit

Learning Basic Hand Stitches with a Sewing Kit

Even if you decide to buy a sewing machine at some point, true sewers will always try to master the art of hand sewing as well. In this article, you are going to learn how to make six of the most commonly-used hand stitches. The tutorial is available in both video and image form, with step-by-step pictures and written explanations that will teach you how to make back stitches, running stitches, blanket stitches, and more.

Sewing a Pillowcase

Sewing a Pillowcase

Making your own pillowcase does sound demanding if you have no clue how to stitch, but this tutorial will show you just how easy sewing your own pillowcase is. Specifically, you are going to learn how to sew a pillowcase using a single piece of fabric and how to do it with a cuff. The steps are explained in detailed images and text, so you will be guided every step of the way and end up having two beautiful pillows at the end.

Sewing a Lightweight Quilt

Sewing a Lightweight Quilt

One can never have too many quilts, especially since they never seem to run out of style. With this tutorial, you will learn how to make a lightweight quilt that’s perfect for summer use. While the tutorial used a playful pattern, there’s no limit to the print you can choose for your own quilt. The project will require two different kinds of fabric, two wide strips, batting, coordinating thread, a sewing machine, and some basic sewing tools (scissors, safety pins, and pins).

DIY Crib Sheet

Sewing Kit

If you are at the beginning of your sewing endeavors, making a crib sheet is one of the easier projects you can work on. Mostly because all you need is some prewashed cotton fabric and some elastic. The project will teach you how to apply a French seam step-by-step, while using a sewing machine to help you see the project through.

Sewing a Bolster Pillow

Sewing a Bolster Pillow

There are so many cool things that you can do with a bolster pillow, even if you just use it for decorative purposes. This intermediate-level sewing project requires a bolster pillow form, a suitable zipper, two half-ball cover buttons, fabric, thick thread, a large needle, with the rest of the details and requirements being carefully explained in this written tutorial.

Best Sewing Kits for Beginners

Haitral Sewing Kit

Sewing Kit

The Haitral sewing kit is one of the best investments you can make if you’re just getting started in the craft of sewing. This basic kit includes 32 different thread spools and 32 metal bobbins for you to work it. The thread kit is compatible with a variety of different sewing machine brands, offering spools that have 25 meters of thread. Several other items are included in this kit as well, such as needles, tape measure, and a simple pair of straight scissors.

Oukaning Needle Scissor Box Household Accessory Sewing Kit

Sewing Kit

If you’re interested in a portable sewing kit that has the tools a beginner, but even a professional sewer might need, then the Oukaning kit might be just what you need. Measuring 1.97” H x 6.7” W x 9” D and having less than 0.8 pounds in weight, this kit comes with a variety of sewing tools that one might need on the go, such as 24 different colored threads, scissors, a variety of needles, buttons, tape measure, plastic needle threaders, tweezers, and more.

Basket Sewing Kit

Sewing Kit

Delivered in the most adorable pink and black basket, this sewing kit is a compact and beautiful-looking purchase for everyone who is just discovering sewing, but also for shoppers looking to have an emergency kit in the house. The kit includes a 60-inch tape measure, 10 hand needles, 100 pins, a pair of scissors, 10 small thread spools with 10 yards of thread on each of them, a seam ripper, a thimble, and a pin cushion.

Coquimbo Sewing Kit for Traveler

Sewing Kit

Being incredibly well-received by its buyers, this sewing kit is the perfect addition to your collection if you are a beginner, if you want a compact travel sewing kit, or if you want to have an emergency kit always with you. The kit comes with 16 different thread colors, measuring tape, a pair of scissors made from stainless steel, safety pins, a metal thimble, pearl needles, spare buttons, sewing needles, a seam ripper, and a couple of needle threaders, all of them packed in a small carrying case.

ARTIKA Sewing KIT

Sewing Kit

The Artika sewing kit is yet another compact sewing kit that’s perfect for people who have just taken an interest in sewing and would like to have the basic items needed for this craft. It comes with 38 different spools, 100 pins, a few colored clips, scissors, a bunch of eye needles in different sizes, tape measure, spare buttons, and a variety of different items that lead to this 130-piece portable sewing kit.

Embroidex Sewing Kit for Home

Sewing Kit

An Embroidex sewing kit is a budget-friendly option for beginners that want to learn how to sew but aren’t ready to spend money on a more expensive product. The kit comes with 14 thread spools in different colors, a pair of scissors, a couple of pins, eye needles in different lengths and sizes, tape measure, steam ripper, and more. It also serves as a great purchase for kids who have just taken an interest in sewing.

130pcs Portable Sewing Kit Set

Sewing Kit

Sewing kits designed for beginners are always worth considering if you’re looking for a portable product because they include the basic items that are needed in both situations. This particular set includes 130 different pieces that will surely help in a beginner’s sewing endeavours. Some of the items included in the kit are 12 spools (with 40 yards of thread each), a set of 40 pins, buttons, a metal bobbin, a pair of U-shaped scissors, 30 needles, a needle threader, and more.

CURMIO Sewing Kit

Sewing Kit

The Curmio sewing kit for beginners is another purchase worth considering because it comes with the basic items needed for one to get started on their sewing journey, all packed up in a convenient carrying bag. The set comes with spools of 12 different thread colors, sewing needles, a needle threader, thimble, a pin cushion, a pair of scissors, tape measure, a bunch of colored pins, and a seam ripper.

Wooden Sewing Basket with Accessories

Sewing Kit

When it comes to adorable sewing kits for beginners, this one is probably the cutest one we’ve seen. Instead of the regular carrying box, this one comes with a wooden box that helps hold a variety of items that have to be part of a basic sewing kit, such as 12 different colored thread, measuring tape, a thimble, needle threader, seam ripper, sewing needles, and other items. The wooden sewing box measures 5.31x 5.83 x 3.07 inches, making it a pretty compact and easy-to-store option.

Polka Dot Small Sewing Basket

Sewing Kit

The last item on today’s list of sewing kits for beginners is this gorgeous Singer basket that holds a variety of items that are perfect for everyone in need of a basic sewing kit. Inside the polka dot basket, one can find 10 different mini thread spools, 10 hand needles, a bunch of different dressmaker pins, a pin cushion, a pair of scissors, a thimble, tape measure, seam ripper, and needle threader.

FAQ

What should be in a beginner sewing kit?

While there are many different items that could be part of a sewing kit, some items aren’t really needed if you’ve just discovered your love for this craft. A beginner’s sewing kit should include bent handle shears, regular straight scissors, embroidery scissors, straight pins, a pincushion, tape measure, needles, a clear ruler, tailor’s chalk, thread, iron and ironing board, and a seam ripper.

What is the best sewing machine to buy for a beginner?

When you’re at the beginning of your sewing experience, there really is no point in spending way too much money on a sewing machine, at least not until you learn basic sewing techniques and how to handle a simple machine. Some of the brands that make the best sewing machines for beginners include Janome, Brother, and Singer. They also make great sewing machine tables.

What is the easiest thing to learn to sew?

There are plenty of good projects to start off with if you’re a beginner sewer. These include making a tote, a baby blanket, a laptop case, a Chapstick keychain holder, and basically any project that required pretty basic sewing techniques.

Conclusion

When it comes to buying a sewing kit for beginners, your options are pretty much unlimited. You can either choose to buy the items you need separately and make a more personalized sewing kit or you can purchase one of the many premade kits that are currently available on the market. Regardless of which option suits you best, keep in mind that there are certain “non-negotiable” items that have to be a part of any kit, including a good pair of scissors, pins and needles, a seam ripper, and spools of at least 10 different colors.