17 Must-Have Cutting Tools in Sewing. Easy Guide.

In this post, I will teach you everything you need to know about Cutting Tools in Sewing. I will show you how they look, their name, and what they are used for.

We will talk about the importance of the different types of tools available in the market for us seamstresses. 

Keep reading to find out which are the most popular and essential cutting tools for sewing, and even discover some rare tool finds you might never have heard of before.

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase using one of the links in this article, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you (To know more about this, click here.)

How many sewing tools for cutting do you already know? 

Dressmaking shears, embroidery scissors, and seam rippers might be the most common answer to this question.

But there are so many more out there you might haven’t heard about yet that can make your sewing life way better and uncomplicated.

Each one of these tools is different and has a different purpose in sewing. 

Come with me, and let’s learn all about them in this fun and informative post!

Why is it Important to use the Right Sewing Cutting Tools?

As with any other activity, having the correct tools is essential for good results. Sewing is no different. 

As an activity that has been around since the beginning of times, the importance of cutting tools in sewing has evolved to the point of very specialized equipment. 

This is true to a point where you will find different tailoring cutting tools from those used in embroidery or quilting, for example. 

And using each one of these tools for their designated purpose will ensure the quality of your final product. It will also make your job way easier and smoother. 

But don’t worry; you don’t have to have all the cutting tools named on this list to succeed in your projects.

If you are just starting in sewing, you need to make sure to know which are the Essential Sewing Tools for Beginners and go from there. 

The more experience you get in this craft, the more you will discover the need for more specialized tools to make your job easier and, ultimately, with more quality.

What are the Cutting Tools in Sewing?

In sewing, a cutting tool is any device used to cut fabric or other materials.

When it comes to choosing the right cutting tool, there are a few things to consider. It really depends on what you’re working on, the type of fabric you’re using, and your own personal preferences.

Don’t worry. I’m here to help you answer all the questions!

Here are some common cutting tools used in sewing:

1. Fabric Scissors
2. Angled Shears
3. Pinking Shears
4. Rotary Cutters
5. Electric Fabric Scissors
6. Duckbill Scissors
7. Embroidery
8. Thread Snips
9. Buttonhole Cutter
10. Seam Ripper
11. Craft Blade
12. Hole Punch
13. Paper Scissors
14. Paper Rotary Cutter
15. Notch Maker
16. Paper Hole Punch

Keep reading to learn the purpose of each one of these cutting tools in sewing.

I like to divide these cutting tools for sewing into two categories: Cutting Tools for Fabric and Cutting Tools for Patterns.

What are the Cutting Tools for Fabric?

The cutting tools for Fabric include scissors used to cut fabrics, pinking shears, thread snippers, and other tools like hole punchers, buttonhole openers, and seam rippers.

As you might imagine by now, these are all the tools that are designated for cutting fabrics. And it would be best if you only used them for this material.

I emphasize this because using your fabric-cutting tools (especially the fabric scissors) to cut anything else might ruin them and make them dull.

So make sure always to keep this in mind. Because with the prices of some of these products, you won’t want to buy them twice.

What are the Cutting Tools for Patterns?

The tools for cutting patterns are all of those that are used to cut paper patterns. This includes craft or paper scissors, rotary cutters, cutting mats, and tools such as the pattern notcher, which cuts out notches on the paper. 

I like to keep two rotary cutters in my sewing room so I can use each one for fabric or patterns.

As I find them incredibly helpful in sewing, I decided to invest in two instead of one. I use the dull fabric blades I can’t cut fabric with anymore on my paper rotary blade. This is great for me because it doubles the life of the blades.

How do you take care of your Sewing Cutting Tools?

To elongate the life of your sewing cutting tools, you must follow some easy rules.

First, remember to separate your tools for cutting fabrics, paper, leather, or other materials.

Use those tools only with the material they were intended for. 

The second rule is to keep them in a dry place, preferably covered. This is to avoid any moisture that might rust the blades, as well as the dust.

You can use a sewing room storage solution or even make a scissors fabric cover for your fabric shears.

Finally, oil the screws of the scissors or any moving part like that every other month. This tip will keep them working smoothly, so you don’t have to apply too much force with your hands.

The Most Important Cutting Tools in Sewing. Name, Use, and Description.

1. Fabric Scissors

The most common type of Fabric Scissors is the Dressmaking Shears. These scissors have long, sharp, and straight edges. 

These scissors are ideal for cutting fabric easily and smoothly.

The handles of these shears are aligned with the blades, so the fabric stays as flat as possible when you cut it.

If you don’t have much money to invest in sewing tools, you should put the most on your Dressmaking shears. Make sure they are sharp enough to cut several layers of fabrics at once and long enough for you to handle comfortably.

And, as I mentioned before, you need to make sure to use these scissors ONLY to cut fabric. Believe me; you will be tempted to grab them to cut “these and that” for convenience.

I have been there. Listen to me early and don’t!!

If you start using your fabric scissors to cut things like paper, cardboard, or, God save me, anything else, they WILL GET DULL.

And not only will they be useless to cut fabrics anymore, but you also risk damaging your materials. Because, yes, dull scissors can ruin your fabrics.

In conclusion, you need a good quality pair of shear scissors to keep them well taken care of. And that raises a new question.

What are the best brands of Sewing Scissors?

We did a long research between reviews, brands, and polls with experienced seamstresses and made a great article that will teach you in-depth about all the types of Sewing Scissors, the higher recommended products for each one of them, and the best brands.

Here, you will find anything you need to know about the different types of scissors for sewing and how to choose the best one for you.

2. Angled Shears

The Angled Shears work pretty much the same as the Dressmaking Shears.

Except that they have almost 90º blades in relation to the handles. 

These angle blades let you keep your fabric perfectly flat over your table as you cut. 

This will allow you to glide through the fabric to get really neat and clean cuts. They will also give you more grip power thanks to the more elevated handles.

3. Pinking Shears

Pinking shear scissors have notched edges blades that cut fabric’s edges with a zig-zag shape. 

This is one of the eight ways to finish the fabric’s raw edges.

Pinking shears prevent the fabric edges from fraying. This is especially useful if you are in a hurry to complete your projects or don’t know how to use a serger machine. 

4. Rotary Cutters

Rotatory cutters are a convenient, practical, and quick way to cut fabrics. They have so much more accuracy. They work similarly to pizza cutters, but you will need a self-healing cutting mat to put below the fabric.

The difference between all the sewing scissors is that these tools will make cutting fabric easier and smoother, leaving straight and clean cuts behind.

And this is definitely on my list of tools to speed sewing. I am sure that they will do the same for you.

We have a fantastic post about The Best Rotary Cutters and Blade Replacements for you to find the best one just for you.

5. Electric Fabric Scissors

Electric scissors for fabrics will take all the effort to cut your materials. 

There are a lot of kinds of electric sewing scissors, and the size and type will vary depending on how many layers of fabric you need to cut. 

For big manufacturers of clothes, there are industrial electric scissors.

However, we seamstresses have more manageable options like these cordless electric heavy-duty scissors.

6. Duckbill Scissors

The Duckbill scissors are a small pair of scissors with two different-shaped blades. One is a half circle, and the other is flat. 

This shape is perfect for cutting near the edges of appliques and embroidery projects without the risk of damaging the fabrics with any sharp edges.

You can find these scissors with the name “Applique Scissors.”

When you use these scissors to sew appliques on fabrics, you can easily cut through the applique layer, gliding to the lower layer without damaging it.

7. Embroidery Scissors

These scissors are, in my opinion, the cutest type of sewing scissors for snipping threads. 

The embroidery scissors are pretty small and have sharp, pointy blades, making them perfect for cutting threads, clipping seam allowances, or making notches on your fabric pattern pieces.

You can find embroidery scissors in all sorts of colors, shapes, and designs. Dive into your favorite craft shop and just the one you like the best.

8. Thread Snips

Thread snips are a must in your sewing box tool. These small snippers are for you to cut all the loose thread tails that you get while sewing. 

You can also use them to rip your seams, although they are only better for this task on heavyweight fabrics such as denim.

Otherwise, I would stick only to snipping loose threads.

But beware, this small tool is super easy to lose. Cheaper versions of the thread snips, like the one in the picture above, are good to use for the short term. 

But if you want something of good quality, I suggest this pair of Singer thread snippers, which are way prettier, ergonomic, and sharper.

The price difference is honestly not that high. 

9. Buttonhole Cutter

A buttonhole cutter is used to open the key buttonholes open in a safe way. It has a linear blade you use to punch and open the fabric between the seams of the buttonhole.

This small tool is excellent for avoiding accidents when you use the “hack” way to open your buttonholes.

Usually, if you don’t have this tool, you will have to open it with your seam ripper.

This is highly dangerous if you don’t have a steady hand. You might end up ripping more fabric than you wish. 

The cutter of the blade has a length of ½”, so it will fit standard-size buttonholes. And if you have a larger one, you move the blade up or down.

10. Seam Ripper

A seam ripper is another sewing essential cutting tool. One that every seamstress needs. No questions asked.

The seam ripper has a handle with a metallic piece on top with two ends. One has a dull point, and the other a ball-headed point (like the one on pins).

Between these two ends is the blade, which we use to rip our seams when we make mistakes.

Investing in a good seam ripper is also a great choice because it’s a tool that we use a lot. Seam ripping takes a lot of time and effort.

So make sure you choose an ergonomic and sharp seam ripper like this one.

12. Craft Blade

I honestly haven’t found the need for a craft blade in sewing all that much yet. 

This tool makes precise cuts on thicker fabrics like vinyl and leather. 

And, of course, it is always useful to have one of these for any other craft you make.

13. Hole Puncher

A hole punch is a tool mainly used for leather, vinyl, and other thick fabrics such as upholstery and canvas. 

This tool has a circular blade that you punch into the fabric to make a small hole.

You can insert metallic buttons, eyelets, and more embellishments through that hole.

14. Paper Scissors

Remember when I said you should never use your fabric scissors to cut paper? Well, that is the very reason why you need a designated pair of paper scissors.

These scissors will be useful to you to cut your sewing pattern paper and any other material around your sewing room.

Any craft pair of scissors will be good for this purpose, and you can even get them in bulk.

15. Paper Rotary Cutter

Technically, there is no such thing as a Paper Rotary Cutter. This tool can be any old rotary cutter you designate to cut paper only. 

I have been using dull fabric rotary blades by putting them in a cheap one for a couple of years.

I use the cheap one to cut my pattern papers, which saves me so much time! Also, I get to double the life of the blades, which is pretty great.

16. Notch Maker

Regarding cutting tools for sewing, no one talks about the notch maker. 

This fantastic little tool allows you to cut out small pieces of paper just at the top of the notches marked on your sewing patterns. 

With the space left on the paper, you can use any sewing marking tool to draw where the notch is.

You can also make a small cut with your scissors without touching the paper.

17. Paper Hole Punch

A paper hole puncher works precisely as a fabric hole puncher. The difference is (besides that you cut paper instead of fabric) that you are looking to mark a spot on a pattern with a paper hole puncher.

This is especially useful for marking the center of a piece in an embroidery machine.

You can also use it to mark the pointy ends of darts on your patterns.

Bonus!! Cutting Tools for Left-Handed

Left-handed cutting sewing tools are designed specifically for individuals who are left-handed. The primary reason for offering left-handed versions of cutting tools, such as scissors or rotary cutters, is to accommodate the comfort and needs of left-handed individuals.

Here are some of the brands that offer left-handed sewing tools:

• Left-handed Dress Making Shears
• YAZEMKEL Left-Hand Scissors
• Martelli Rotary Cutters Left-handed

Other Cutting Tools in Sewing

These other cutting tools used in sewing aren’t as common, yet they are pretty helpful for specific jobs.

Awl

An awl is a very sharp tool that you can use to pierce your fabric and make a hole. 

You can pass metallic, snap buttons, and other embellishments through this hole.

Batting Shears

Batting shears are very similar to angle shears but have a more exaggerated shape. 

These scissors have handles with a significant separation between the blades, which makes them perfect for cutting through the thickness of any type of batting.

Rag Quilt Snip

If you don’t know what a rag quilt is, it is a type of quilt that has frayed strips on the edges of every block. This has a beautiful effect on the fabric of these types of blankets. 

The Rag Quilt Snippers have the perfect shape and blade length to allow you to make these cuts quickly and effortlessly.

Curved Embroidery Scissors

These pair of scissors are very similar to the embroidery scissors with a slight difference. A curved embroidery pair of scissors has bent blades only on the point. 

This feature makes them perfect to work with clean and close cuts on the edges of projects like appliques or embroidery.

Double Bent Scissors

The double-bent scissors have the whole both blades curved upwards. 

You can find them with an angled handle or a regular one. Double-bent scissors are better for reaching intricate shapes to cut appliques or cleaning embroidery threads.

Cutting Mat

A cutting mat is necessary if you like to work with rotary blades or electric scissors. 

These mats are made from a self-healing material, and with it, you can safely use any cutting tool, like a rotary cutter or craft blades, without damaging your tables.

Cutting Machines

Several types and brands of cutting machines are used for sewing and crafting. 

One of the most popular machines is the Cricut Machine, which can cut anything from paper to fabric.

You need a particular program to make the designs you want to cut into this machine.

But with it, you can make almost any kind of shape, lettering, and drawing cuts.

Accuquilt Cutting Machine

An Accuquilt machine is a device that helps quilters quickly cut the shapes of their designs for block making.

The Accuquilt machine can be electric or manual. This cutting machine can cut complex shapes like diamonds, hexagons, and more. 

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