Best sewing machine for paper crafting

Any decent-ish entry to mid-level machine will do. You just need to make sure you have needles for paper work and fabric (and keep them separate, of course). And be prepared to break a few when working with thick paper.

My mother has several sewing machines and all work great for my scrappy needs. It's matter of adapting to your paper thickness and being careful with how you feed the paper. There isn't a brand I'd recommend over another for this craft. It's all a matter of picking the best machine overall for your budget. Older Singer (I'd forget about the new entry-level ones for sure) and Brother are always popular picks (and their range really takes you from basic entry level to advanced). I highly recommend looking for secondhand machines nearby for sale to save money. Sometimes, someone in your town will sell a nearly new machine for less than half the price.

ETA: Pfaff is tricky for after sales service although their machines are actually good. I'd definitely set that brand aside, especially as a newbie. My favourite is my mother's Bernina but it's an expensive brand with expensive spare parts (all proprietary). If you plan on making sewing a more steady hobby and want to get quite serious about making your own clothes, Janome's Skyline S5 is definitely one I'd recommend as well (again, it's a bigger budget and I don't think it's wise to invest that much straight away if you're unsure about your amateur seamstress future). 

i do a lot of sewing on pages and i have always used my regular sewing machine. i just use separate (regular) needle for paper than i use for fabric.

believe me, you don't need a separate machine. and do not fall for those small novelty machines they market for scrapbooking (i.e. those Sew Crafty machines and other similar ones). those are so flimsy and unsteady. total waste of money.

if you really want a separate machine, buy a used, regular size one from the goodwill or a yard sale. the secondary market is glutted full of simple Singer or Brother sewing machines that perfect for paper crafting. otherwise, whatever machine you have is totally fine.

believe me, if the SB industry marketed a regular needle as a paper needle, people would buy them. LOL.  have you seen the stuff they repackage for SBing that you can just get at home depot, Target,  or wherever? me,  i just take a red sharpie and color the dull end of the needle so i can tell the paper from the fabric. 


 

omg---the PINK TAX---that's it!! i've seen paper clips and safety pins repackaged for SBing and the price is 4x more because of that pink tax.  nope, not me. 

manufacturers appeal to women's aesthetics when it comes to marketing their products.  tools that match and look cute and pretty to display in a craft room.  soft colors that appeal to the feminine nature.  thanks no, i don't mind a hammer or mini screwdrivers in neutral colors if they do the job and they are cheaper than the SB brand. 

I have a Brother from Walmart. 20 years old and going strong. I've replaced the needle once (and used un-du to get gunk off it a few times ) It was $69 I believe... We've also used it for actual sewing projects through the years and it has done it's job well. Nothing fancy but it sure has held up!

I agree--any old machine will do. Just don't buy one of the "toy" machines marketed for SBing. You do NOT need a Pfaff or a Bernina unless you already own one. Even the used ones will go for 1-2 thousand in the States. You can easily buy even a new machine for your needs for under $200. The Skyline 5 is a Janome machine. I have a Skyline 7 and it was $3,000. And that was 5 years ago. The comparable Bernina was almost $5,000.  Sorry SleepingBooty!

The only thing I would worry about with needles is the size of the hole it makes in the paper. You will want a needle for woven fabric vs knit because knit needles have a blunt tip to make it go between the fibers, not pierce them. A smaller sized needle (9 or 11) will make a smaller hole in the paper. A larger size (14 or 16) will make a larger hole.

If you sew through adhesive, it will gum up the needle. I use Goo Gone to degunk a needle.