11 Things to include inside a young student's first sewing kit

Sewing class from the early 1900's

1. A needle threader – Small fingers and inexperienced eyes can not always keep a needle threaded properly so, keeping a needle threader on hand is a very good idea.
2. A pincushion is sometimes included in a fancy little sewing basket. But, no matter what type of kit your student chooses, he or she should have a small pincushion included in it. Many teachers choose to assign a pincushion first before all other projects are considered. This is a traditional introductory lesson for any person learning to sew.
3. I prefer tiny scissors to a seam riper for children. A seam riper in a beginning sewing class or workshop for young children, is an accident waiting to happen!
4. A small variety of threads – Threads come in very small quantities at sewing shops. It is easy to find tiny spools of thread even in the grocery store. Black, white, navy, red, yellow, pink and pale blue cotton thread are all quite common in these small packs.
5. Sampling of buttons – Students will use odd buttons for decorative purposes or for practice in a beginning sewing class.
6. Her own needles – Students should never share their needles with each other under any conditions what-so-ever! Make this a class rule. The teacher may keep extra needles at her own desk for those students who forget their own. Students should not return the needle to the teacher after using it. In order to prevent the transfer of illness this rule must be reinforced in the classroom.
7. A white piece of chalk is needed for marking fabric. There are also fancy marking pens that older students may wish to purchase.
8. A small tape measure – This is a must even for little kids because it incorporates basic math skills into their sewing projects. Teachers may wish to print and cut these out to help save money on the kit supplies.
9. Band-aids are a must for a kit.
10. Antiseptic spray or an anti-biotic cream is also very important as well inside of any sewing kit. Those needle pricks will occur and they heal up fast with medicine on the spot.
11. A thimble to protect tender finger tips!