What age can a child start sewing?

It depends far more on the individual child than on a number, but there is a rough shape to it.

Hand sewing from around five or six. Blunt needles, binca or felt, and simple running stitch. It builds the coordination that everything later depends on, and there is nothing to go wrong.

A machine from around eight, with supervision. Some children are ready earlier and some much later. The question is not age but whether the child can keep their fingers away from the needle while their attention is on the fabric — which is a genuinely difficult thing to do.

What makes a machine suitable for a child.

A speed limiter, so the pedal cannot produce full speed however hard it is pressed. This is the single most useful feature.

A start/stop button, on machines that have one, removes the pedal entirely and with it most of the surprise.

Enough weight not to walk across the table. Very light machines skate about, which is unsettling.

Avoid toy machines. They stitch badly, they jam, and a child concludes they cannot sew when in fact the machine cannot sew. A basic real machine is a better experience.

Start with straight lines on paper without thread, then straight seams on cotton. Do not begin with a garment.

Supervise properly — in the room, watching, not in the next room. And unplug the machine when the session ends.