Best Sewing Kits

Buying guide for best sewing kits

A sewing kit is an underrated — and money-saving — item in anyone’s garment-care supplies. No need to toss that shirt away when you can sew the button back on or mend that rip. And you don’t need to invest in a sewing machine to make simple repairs. A sewing kit contains the essentials like thread, needles, and scissors in a small portable container.

With the wide variety of sewing kits available, a few key factors can help guide your ultimate purchase. Are you looking for a kit for a beginner or someone who knows their way around a needle and thread? Will children be using the kit? Are you also looking for some fun craft projects or just an easy way to repair clothing? The answers to these questions, and a good buying guide, can help you find the perfect sewing kit for your needs.

Learning to sew by hand has many benefits. It’s a great way to improve hand-eye coordination, especially in kids. It’s cheaper than a sewing machine and ideal for making or repairing clothes made of delicate fabrics.

How to buy the best sewing kit

A bit about sewing kits

The sewing kit has a history that dates back centuries. During the nineteenth century, sewing was widespread, particularly among working-class women. With the industrial revolution, many women worked making garments in factories in addition to mending clothes at home.

Some people consider sewing to be a gendered activity, but it wasn’t uncommon for wives to send their men off to World War I with a small sewing kit known as a “housewife.” Men and women alike knew how to darn a sock, replace a button, and make other emergency repairs to clothing.

Sewing kits are still useful in the twenty-first century. Do you really want to take your shirt to the tailor or cleaners every time you need a button replaced? By mastering simple garment repair techniques, you can save money, help your clothes last longer, and maybe even enjoy a new hobby.

Purpose of the kit

Repairs: To fix any urgent clothing mishaps like rips, loose buttons, or loose hems, a classic sewing kit with the basics of needles and thread will do just fine.

Hobby: Some people enjoy sewing as a craft activity. Quite a few sewing kits for children have this focus, with materials and instructions for sewing fun patterns onto felt, making small plush animals, or creating quilted squares. Even if a craft sewing kit is marketed to kids, adults can still join in the fun.

Kit contents

Any sewing kit worth its price will contain some essential items, such as the following:

Thread: This is a no-brainer. Depending on the size of the kit, you can expect to find 6 to 24 spools in the basics of black and white, as well as primary colors.

Sharps: Sewing needles are another obvious must-have. A basic kit usually has three to five, while a deluxe kit can include more than a dozen. The needles vary in length and thickness and in the American system are assigned a number from 8 to 19, with larger numbers being thicker needles. Fine needles are excellent for making small stitches and using them on delicate fabrics like silk. Thick needles are suitable for heavier fabrics like canvas.

Scissors: These are another kit must-have. Most small kits contain a tiny pair of scissors for snipping threads. A bigger kit might include large shears for cutting through fabric. For a simple sewing job, the small scissors will usually suffice.

Thimble: This is a useful item for protecting your finger when pushing the needle through the fabric, especially heavy fabric. New and experienced tailors appreciate the thimble when using fine needles. A thimble is particularly nice to have for children or other beginners.

Pincushion: Larger kits might include a padded, ball-like object to hold the pins and needles when you’re not using them. It’s an easy way to keep sharps — which are maddeningly easy to misplace — in one spot. Because of its size, you won’t typically find a pincushion in a small sewing kit.

Measuring tape: This has many uses beyond sewing. When repairing clothes, you can use the measuring tape to make sure the buttons you’re replacing are evenly spaced, measure thread, and take body measurements. If you buy a lot of clothes online and can’t try them on, a measuring tape helps you choose the size that fits you best.

Buttons: These are easy to misplace, so some kits contain a few small ones in neutral colors like black, white, and bone. While buttons aren’t as essential as needle and thread or even scissors, they’re nice to have on hand and can save you the trouble of buying buttons separately.

There are plenty of kits for sewing machines too. These include much longer spools of thread on bobbins and multiple sizes of scissors.

Features to look for in a sewing kit

Container

These kits include many small items that can get lost. Unless you already have a container for your sewing supplies, we recommend buying a kit that comes with a container.

These containers are made of all kinds of materials and come in many configurations. Many are plastic. Kits that include multiple spools of thread might come in a fabric container that zips closed. Some premium kits come in wooden, multitiered containers. Unlike the other container options, these are a beautiful way to display your sewing materials.

Instruction booklet

Sewing kits made for craft activities typically include an instructional guide to making the most out of the materials. Other kits, especially those for beginners or very advanced tailors, might include best practices and sewing tips. It’s pretty easy to find tips online or elsewhere, so most basic kits don’t include a booklet.

How much do sewing kits cost?

Inexpensive

Sewing kits run the gamut in price, but they’re very affordable in any price range. Options vary even in the lowest tier of $3 to $10. The simplest, cheapest kits are marketed as “travel” sizes. Since these kits aren’t meant to be used often, many come in plastic packaging without a container. At the high end of this range, you can find small kits that include a plastic or fabric carrying case. These kits should meet the basic needs of most people.

Mid-range

Spend $10 to $20 and your options increase considerably. You can find more kits for crafts that include booklets and materials for making plush animals or quilted squares. Sewing kits at this price include a wider variety of thread colors (think a dozen spools or more), several sizes and lengths of sharps, a pincushion, and scissors. The scissors might be small for clipping loose threads or large enough to cut fabric.

Expensive

For the expert, consider investing in a deluxe kit. Sewing kits that cost $20 and more include all the bells and whistles, such as dozens of thread colors, ten or more sharps, multiple sets of buttons, and more than one pair of scissors. A number of deluxe kits also include other specialty items like a seam ripper.

Along with a kit, consider investing in some invisible thread. This is great if you need to repair a garment in a very specific color or simply don’t want to buy thread just to match one item.

Tips

• Choose a kit with big needles for beginners. Those very new to sewing, such as children, can start by making simple stitches with a large needle that has a big eye, which is easier to thread. Make sure children are supervised when using needles, pins, and scissors.
• Keep track of your needles. Lost sharps are a common nuisance for many sewers, and it’s particularly annoying if you’re in the middle of making a repair. If you don’t have a pincushion, consider investing in a needle minder. This small, decorative accessory has a magnet on the back and takes up much less space than a pincushion, so it can easily fit into a sewing kit.

There are many simple projects for young kids who are learning how to sew. They can practice sewing buttons on a sock, make bean bags filled with rice or beans, or repurpose old clothes into hemmed rags.

FAQ

Q. Do hotels have sewing kits?

A. A number of hotels stock their rooms with a basic kit. If you don’t see one, simply call housekeeping and ask for one.

Q. Are sewing kits allowed on planes?

A. Yes, according to TSA.gov. Sewing kits and sewing needles are allowed in both checked and carry-on luggage. Most sewing scissors (less than 4 inches long) are allowed too. Any needles with blades, such as those used for leather, must be put in checked luggage.