Sewing machines are one of the most versatile craft machines available. While it may seem like all they can do is sew, depending on the machine you purchase, you can sew, quilt, or even embroider.
Regardless of your machine’s capabilities, you can create tons of different crafts with a sewing machine. Not just clothes, but blankets, pillowcases, handbags and other accessories, and even wigs.
Like any other sewing project, wigs can be made with a sewing machine or sewing by hand. Using a sewing machine, however, will significantly speed up the process and help you have secure stitching every time.
So, what’s the best sewing machine for making wigs? The best sewing machine to use when making wigs has zig-zag and reverse stitch options, a fast stitching speed, a large working area, an embedded LED light above your needle, and an automatic bobbin winder.
With the right sewing machine, wig making can be a breeze. You can either use your machine and skills to simply make your own wigs, or open a home business to make and sell your wig creations.
The emphasis there is the right sewing machine. Before you dive in, let’s review the top qualities of sewing machines for making wigs to help you purchase the best machine you can.
Tips For Making A Wig With A Sewing Machine
While making wigs by hand sewing isn’t difficult, it can be time consuming. A sewing machine can help expedite the process and offer you more flexibility with your time and wig making abilities.
One quick tip to remember is that when you’re drawing your track lines along your mesh wig cap, be sure to keep them about a finger’s width apart. Try using your index finger.
Another good tip is to remember to double up your wefts. You’ll need to sew two wefts together with a zig-zag stitch prior to sewing them onto the mesh cap.
Although this double-sewing may seem like too much, it’s the best way to ensure your wig is carefully crafted with straight lines and a full amount of hair that stays securely fastened to your wig cap.
Always be sure to use the reverse stitch at the end of your track. This will lock in the stitching and prevent the threads from coming undone and pulling away from the wig cap.
Remember that a little tension is good, but don’t stretch the wig cap. Stretching your mesh cap while feeding it through your sewing machine can ruin the stitching and give you uneven hair coverage. It can even rip the cap if you’re not careful.
For a great step-by-step tutorial on making a wig with a sewing machine, check out the video below by Ambre Renee. She takes you through the entire process right from the beginning and teaches you everything you need to know about sewing a wig.
The 5 Top Qualities Of Sewing Machines For Making Wigs
1. Zig-Zag And Reverse Stitch Options
The first quality you want to look for, and probably the most important quality on this list, is to ensure your sewing machine has zig-zag and reverse stich options.
The reverse stitch will often come in the form of a lever or button somewhere on the front of the machine. It will not be part of the main stitch options list because you wouldn’t use it for a whole seam.
You can find the reverse stitch button or lever quite easily by searching for an arrow in the shape of an arch. This symbol indicates your reverse stitch button or lever.
The zig-zag stitches will be listed in your main stitch options menu, whether that’s printed on the physical machine in a large panel or on a dial, or with a newer machine, on the LCD screen.
These two stitches are absolutely necessary for making wigs. You will have to use the zig-zag stitch for sewing your double wefts together, and then again for sewing the double weft onto the mesh cap.
The reverse stitch is vital to use at the end of the track to secure the thread and prevent it from unraveling, which can cause the track to come loose from the mesh wig cap.
Most sewing machines come with these stitch options, but it’s still important to double-check before purchasing.
Some sewing machines even come with multiple types of zig-zag stitches, giving you more control over the type of stitching you use to secure your wig.
2. Fast Stitching
Another important quality for your sewing machine is a fast stitching speed.
Machine sewing will already be faster than hand sewing, but the way to really optimize your time and have you completing your wigs in just a couple short hours is to have a fast stitching speed.
While the sewing speed ranges from each machine, an average of 800-1,500 stitches per minute is a top-notch stitching speed that’s sure to get you making your wigs in the blink of an eye.
Before using your sewing machine at the maximum speed possible, be sure that you have a feel for how it handles.
It can be a good idea to try sewing on a scrap piece of fabric to get a feel for your new machine. This will give you a sense of the vibrations, the speed, and how you should handle your fabric or materials as you feed them through to sew.
Once you feel comfortable with your sewing machine at top speed, you’ll be all set to sew your wigs at the speed of light!
3. Large Working Area
While a large working area isn’t necessarily a must, it can certainly make your life significantly easier.
Some sewing machines, specifically those designed to be compact, have a very small arm. The arm of the machine is the bottom area that juts out from the top tower. This is where you lay your fabric to sew.
Your working area will be determined by how large, or small, your arm is. You can sometimes add to this space if your sewing machine comes with an extension table, which is just as helpful as if your arm was already large in size.
The reason you need a large arm is that it helps you to lay the wig out properly and get straight seams without distorting the shape of the mesh cap.
Having a wider surface to work on simply means that you get a better view of what you’re doing, because more of the fabric is visible to you as you sew.
You’ll have more control over the way your tracks lay on your mesh cap if you have a larger working area.
Being able to have this kind of visibility and control can be the difference between a professional-quality wig and an obviously homemade wig riddled with mistakes.
A large working area can prevent you from bunching the wig cap, stretching the wig cap too much, misaligning the hair track with your gridline on the wig cap, or even sewing crooked lines along the seam.
4. LED Light
One feature that you may not think of when shopping but can save you immensely in the future is an LED light on your sewing machine. These lights are usually above the needle and used to illuminate your sewing space.
While you may think the light in whatever room you’re working in will be sufficient to see what you’re doing, you will find yourself struggling once you’ve got your mesh cap and tracks lined up and are about to begin sewing.
The LED light is a lifesaver. It shines brightly right over the surface where you’ll be working so you can always be sure everything is lined up correctly and sewing straight.
This is especially important if you’re working with dark hair. Trying to sew dark hair on a black mesh cap with dark thread can be impossible to see. With an LED light shining right onto your sewing surface, you’ll be able to ensure your sewing runs smoothly.
With wig making, this can be the difference between sewing a crooked seam or sewing it perfectly along your drawn gridline.
It’s not just helpful for making wigs, but for sewing other fabrics too. Whether your fabric is dark or light, the LED light will help you see exactly what you’re doing.
If you’re going to purchase a sewing machine, you’re likely going to use it for projects other than wig making. Knowing that this LED light is there to guide you along the way can give a lot of piece of mind for any of your sewing projects.
5. Automatic Bobbin Winder
Another lifesaving feature you should look for in your sewing machine is an automatic bobbin winder. This will usually be along the top of the machine with printed guides on the plastic to guide your thread.
Winding a bobbin is something no one should have to do by hand. It takes way to long to do it this way, and if you don’t get the tension right, you can get the thread tangled and stuck in your machine.
An automatic bobbin winder can wind your bobbins in less than 5 minutes. When speed is the goal, this massive time saver is a huge plus.
When using your bobbin winder, be sure to hold the top thread through a hole on your bobbin until it has a good enough layer of thread around the column. This will ensure you keep the tension and have a tightly wound bobbin.
It’s always a good idea to have more than one bobbin wound and ready to go before starting any sewing project.
This can be a huge help when you’re in the middle of sewing a wig and run out of bobbin thread. Rather than having to stop everything you’re doing to wind a new bobbin, you can simply pop in a new bobbin and start again.
Every sewing machine comes with around 2-3 bobbins, so if you anticipate working with multiple colors of thread depending on your sewing projects, we recommend purchasing extra bobbins from your local craft store.
The Best Sewing Machines For Making Wigs
Below is our list of the best sewing machines for making wigs. Each of these sewing machines has at least 3, if not all 5, of the qualities and features we listed above.
The price range is fairly wide spanning from around $130-650. Whether you prioritize budget or features, you’ll be sure to find a sewing machine that fits your needs and can have you making wigs in no time.
| Rank | Product | Accessories |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | SINGER MX60 Sewing Machine | Accessory kit & foot pedal, 57 stitches |
| 2. | SINGER M3500 Sewing Machine | Accessory kit & foot pedal, 110 stitches |
| 3. | SINGER 4423 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine | Accessory kit, 97 stitch applications |
| 4. | Brother CS7000X Computerized Sewing Machine | 70 stitches, LED light |
| 5. | Brother Sewing and Quilting Machine | 60 stitches, pack of needles, sewing feet, bobbins |
| 6. | SINGER Quantum Stylist 9960 Sewing & Quilting Machine | 600 stitches, accessory kit |
| 7. | Janome 3160QDC Computerized Sewing Machine | Extension table, LCD screen, LED light |
1. SINGER MX60 Sewing Machine
Starting with one of our more compact and budget-friendly recommended options, the Singer model MX60 is the perfect sewing machine for beginners.
This machine is small and straight-forward. With a dial to select your stitch type as well as a reverse stitch lever that’s easy to use, even people who’ve never sewn with a sewing machine before will be able to use this machine.
Although it’s small, which means you won’t have as large of a working space, this could be an advantage for those who don’t have the space in their home to have a dedicated sewing table.
The Singer MX60 is compact and designed to save space when not in use. It has an automatic bobbin winder on top of the machine, so you’ll be able to wind your bobbins quickly and without the fuss of winding by hand.
This machine also has an LED light above the needle, so you always have precision lighting to ensure your seams run straight and smooth. With 3 different zig-zag stitch options, you’ll be sure to find the exact stitch you need to make your wig with ease and security.
2. SINGER M3500 Sewing Machine
Another great budget and beginner friendly option from Singer is the M3500 model. This machine bears a resemblance to the MX60, but with a little bit of an upgrade.
With the M3500, you’ll see the familiar stitch selection dial and reverse stitch lever. This machine comes with a larger variety of stitches, so you’ll have plenty of stitches to choose from to secure your tracks to your wig cap correctly.
You also have more control over the stitching using the top dials to adjust the tension, stitch length, and stitch width. Along with the dials, you’ll find an automatic bobbin winder on top of the machine, ready to use so you can easily and quickly wind your bobbins.
It also has the LED light above the needle to help you get a better look at what you’re doing when you line up the tracks with your wig cap gridlines.
This machine also comes with an accessory kit full of needles, bobbins, a seam ripper, different presser foots, and more.
3. SINGER 4423 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine
For those who want a little more versatility in your sewing machine to create other fabric crafts as well as wigs, you should consider the Singer 4423 Heavy Duty machine.
This heavy duty sewing machine is built to last. It works well with a variety of fabrics, from delicate tulle to stiff denim, so you can rest assured that it will work great for making wigs. Although the aesthetic of the machine will look different compared to the first two machines, much of it is similar.
You will find a stitch selection dial with various zig-zag options, as well as the reverse stitch lever and dials to control the tension, stitch length, and stitch width.
Since this is a heavy duty machine, it also has a larger working area to support more of your wig cap and more length of your track at once, helping you keep your stitching straight.
It also has an LED light to illuminate your stitching area, which is another helpful tool to ensure your stitching stays straight and secure. Plus, it can stitch up to 1,100 stitches per minute! You’ll be making wigs in no time at all with this machine.
4. Brother CS7000X Computerized Sewing Machine
While Singer is a top brand for sewing machines, Brother is another top brand that people know and trust. The Brother CS7000X is helpful not just for making wigs, but for sewing other projects and even diving into the world of quilting.
It comes with an extra extension table designed for quilting, but this table would be helpful to enhance your working area and support more of your wig cap and hair track at a time. This machine also comes with a variety of other accessories, as well as a machine cover to keep it safe when not in use.
With 70 different stitches to choose from, you have plenty of options for zig-zag stitches. It also comes with a reverse stitch button, as well as controls to adjust the stitch width, length, and tension.
You’ll be able to see exactly what you’re doing with perfect clarity thanks to the LED light above the working surface lighting the way.
Not only does it have an automatic bobbin winding system, but it also has an automatic needle threader. You’ll be totally set with this Brother CS7000X!
5. Brother Sewing and Quilting Machine
The Brother CS6000i model is very similar to the CS7000X, with a few differences.
Like the previous model, the CS6000i comes with a reverse stitch button and LCD display for your stitch details. While it only comes with 60 built-in stitches, there are several zig-zag options to choose from that will work great.
It also comes with an accessory pack of needles, sewing feet, bobbins, and more, as well as a hard, protective case to put over your machine when not in use and an extension table to enlarge your working surface.
The great thing about this machine is that it has a top-loading bobbin, which can be easier to use and doesn’t tangle as frequently.
Before you drop the bobbin in, wind it with ease using the automatic bobbin winder on top of the machine. An LED light will shine directly onto your working area, so you’ll be able to see exactly where each stitch goes as you sew.
6. SINGER Quantum Stylist 9960 Sewing & Quilting Machine
The Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 is one of our more expensive options, but if you’re looking to get a lot of great features and don’t mind splurging, this is a great machine.
You can tell at first glance that this machine is a major upgrade compared to the sewing machines listed above.
It comes with 600 programmed stitches that can be sewn at 850 stitches per minute. Surely, among the 600 stitch options, you’re bound to find at least one zig-zag that works for your wig!
It has an easy-to-use reverse stitch button, as well as a bonus feature of a built-in automatic thread cutter. Speaking of automatic processes, this machine comes with an automatic needle threader and an automatic bobbin winder.
It also comes with an accessory kit and an extension table to give you the large working area of your dreams. If you’re looking for a great sewing machine with all the bells and whistles, then look no further than the Singer Quantum Stylist 9960.
7. Janome 3160QDC Computerized Sewing Machine
Our most expensive machine comes from Janome, another respected sewing machine brand. The Janome 3160QDC may look simple, but this machine is ready to tackle whatever sewing project you give it – including, but not limited to, wigs.
It comes with an incredible pack of accessories, including a protective cover when the machine isn’t in use, an extension table to add to your working space, several presser feet options, needles, bobbins, a seam ripper, and more.
You can select your zig-zag stitch of choice by referring to the printed options on the front panel and choosing it on your LCD screen. You can even use the easy reverse stitch button to secure your stitches in place.
It has an automatic bobbin winder on top of the machine, as well as an LED light above your working area. This machine has everything you need and more.
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