How to Sew Sequins

Sequins are a great way to add sparkle and shine to your projects, but they can be a little bit tricky to sew with. So I'll just take you through some basic pointers for dealing with sequins so you can add that exciting touch of shine to your garments and other costumes and dance outfits that you make. So there are a few different types of ways that sequins come to you. Probably the most familiar way is just as loose sequins. So I have a couple different sizes of sequins here and they come in all different shapes, too.

So the most common shape is kind of this cup shape that is kind of shaped like this so that you can sew the flat side down on the fabric, but there are all different shapes. There are stars, there are flat circles, so there's definitely a variety of loose sequins and all different types and sizes that you can buy. And these, I have some really big ones here that are about 10 millimeters, but they get really small, as little as five millimeters. So it just depends on the effect that you're going for how big the sequins are that you want to use. The next way that sequins come is kind of on a pre-strung strand that you can use this trim.

So this saves you a lot of time instead of having to sew on individual sequins if you just need to sew a line of sequins on something as trim. So you can buy this in all different colors and a lot of the time it comes in different shapes and varieties as well in different sizes. And then the last way that you usually are going to see sequins is already on the fabric. So these fabrics are pre-embellished and they come with all the sequins added to them already. And most fabrics like this you're gonna find have a really lightweight fabric as the backing, since sequins are pretty heavy.

So they don't seem very heavy one at a time but after you've added thousands of them, like there are on these fabrics, they get pretty, pretty heavy. So a lot of the time you'll see it on a background fabric like a mesh, in this case, this is a knit mesh, and this has tons and tons of sequins on it, and so it's pretty heavy. So this is a, you can get some that are even more embellished than this as well. And then this fabric here has less sequins on it, and this is on more of like a tulle backing, again, just to be nice and lightweight and not get too heavy with all those sequins on here. So this one has less sequins and these ones are a little bit more flat to the fabric whereas this has a lot of, a lot of movement to it.

So let's just talk about different ways that you can add sequins to fabric. So we'll start with just adding individual sequins. So there are a few different ways to do this, just depending on how durable you want the sequins to be on the backing fabric. So if you want the sequins to stay on, if it's gonna be a garment that you wear a lot and actually wash and use, then sewing them on is of course the best. You can also glue sequins on.

And I would use that more if you're making a costume that's just gonna be worn one time, like a Halloween costume or something like that, something that's not going to have to withstand a lot of wear and use. So let's start by looking at how to sew a sequin on by hand stitching. So I'm gonna use blue sequins here. And I've found a thread that pretty closely matches the dark blue that the sequins are. So you could use a matching thread or you could use an invisible thread as well, because that'll also kind of fade back in.

So if I was going to use invisible thread, I might use more like the smoke colored or black invisible thread because it'd blend into the dark color, but you also have the option of using the clear or the white invisible thread, just depending on if you're using a lighter color of sequin. So I'll place the sequin where I want it. So I'd probably mark out, if it wasn't just a random pattern like this, then I'd mark out where I wanted my sequins first with some sort of removable marking pen on the fabric, and I'll secure it here with my left thumb, come up from the back. And I'm using a pretty skinny, pretty sharp needle. So you could even use a beading needle if it's a smaller sequin than this.

I'm using these bigger sequins so you can see it, but if you were using a small, tiny sequin, you could use a really skinny, little, sharp needle, just to make sure it'll come up through the hole easily. So I'm also using a double thread strand and I'm using polyester thread because polyester thread is the strongest and you want the sequins, after you've gone all gone to all the trouble to sew tons of tiny sequins all over something, you don't want them to start popping off. So use a strong thread and you can use a double thread strand too to save yourself some time of stitching them on. So I've got the thread come up through the hole of the sequin at the center. I'm gonna put it under again right on the edge of the sequin.

And I'm kind of sliding the needle under the sequin to come out again on the opposite edge of the sequin. So I've made a little straight stitch there and then you can see that the thread is emerging on the other edge of the sequin opposite of that stitch. So then I'll re insert it into the middle there of the sequin. And I'll pull it through. And if this was a little, tiny sequin, probably two stitches is enough because they're small enough that those will hold them in place.

For a big sequin like this, I'd probably do one more stitch. Just do three stitches just to make sure that it'll stay on. So I'll do one more, just kind of placed evenly between those other two stitches and the same process. So if you were stitching a lot of sequins here close together, then you could just carry the thread from one to another. But if you were doing some that are further apart, I would just tie off the thread there and trim it and begin on the next sequin.

So I'll show you another way. If you wanted to hide the thread entirely, if you don't want all those threads showing up like on these ones here, you can add a bead to the middle, like this one. So I'll do one like that. And again, I'm using these big sequins, so I've got a big seed bead that I'm gonna use to put in the middle. But if you were using smaller sequins, then you would, you could use the little, tiny, glass seed beads.

So I'll again, just put my needle through the center hole of the sequin, up from the back. And then I'll pick up with the tip of my needle, I'll pick up the bead, and I'll just let it slide all the way down to the center of that sequin. And then I can just actually re-insert the needle through the hole. And don't worry if the bead slides around. You can pull it all the way through.

And now that sequin is secure and we don't have all that thread showing. So it just depends. This is a little bit more three-dimensional. So if you don't want the sequins to be flat, if you don't mind if the sequins aren't flat against the surface of the fabric, then this beaded way is another fun way that secures the sequins to the fabric. So I'm just gonna test out the glue here a little bit, just to make sure that it's coming out evenly on a tissue.

So do that first so you don't stain or ruin your fabric. So it looks like it's coming out pretty evenly. And you're gonna want to put enough glue that it'll really hold the sequin on. So it dries clear, so don't worry about too much for it showing, especially if it's just something for a costume where no one's gonna be getting up really close and looking at all the details. It's okay if you use a little extra glue.

So I've got these silver sequins glued on here. So I've tested my glue and I'll just add kind of a healthy dot there. And I'm placing the sequin again cup side down over the glue. And I'm letting it kind of come through the hole there just to make sure there's enough and that it should hold on. So it doesn't take too long for it to dry, but you definitely don't want to wash it right away.

So leave it as long as the glue recommends, leave it before you let it go into water. So you want to give it a nice amount of time to cure and set. So the next way to add sequins to fabric is to add sequin trim. So I'm just gonna get my machine here ready. And sequent trim, again, it comes in all different varieties and I've got all different colors here.

And it's kind of nice with sequin trim because you actually probably can sew through it. So it's designed to be sewn through so that the needle can actually go through the sequins. They're soft enough that the needle won't break by touching them 'cause they're usually just made of really soft, flexible plastic. So you are going to want to use a heavier-weight needle though, and it will dull the needle pretty quickly. So start with a new needle that's a heavier weight.

So at least a size 90 needle is about right because you want it to have lots of power as it's going through the sequins. I have one done here and I'll show you really quick how to do that with another piece here. One thing I like to do if I'm cutting this trim, as you can imagine, it does tend to unravel a lot, all the little sequins tend to fall off, so I like to take a piece of tape, I'm gonna cut this slightly longer than my fabric edge here, and I will put a piece of tape right where I'm gonna cut it and wrap the tape around. And then I'm gonna cut through the center of the tape. And that will not only secure the end of the piece that I've cut, but it'll save it for the next time I'm gonna use it.

And it'll keep all those sequins from unraveling. So I'm just gonna place my sequins where I want them on the fabric. And again, I'm using matching thread. You could use invisible thread again. And the important thing here to remember is that I don't want the sequins to fight against the needle.

So I'm gonna make sure that the needle is facing the way that the sequins are laying so that it's not going to be encountering each of those little edges popping up as I stitch. So I'll get that ready under the needle and sink it in. And I'm actually gonna try and aim exactly for the middle of the sequin, right in the hole there. And then, since you can't really pin it on, you're gonna kind of use your hands to guide it. And just go on ahead and start stitching right down the center of the sequins.

I'm keeping the center of my presser foot aligned perfectly with, as much as I can perfectly, with the center of the sequins. And again, you can see that those sequins are nice and soft, so the needle just goes right through them. And when you have the matching thread, you can barely tell that it's there. So that's a pretty fast way to add sequin trim. And last, I'll talk a little bit about sequined fabric and how to deal with that.

So I'll get my machine out of the way a little bit. And like I said, there are different amounts of sequins that are, that you'll find on embellishing fabric. So different heaviness, depending on the effect that you want. So I've got a few little tricks for that. One of the things to keep in mind is trimming away the sequins from the seam because there's a couple of reasons for doing that.

One of them is that then your machine won't have to sew through as many sequins, which will keep it from dulling the needle and keep it, especially if you have tougher sequins to sew through, then that'll save you from that. Another reason, even if you don't have that many sequins to sew through or if they're relatively soft, they will be scratchy against your skin in the seam allowance. So the best thing to do is just go on ahead and trim them away from the seam allowance before you sew the seam. So I like to use a little tiny pair of scissors with really sharp tips there. And you don't have to be too precise, but just to kind of eyeball.

So if you were using like a 1/2-inch seam allowance here, then you're just gonna trim away those sequins that are within that margin. So it's little bit time consuming, but it will save you and your machine the hassle of trying to sew through them as you're actually constructing the garment. Another thing to keep in mind if you're making a project from the sequined fabric, is to choose something relatively simple because you don't want something that has a lot of design lines and darts and things like that because the fewer seams, the better really. So basic shift dress, basic kind of t-shirt silhouette are much better because you want to reduce the the seams that you're sewing since they're heavy and you won't actually be able to see them in the garment anyway. If you have a dart, it'll just disappear within all the sequins and look messy.

So I'll just keep on going here a little bit, trimming away. And it's important also not to damage the backing fabric . Again, 'cause like I said earlier, the fabric behind it is usually pretty delicate, so another reason to use these little, tiny scissors is because you can keep from cutting a hole in the backing fabric. So I've just started kind of trimming away in that area the sequins from the seam allowance. And I've got a piece here that I already did that to so you can see what that looks like after I've trimmed away all of those sequins.

So I have a nice, soft seam allowance here that isn't full of scratchy sequins to bother you. If you wanted to just skip that step entirely, you could add a lining to the garment and that would save you that problem, too. But if this was something that the seam allowance is going to be against your skin, you don't want them there. So here's how it looks from the right side. And as you can see, I wasn't exactly perfect cutting away all my sequins because they kind of are in a random pattern in the first place.

So it's kind of impossible to get that perfect, precise line. So, one thing you could do, if this was in a seam that wasn't going to be very noticeable, like under an arm or something like that, I wouldn't worry about it, but if it were something that were on the front of a garment or on the side of it where it'd be noticeable, I might come back and fill in these little areas here with the sequins that I cut away from before. So I have quite a few that I cut away the first time here on my first piece. So I could just come back actually and use, again, the invisible thread and just place them where I thought it looked really extra sparse. So another little tip with this kind of fabric where it's really delicate and you don't want the sewing machine to kind of eat it as you're sewing, when I sewed this seam, I actually placed a little starter fabric piece here before I started the seam.

And that just gave the fabric something nice and stable, or it just gave the machine something nice and stable to bite into before it got to the really delicate mesh here. And that prevented it from sinking down below the feed dogs there, 'cause you don't want to eat those sequins. So that's kind of a good tip. Anytime that you're using a delicate piece of fabric, just line up your little starter scrap, and just use something really nice and stable. Like this is quilting cotton, and I've doubled it up so it's a nice, flat surface.

Place that in front of your seam that you're going to sew and then it'll go much more smoothly than trying to start on that wavy surface. Another thing to think about with sequin is that they're just always going to be messy, so just prepare for that. As you're cutting them, there's gonna be, they're all gonna be flying around. I like to use kind of just a pair of craft scissors instead of my nice sewing scissors because just like they'll dull the needle, they'll also dull your blades. So I have a pair of scissors that I don't necessarily use for paper, but I use it more for like crafty sewing, is kind of how I think of it.

So I'd use these also for felt or other materials that would kind of tend to hurt my nice, super nice, sharp, sewing shears. And this is just another example of where I cut away the seam, the sequins from the seam allowance. This fabric is far less embellished, so it's a lot easier to sew through the sequins if you wanted to. You can see a couple of them got caught in my seam here, but it again is nice and soft on the inside. And if I wanted to, I could come back and stitch some of those loose sequins back on again if I really want it to fill it in.

So those are just a few quick tips for sewing with sequins and adding sparkle to your projects.