Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!

E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!

Discover

How to start a new hobby and destress!

17 items

Thandeka Mbano

Starting a new hobby can feel exciting — and a little daunting too. This list gathers tools and inspiration from my own creative journey to help you begin with joy. Start by visiting a craft shop near you; there’s nothing like the feeling of explorin...

Sections

Craft Shops

Pattern Shops

Crafting Courses

Craft books

Crafting tools

Craft Shops

Finding yourself a new environment and what better way to get into a new craft than to go to a crafting shop! wether you are window shopping, on the huynt for new wool or frabic. One of the recommendations will fit the bill or give you an idea of wha...

Where do you get your first sewing machine? Why Franklins of course or a craft shop near you. This is where your new sewing hobby comes alive, and the bells and whistles these machines have for you?! Your mind will be blown.

Franklins

Where my little hands first learnt how to sew. They are such a friendly family run business and they fabric collections are worth visiting for. Viva la cotton fabrics!

Kayes Textiles

Their punch needle frames are sturdy light and to dye for!

Whole Punching

You can get the most amazing wool here, a bit pricey but the quality is worth it. Most of your hobby crafting hardware under one roof.

Hobbycraft Leeds

I got the most amazing frabric sateen that I only cut into years later cause this shop is really far from the UK ok 😂

Spotlight Albany, WA - We Price Beat and Save You More

Pattern Shops

These are my favourite least stressful pattern shops for sewing patterns! Easy to read instructions and fits that make you feel like you wearing bespoke clothing not off the rack baggy or illfitting garments. all made with your hands.

My first pattern from here was the Anna pattern and OMG it looked amazing and I’m sure whatever pattern you decide to make from this studio will fit you well, their fit sizes are very forgiving!

By Hand London

Got my dungaree pattern from here and I couldn’t be happier.

Tilly and the Buttons

Crafting Courses

the easiest and most stress free way to start learning a new craft is chosing the red pill (domestika or the blue pill Skillshare). Either way you will learn a new skill and have fun while you are at it. as well as growing as a person! What a splendi...

Their crafting classes from embroidery to punch needle to pattern cutting are high quality superb and you learn a lot that you don’t forget easily.

Domestika

hobbycraft

Skillshare

Their bespoke pre-apprentice tailoring course is hands down one of the best courses for getting into tailoring with links to saville row!

Newham College (East Ham campus)

They have a free comprehensive course on all things wool and wool fabric in all the wool contexts you can think of for Free. What better way to get started learning about fabrics and wool fabrics? Did I mention they also have digital certificates you...

The Woolmark Company

Craft books

in this day and age you cna still read yourself to mastery at a fraction of the cost of online courses so why not! I made a wonderful peplum top with Chinello Bally's freehand cutting book.

Hands down my favourite pattern cutting book that is easy to follow (the only one I drafted something from scratch to body).

Chinelo Bally: Books

Crafting tools

so you went into the craft shop now you are wondering, where you begin, I got you!

High quality threads that make the sewing process smoother = check!

Sewing thread

The best and easiest punch needles to use! No long and thin threaders required!

Oxford Punch Needle

Your flowers rally pop with a good embroidery thread, I prefer the DMC ones if not using independent artist threads

Sil Thread Inc.

because you need a brother sewing machine ok, they are the least problematic sewing mahcines i have trusted and you can find a local brother authorised company to service your machine for top performance.

Brother LS14S Metal Chassis Sewing Machine

Having a dedicated space to do your crafts means, you remove the friction from thinking about making something to making it. What a better way is there to get into hobbies than having a dedicated standing desk! Sewists once you stand up and sew you w...

KAIMENG Electric Standing Desk 160x80 cm USB