Rug Tufting

Rug tufting is a way of making rugs by punching loops of yarn through a stretched fabric backing. A handheld tool called a tufting gun does the punching at speed, so you can fill a design with thick, soft pile far faster than by hand. The result is a colourful rug, wall hanging or mat that's entirely your own.

First, a special fabric called tufting cloth is stretched tight over a wooden frame. Your design is drawn onto it, and here's the twist: you work from the back, so the design ends up mirrored on the finished side.

The yarn is threaded through the gun's needle. When you press the trigger, the needle moves quickly in and out of the cloth, pushing yarn through with every stroke. You guide the gun slowly along your lines, then fill in the shapes, colour by colour, keeping the gun straight and steady.

A cut pile gun snips each loop as it goes, giving a soft, velvety, brush-like surface. A loop pile gun leaves the loops whole, which gives a bumpier, more textured finish. Some guns can do both, and mixing the two in one design adds lovely depth.

If you like the look but want something smaller, punch needle is the slower, handheld cousin of tufting, using a hand tool instead of a gun.

Once the tufting is done, the back is coated with glue to lock every loop in place, and a second backing cloth is usually added to tidy it up. The rug is then cut from the frame and the edges are folded and finished.

Many tufters also trim, or carve, the pile with scissors or clippers to sharpen the outlines and make parts of the design stand out. It's a bit like giving your rug a haircut.

Absolutely. Your Activity Leader shows you how to set up the frame, thread the gun and handle it safely, then you're off. A simple design works beautifully for a first rug, and the gun covers ground quickly, so you see results fast. Lots of people find the steady rhythm oddly meditative. Warning: you may leave planning a rug for every room.

You might also like Macrame, Yarn Spinning and Basket Weaving.

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