Thanks to my husband’s newfound passion in sewing, we’re now the proud owners of a Singer heavy duty sewing machine…
… and contributors to its $600k monthly sales on Amazon.
We’re not alone – “arts, crafts and sewing” sales went up 27% from 2023 to 2024, the highest growth of all major Amazon product categories.
Those who sewed their own masks during COVID didn’t stop there. Source: Subreddit Stats
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The pandemic might have something to do with it, but as DIY fashion and thrifting becomes the norm for young consumers, sewing is coming back ever stronger:
- Search volume for “sewing machine” hits 301k/mo. globally, per Ahrefs
- #sewingtiktok has 615k+ posts and views in the hundred millions
- The sewing subreddit has 1.4m+ subscribers
Heck, even Taylor Swift sews, and by now we know how everything she touches turns into cold, hard cash.
Sewing (Tailor’s Version) starts at 00:03. Source: YouTube
Here are some opportunities to get in on this trend:
E-Commerce
You can make a buck by selling sewing components, from machines to threads to patterns.
The global sewing machine market reached $6.8B in 2023. Even the sewing threads market reached $2.2B this year.
Consider selling portable mini machines to beginners. This model does $180k/month on Amazon, per Jungle Scout. This even smaller one moves 2.1k+ units per month. To lower costs, partner with suppliers from China or Vietnam.
Or, source and curate uniquely colored or gradient threads, and market them like an eyeshadow or nail color palette. Give them trendy, sexy names like Kylie Jenner would, and hire sewing influencers to promote them on social media.
Imagine these, but sewing threads. Source: Pinterest
You can also go digital and make sewing pattern PDFs, like this bestselling bundle on Etsy with 250+ looks. The shop sells patterns with an average price of $5 – with 128.7k sales, the owner has raked in at least $643k in revenue.
Educational Content
Mixed reality headsets can now teach you how to play the piano. It’s not hard to imagine folks learning how to sew on these devices, too.
You can develop an app for Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3 that focuses on sewing education, like how to thread a machine, how to sew specific fabrics, etc.
This beginner’s guide to a sewing machine gets 2.5m views on YouTube. But if there’s an app that guides me through each part of the machine via augmented reality, it can definitely take my money (or whatever’s left after I get a headset).
If you want to stay in 2D and make video tutorials, try to find a sub-niche because the sewing 101 space is getting crowded.
This creator’s tutorials lean into the street-style fashion that Millennial and Gen Z gravitate toward. His most popular videos teach you how to sew a bucket hat, a boxy T, and cargo pants – all streetwear staples.
Source: YouTube
Make your name by teaching people how to sew costumes from movies and TV shows; or focus on a specific time period, like Victorian or Renaissance.
Experiences
We’ve written about opportunities in the emerging “fix it” culture, where you could make repairs into an experience. It applies to sewing as well.
You can host sewing classes or monthly repair boutiques for people who either need their clothes fixed, or want to elevate their styles with DIY fashion.
The trick is to have pre-sewn pieces handy for sale at the event, for when the beginners realize sewing is harder than they thought, and desperately need cute pieces they can take home.
Fashion brands can also hop on this trend by building experiences where shoppers become creators, like crowdsourcing sewing inspirations to elevate your bestselling basics, or letting shoppers co-create their own products – Kiki World and Atelier Jolie are on the forefront of that movement.
No matter which route you take, the threads of opportunity are ready to be woven into a profitable future. So why wait? 🧵
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