Sewing Machines and Supplies for Tweens and Teens

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Sewing Machines and Supplies for Tweens and Teens

Sewing is a great life skill and if your tween or teen is showing interest in learning how to sew, they would love to receive a machine of their own to learn on. I bought my daughter her first machine at age 11 and, with a few classes, she learned how to do lots of fun, simple projects on her own. There are a lot of machines that are marketed to kids and while they are affordable, most break easily and are a waste of money. There are a few highly-reviewed starter machines that are under $100 and a several that are just over $100, with a variety of great features. We found some great solid machines that will make learning to sew easy and fun, not frustrating. There are also lots of great sewing supplies that your tween or teen will love so they can start this fun new hobby.

My daughter started off with classes at our local Joann fabrics store. They offer sales on their classes and you will receive a list of supplies, plus one of their coupons. One of her first projects was a pillowcase and they she branched out to a simple pair of PJ shorts, a pair of PJ pants, an apron and more. You can also check out if your local community center has classes as well. If your sewer prefers to venture out on their own, one of our best finds was the simple sewing patterns offered at Walmart stores, in the fabric department. They offer a variety of beginner patterns for just $1-3. There are patterns for purses, bags simple clothing, doll clothing and more. My daughter loves to save her allowance money to fund her next project and I love that she is learning a new life skill. Sewing projects are perfect for staying busy on weekends and over Summer break.

Below I outlined a comprehensive list of starter sewing machines and supplies for tweens and teens that want to learn to sew. To save this list for later, press the “pin-it” button above to save it to your Pinterest boards.

Starter Sewing Machines

Brother is one of my favorite brands of highly-reviewed sewing machines. They have made a great name for themselves and they have lots of solid machines at great price points. I bought my daughter a Brother and it is working great for her after a solid year of use. Their machines include instructional DVDs to help your sewer get started with their machine.

1. Brother XM2701 Lightweight, Full-Featured Sewing Machine with 27 Stitches, 1-Step Auto-Size Buttonholer and 6 Sewing Feet

2. Brother XL-3750 Convertible 35-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine with Quilting Table and 7 Presser Feet

3. Brother XR3774 Full-Featured Sewing and Quilting Machine with 37 Stitches, 8 Sewing Feet and a Wide Table

4. Brother Project Runway CS5055PRW Electric Sewing Machine – 50 Built-In Stitches – Automatic Threading

Universal Brother Sewing Machine Case:

Brother 5300 Universal Sewing Machine Carrying Case

Janome is another popular brand that makes a few affordable, highly-reviewed machines. While Janome has lots of high-end machine models, they also have a few learner models that would be perfect for a beginner.

1. Janome 2206 Sewing Machine

2. Janome 2212 Sewing Machine

Sewing Supplies and Accessories

Scissors

Your tween or teen will need a great pair of sewing scissors. Scissors meant for paper won’t give them the precise cuts that they need. Make sure you remind them to only use their sewing scissors for fabric and thread. You can get some excellent sewing scissors for a surprisingly low price.

1. Singer 8-1/2-Inch Professional Series Scissors Heavy Duty Bent

2. Singer Pro Series 2-Pack Scissor Set

3. Gingher 5 Inch Knife Edge Sewing Scissors

Sewing Basket

I highly recommend a sewing basket to keep all of your tween or teens sewing supplies together. Most come with great organization trays for pins, scissors, thread and more. They are great for taking your sewing supplies on-the-go or to your local sewing class.

1. SINGER Polka Dot Small Sewing Basket with Sewing Kit Accessories

2. Singer Vintage Sewing Basket with Sewing Kit Accessories

3. Dritz St. Jane Sewing Basket, Large Oval with Metal Handle

Sewing Books for Beginners

While there are lots of great sewing tutorials online, your sewer will love having great resources at their fingertips. There are lots of great books for beginner projects and other books that explain different sewing techniques that are needed, as they conquer new projects.

1. Sewing School 2: Lessons in Machine Sewing; 20 Projects Kids Will Love to Make

2. Simple Sewing: 30 Fast and Easy Projects for Beginners

3. The Sewing Book: An Encyclopedic Resource of Step-by-Step Techniques

4. Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing – Revised + Expanded Edition: 1200 Full-Color How-To Photos