What you need for hand sewing
Needles, thread and a needle threader.
- Cotton or polyester thread is what you'll use most.
- A pack of assorted needles gives you a range of lengths and sizes.
- A large-eyed needle for embroidery thread or wool; a small needle for detailed sewing and small stitches.
- A needle threader makes threading much easier.
- If the thread end frays, snip it cleanly or wet it.
Watch
Essential Tools For Sewing & Mending | Basic Sewing Supplies for Beginners | The Daily Sew (13:31)
By The Daily Sew · Open on YouTube
Chosen from its title and channel: a 13-minute video from The Daily Sew on the same topic as this guide. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
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Sources
All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.