Our youngest (aged 5) has asked for a sewing box for Christmas and as I was gathering bits and pieces up I thought I’d post what I think makes a perfect collection of sewing essentials for those little beginners!
Once you have found the perfect sewing box…whether it is pretty floral design or a wooden, plastic or tin box; remember it is the treasure which lies within, so include some little gems for your little one to open on Christmas Day.
Here are 10 basics:
{ scissors }
Have a pair of dainty scissors for cutting embroidery threads and a sturdy pair for cutting fabric. This is an opportunity to talk to them about the different jobs that scissors will do and how they will stay sharp if we keep them carefully.
Choose pins with the plastic head that are easy for little fingers to manoeuvre.
Choose a few different needles depending on the age of your child. Include some plastic needles as they are perfect to use with embroidery thread and hessian fabric…check out the end of this post to get an idea for beginning sewers. Also include a case of wide eyed needles which are easier for them to use.
They will need somewhere to store their pins and a pincushion is the perfect way to keep them sharp and store them until they need them again. Buy one or make your own…the perfect diy to get them started!
There are so many different gorgeous measuring tapes out there (check out Cath Kidston for beautiful floral ones) and most now have a button to recoil the tape which means it lasts for longer…little ones will love this feature. It is one of the favourites in our house!
{ threads }
There are so many amazing haberdasheries and online stores to get the thread you need. I would advise a few spools of brightly coloured cotton thread and some different embroidery threads (you can also get these at local pound shops so you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money). This means that, whatever their project, they have a little stash of threads ready to go!
Sewing a button is one of the greatest lifelong skills to teach…it will come in handy many times during the course of a life!! I have a great wee tutorial here that combines the sewing of a button with a basic running stitch. This is the chance to include lots of patterned buttons and different shapes and sizes…they will love examining all the different ones you include. Put them in a pretty tin or box to keep them together.
{ fabric }
Gather a range of different fabric that you like and think your child will like. Combine modern patterns with vintage and make sure there are plain, floral, striped…the diversity is wide so include enough to give them a choice when it comes to a project. Roll them up in a pretty ribbon and place in the bottom of your box.
{water soluble pen}This is a great addition to a beginners sewing kit…allowing you to draw where you want to stitch and watch it disappear when dabbed with water. Perfect when starting out and unsure of where you want to sew.
{ seam ripper }
This is one for discretion…I include it because I think it makes them feel they have a ‘proper’ sewing kit
Here is where you get personal to your child. Think about what they like and the different projects they are drawn to.
There are basics to put it your box but there are also opportunities to include quirky accessories or little special extras; like wooden spools with velvet ribbon or a pretty bias binding…those things that will make their box uniques to them and that little bit extra special. My little one is drawn to those mini sewing kits you get in hotel rooms or see in the pound shop so I’ll probably put one of these in a miniature tin and pop it in the box. Beads, bells, clips…the (sewing) world is your oyster!!
