For me, the most critical (and most difficult to find for a reasonable price) thing was a sewing machine table of the PROPER height. All the tables I tried were too tall and I got terrible neck & shoulder pains after just an hour or so. I didn't want to shell out hundreds of dollars for a real sewing table so I went down to the local hardware store and bought a couple extra-heavy-duty shelf brackets and a piece of plywood made specifically to be used as a desktop (It's glued together in such a way that it is supposed to be resistant to warping, plus it was the perfect size so no cutting needed). Covered the wood with a thin layer of batting and some leftover vinyl I had on hand and now I have the perfect sewing table! Total cost = $80. And included in that; I found a closet hook set that fit the bracket system - it holds all my scissors in easy reach. Plus everything is adjustable so if I'd gotten the height wrong I can move everything up or down.