Best First Sewing Machine For Children
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Teaching your kids to sew is great way to bond and pass along a very valuable life skill. Knowing how to sew gives them the chance to become self-sufficient and learn problem solving skills while being creative and expressing themselves.
Choosing the best sewing machine for kids might seem like an overwhelming task. But picking a great one is important for getting your kids interested in sewing. You want to make sure you find the best one in terms of safety and user-friendly features. It’s essential to get as much info as possible before purchasing.
Keep reading to learn about some of the best sewing machines for kids and how to pick the right one.
Sewing Machine | Summary |
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A simple, straight forward beginners sewing machine. It features just the right amount of functions to start learning and completing basic projects. | |
This free arm sewing machine offers many user-friendly functions that give beginners room to explore and grow. It has 27 built-in stitch options that allow for versatility and creativity. | |
Built specifically with kids in mind, this machine comes with all of the basic functions for beginners. High and low speed options help to ensure maximum safety. | |
This free arm machine is both fun and functional. It offers all of the basic functions for beginners and more. | |
A great sewing machine for travel or if you just don’t have a ton of space. This compact machine is perfect for completing every day and beginner level projects. |
Our Top Picks For The Best Sewing Machines For Kids
Editor's ChoiceSinger Start 1304
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More About The Singer Start 1304
Singer is very well-known for their sewing machines and this is one of their best ones for beginners and makes a great sewing machine for kids. It’s incredibly user-friendly, even for a child. It offers the 6 most basic stitches that are selected by simply turning a dial.
Although the stitch selections are quite simple, it still offers room for creativity and customization. It features a simple buttonhole function that only requires 4-steps and has a removable extension table, making it ideal for projects of all sizes. In addition, it includes a buttonhole foot, zipper foot, and an all-Purpose Foot.
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Shop Related Products | |
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Varmax Mini Sewing Machine  | Singer Simple 3232  |
Brother XR3774  | AGM Sewing Machine  |
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More About The Brother XM20701
This Brother sewing machines is a great starter sewing machine for kids that gets a bit more comprehensive than some starter machines, allowing for room to grow. It comes with 27 different built-in stitches that are selected by turning a knob on the side and are great for completing everyday projects. While it might not be great for heavy duty sewing, for a smaller machine, it can hold its own.
A bright LED light above the work area allows for optimal visibility. The automatic needle threader makes this one really accessible for kids so they don’t feel frustrated or have to mess with a complicated setup process before getting started. This machine is very versatile with 6 quick-change presser feet, including a zipper foot, button sewing foot, buttonhole foot, zigzag foot, narrow hem foot and a blind stitch foot.
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Shop Related Products | |
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Varmax Mini Sewing Machine | Singer Simple 3232 |
Brother XR3774 | AGM Sewing Machine |
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More About The NEX Kids Portable Sewing Machine
NEX has created a machine built specifically for kids. Although it’s for kids, it’s a very functional multi-purpose sewing machine that’s great for completing a variety of sewing projects. It features 12 built-in stitch options and even comes with a reverse stitching option for changing direction easily. It also has an easy-to-use button for stitch tightness control.
A built-in sewing light helps to illuminate the sewing area for easy visibility. It has two speed settings to ensure the safety of your child and to give them a chance to take it easy while learning. It can be turned on using a foot pedal or hand switch. For extra information or help on how to use this machine, NEX offers a video tutorial on YouTube.
Shop Related Products | |
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Varmax Mini Sewing Machine | Singer Simple 3232 |
Brother XR3774 | AGM Sewing Machine |
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More About The Janome Arctic Crystal
This sewing machine is extremely user-friendly and is one of the best sewing machines for beginners. Janome gives you many tools and resources to help you and your child start learning and has features such as an extendable free arm for more versatility. This includes a Quick Start Guide and several convenient YouTube tutorial videos. It comes with 15 built-in stitches and customizable settings for stitches.
This machine has a free arm attachment that can be easily removed, making it ideal for different types of projects. It also has dual vertical spool pins that can retract, making it great for all kinds of thread types and spool sizes. The built-in bobbin loading guide makes setup quick and simple. It includes four presser feet - all-purpose presser foot, zipper foot, blind sewing foot, and a buttonhole foot.
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Shop Related Products | |
|---|---|
Varmax Mini Sewing Machine | Singer Simple 3232 |
Brother XR3774 | AGM Sewing Machine |
More About The Best Choice Products Compact Sewing Machine
If you’re tight on space, this is a great option for you. It’s very compact and lightweight, making it portable and easy to store. It gives you 12 built-in stitches to choose from, giving your kids more options and room to grow as they become more familiar with sewing. The speed settings ensure that they’re always safe.
The controls and dials are very easy to understand and operate. In addition, you have the option to choose between hand or presser foot pedal operation. It has a built-in sewing light and a convenient storage compartment to hold accessories, threads and more. However, it does not have an extendable free arm, so you may be limited with more in-depth, creative projects.
Shop Related Products | |
|---|---|
Varmax Mini Sewing Machine | Singer Simple 3232 |
Brother XR3774 | AGM Sewing Machine |
What makes a good kid’s sewing machine?
The most important thing to consider before going ahead with a purchase of a child’s sewing machine is that toy sewing machines are not as reliable for your child to learn on as a real machine. While a real sewing machine will be higher in price, it will also be higher in quality and therefore a more reliable product.
Consider your child’s age with the features of the sewing machine. There are many options that allow for easy and safe sewing experiences instead of more complex machine features. You should also consider your child’s experience level. The more basic the design on the sewing machine, the easier it will be for your child to focus on the skills that they need to effectively complete projects.
There are several important components to a child’s sewing machine. Below we’ll break down these components and help you decide your priorities for your child’s machine.
Stitches
For most professionals or designers, it is necessary to have a varied selection of stitches and stitch selector on their machine. For a child, that isn’t the case. To learn how to sew on a machine and the skills needed for sewing projects, one or two stitching patterns is perfectly sufficient.
The Foot
The presser foot of a sewing machine is the mechanism that holds the fabric in place while you are sewing. There are various foot setups, some more complicated than others. Some screw into place, while others simply snap into place. Their difference in function is no different, but one function might be easier for your child over another.
The Needle
The needle is one of the most important components of a sewing machine. Before a machine can be used to start sewing, it needs to be set up and threaded. Threading a needle is a complicated and often frustrating process. To make the sewing experience easy for your child, consider buying a machine that automatically threads the needle.
Speed
The speed at which the fabric is pulled through the machine is a feature that is often overlooked. Make sure to choose a machine for your child that has a few speeds and doesn’t move too quickly.
Bobbin
There are a lot of features that involve the bobbin. The bobbin is that piece that holds that wound thread ready for sewing. Having an automatic bobbin winding function can make creative sewing much easier for your child. Another type to consider is a drop-in bobbin. This makes changing the color and the bobbin a very simple process.
Safety tips for kids sewing
When learning any new skill, you want your child to be safe. This is no different for learning to use a sewing machine.
Supervision
At the start of their learning experience, they should be either learning with a guardian or watched by one. This makes the whole process much safer and can help the child learn and progress farther from the very beginning of their experience.
Know the materials
While supervision is important, there will come a time when they can be independent with a sewing machine. To prepare for this, knowing the materials that they will be working with will make them a more confident sewer.
Things like pins, scissors, and needles are all aspects that they need to know about and be careful when handling.
Materials that are dangerous if handled improperly are the sharp scissors, pins, and needles used to sew. Pins should be either be stuck in the fabric or in a pincushion or pin box. If pins are scattered around the table and floor, there is a greater risk for injury. The same goes for needles.
The use of scissors is necessary for cutting fabric as well as thread. Children should already be familiar with the way to use scissors safely, as most will have used them with paper.
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Make sure that your child utilizes and pays attention to the sewing speeds. Most machines will be able to adjust speeds, and this is a vital feature for children. Starting out at a fast speed can be dangerous and off-putting to a beginner. As your child becomes accustomed to the workings of their sewing machine, they will be able to change the speed to be faster.
The different speeds are also important to get accustomed to because depending on the project, the speed may need to be different.
Another aspect that they need to be aware of is the foot function. It’s possible for fingers to go under the foot while sewing and potentially be in the way of the needle.
To protect your child, there needs to be a clear understanding that fingers don’t go near the needle or the foot unless the sewing machine is turned off.
Additionally, no one should be threading the needle while the machine is on. That can be dangerous, and it is best practice to thread a needle when the machine is off.
Conclusion
A creative outlet of any kind is an exciting prospect as a child. Making your own paintings, bracelets, or stamps are skills that children are excited to learn. Sewing is right up there with those skills, and it’s an important life skill at the same time. The creativity that can be brought from sewing isn’t the same as any other crafting project.
There are features for making sewing simple and a breeze to learn, and then there are features that can add more frustration to the learning process. Deciding on the functions and features that your child needs is important for finding a safe and reliable machine for them to learn on.
With so much research out there about sewing machines for children, the process of prioritizing features is an easy one.
Now your child will be able to sew hats, bags, dresses, shirts, headbands, blankets, and scarves. There is an endless list of creative fun that can be experienced with the knowledge of how to use a sewing machine. Enjoying creativity has never been easier.
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