Should I Buy a Child-Sized Sewing Machine for my Child?

One of the first things children do, especially little girls, is to imitate whatever Mommy is doing. If Mommy is cooking, they want to cook. If Mommy is vacuuming, they want to vacuum. If Mommy is sewing, they want to sew.

An adult’s first instinct when their child shows an interest in sewing is to think about getting a child size sewing machine for them.

If your child has already learned how to thread a needle, how to sew on a button, and maybe even how to do a few basic embroidery stitches, he is probably pestering you to let him use the sewing machine.

That six or seven year old looks pretty small to be sitting in front of your adult-sized sewing machine, but getting a child sized machine for them is usually not the best solution. Most online reviews of small sewing machines made especially for children are negative.

Some of the criticisms are that the machine is made of cheap plastic that tends to crack easily, especially when their small owners forget to put their machine away and it falls from a table to the floor and splits into two or more pieces.

Another frequently voiced comment is that the thread on the small sewing machines constantly breaks and jams, resulting in an unhappy child who may look back on their first sewing experiences as more frustrating than fun.

True, the price of a small, child-sized sewing machine is attractive. Usually less than $35, but if the machine does not perform well, the monetary saving is not worth much.

With a booster seat, even a very small child can learn to operate a regular sewing machine. An added perk is that his or her mother will feel more comfortable helping with the machine she is used to sewing on and, together, she and her child can create something they can be proud of.

Is Your Child Ready To Learn To Sew?

Most kids learn to sew on Mamma’s Singer….or Brother….or Viking sewing machine. I think my Mother had an old Kenmore that had seen much better years, but together, the two of us turned out a lot of garments, dishtowels and quilts before it finally gave up the ghost and ended up being replaced by a Viking that I inherited and have to this day.

Somewhere along the way, most young sewers decide they need a sewing machine of their own. Then comes the problem.

1. They need to buy a machine they can afford.

2. They need to buy a machine with a decent reputation for not having a lot of problems.

3. They need a machine that is fairly easy to operate, but which also has some extras that they will be using frequently.

Buying any appliance is risky, but in this day of the internet, we have a tool that can help us take some of the risk away. One of my favorite ways to check out an item is to type the name of the item in a Google search box followed by a comma and a term describing what I am looking for.

For example, Viking Sewing Machines, followed by the word reviews should give you even more than you wanted to know about Viking Sewing Machines. To get more specific information, include the model number of the machine. If you want to know where to buy a Viking sewing machine, enter something like Viking sewing machine, sources.

Take a peek at the book below if you are looking for a great way to introduce your young child or grandchild to machine sewing.