Tufting Material Overview
Jennifer von Känel
Tufting Material Overview
What Material do I need for Tufting?
Hello tufting lovers! I'm Jenni from Tuftinglove and this blog post is for anyone who wants to get started with tufting and is wondering what material they need to tuft their own rug and what to look out for.
In the following, we will address all these topics so that you get a complete overview of what you need for your fluffy hobby:
- The tufting machine (or tufting gun)
- The tufting frame
- The tufting cloth
- The yarn
- The glue
- The backing
- The trimmer
- The tufting accessories
The Tufting Machine (or Tufting Gun)
So let's start with the obvious, you need a tufting machine.
If you want a guide to the different types of tufting machines, check out our blog post comparing tufting machines here. In it, we compare all the tufting machines we sell in our shop and show which ones we would recommend to you.
For beginners, we recommend our AK-I Cut Pile tufting machine. This tufting machine is the perfect tufting machine for beginners and is the absolute favourite of our beginner workshop participants in our studio and the bestseller in our shop.
It produces a cut, open, fluffy pile that you can also work with three-dimensionally using a clipper to add depth to your tufting artwork. With a little hack, you can even try out what loop pile tufting would look like.
The second beginner-friendly option is the AK-II loop pile. This machine can only tuft closed loops, and there is no way to switch it to create a cut pile.
I definitely recommend the AK-I cut pile tufting machine. It costs $210 and is the original. It is a super reliable tufting machine, and even if you ever need spare parts, we can get them for you.
Also, I recommend that you do not change the tufting machine settings until you have tufted a few times with it. Unpack it and test it to make sure everything is working. After you have got to know and understand it, you can start changing the settings.
Since this product is of good quality, we rarely have problems with our machines. But all our machines come with a 1-year warranty. So you can send them back to us and we will replace them if you receive a faulty model.
What to look out for when buying a tufting machine
I strongly recommend that you buy your tufting machine from a specialised tufting shop and not from a large online retailer that sells everything from rubber boots to books and furniture. These large online retailers, with mostly very cheap offers, are less suitable because they don't provide support for you and your machine if something goes wrong. That's why you should look for a reliable shop that can help you with tutorials and spare parts.
We often get messages asking us whether our spare parts fit the cheap copies of Tufting machines, and unfortunately our answer is always: We don't know. There are now so many cheap copies of good Tufting machines that we don't know if our spare parts will fit your machine if you didn't buy them from us.
We offer all common spare parts for our machines.
Of course, it also makes sense not to shop on another continent. If you live in Europe, it is easier to buy from us than from America. Especially because of the shipping costs and the support. The same applies the other way around, of course.
So make sure you choose a reliable store that delivers good quality. We offer you high-quality products with good customer service and replacement parts in case you need to replace something in a few years.
The Tufting Frame
How big does the tufting frame have to be?
Next, you need a sturdy tufting frame that matches the size of the rug you want to tuft. It doesn't matter whether it's a large or small frame. Above all, it must be stable enough to tension the tufting fabric well. The inside dimension of the frame should be at least 10 cm larger than the rug you want to tuft.
We will be taking a closer look at how to build a tufting frame soon. So be sure to subscribe to our channel and sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss out on any news and special offers.
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How does the cloth hold on the tufting frame?
For your frame, you need a few nice nailing strips in which you can hook your tufting cloth and tension it well. You can also do this by hand, but drilling over 100 holes at the same angle and hammering in nails can be a bit annoying. To be honest, I would be too impatient to do that.
That's why we offer pre-made nail strips that you can simply nail to your frame and that are perfect for stretching your tufted fabric. You can find these nail strips in our shop.
The nails in these strips are all at a slight angle. This is perfect because it makes it extremely easy to hang the tufting cloth. We also supply the nailing strips ready-made with nails so you can nail them directly to your tufting frame.
The nailing strips are easy to nail to your frame.
We recommend using at least 2 rows of nail strips to achieve an even tension of the tufted fabric. In addition, your frame should be larger than the largest rug you want to tuft on it. Tufting close to the edge of the frame is much more difficult due to the uneven distribution of the fabric tension.
The Tufting Cloth
Which tufting cloth do I need?
The tufting fabric is your canvas. It is the foundation of your entire rug and therefore it is very important to choose the right material. First of all, you need to be aware that the needle of the tufting machine is quite wide and needs space to go through the fabric. In addition, the tufting machine only ‘chops’ the yarn into the tufting fabric.
The tufting fabric must therefore be very robust to be able to withstand the force of the tufting machine. That's why we recommend our premium polyester tufting fabric. This fabric is specially made for tufting and can withstand the tension needed. It is robust, has super strong threads and is almost impossible to tear by hand.
The tufting fabric almost does not tear when you pull on it.
Don't scrimp on the tufting cloth, especially at the beginning. You want to be sure that the base material won't let you down! We get so many emails asking for help because the tufting fabric keeps tearing, and when I ask for pictures, it's often linen or monkscloth. These fabrics are not made for the force of the tufting machine and don't withstand it properly.
Imagine you start tufting, the fabric tears over and over again and after two weeks you notice that you have saved on the tufting fabric and it therefore doesn't work? We want to be sure that the material won't let us down.
How should the fabric be tensioned?
If you have good tufting fabric, also make sure that it is really stretched tightly and evenly. The more you tuft on it, the more it is strained. Therefore, it is important to have good tension on the fabric from the start. Also, make sure that the fabric is stretched straight and that the individual threads in the tufted fabric do not form waves.
The Yarn
How do you wind the yarn?
Tufting is easiest when the yarn is wound on cones rather than balls. The advantage of cones over balls is that the yarn can be unwound easily and without tension. In our case, cones are cardboard cones.
These cones make unwinding a breeze.
Nothing but the needle of the tufting machine pulls on the yarn. This means that if you have tension on the yarn because it is not unwinding properly, then it will always unthread from the tufting machine, which is extremely tedious. Having the yarn on a cone is also much more convenient because you don't have to constantly pull on the yarn and loosen it to avoid tension.
If you have a lot of yarn on balls, we recommend buying our yarn winder. It allows you to wind perfect ‘yarn cakes’ that unwind beautifully from the inside out. It is super stable and makes winding balls much easier. I did everything with the yarn winder for a long time before I invested in a large winding machine.
When choosing yarn, it all comes down to your preference. We do a lot of tufting with our sheep's wool and acrylic yarn. But you have many options to try here. Especially with the AK-II Loop Pile, where the yarn is not cut, you have almost unlimited possibilities. We have tufted with reflective tape and old clothes that we cut into strips.
It is important to note the thickness of the yarn. It must fit through the needle of your tufting machine. Very thick or irregular yarn will not work, or will work poorly. If you have very thin yarn, you can double it. We once tufted with super thin machine knitting yarn and used more than 30 skeins.
With thin yarn, you can also use several skeins.
How much yarn do you need for tufting?
People often think that you can tuft one square metre with one kilo of yarn, but that is not the case. Carpets are heavy. We all know that from our Ikea purchases. But there is no general answer to this, because several factors come into play here:
- Which tufting machine are you using?
- How high is the pile you are tufting?
- How densely are you tufting?
- What yarn are you using?
But of course I'll be happy to give you a rough estimate.
In the one-day beginners' workshop, the participants tufted a 50 x 70 cm rug. After they have glued the back and the rug has dried, we weigh them. These rugs weigh between 1.3 kg and 1.8 kg, depending on the factors mentioned above.
You can subtract about 200g of weight from the tufting fabric and then you get the weight of the yarn and the glue. The glue is difficult to calculate because its weight changes during drying. This is not all the yarn, because we don't weigh the scraps from the floor, but it gives you a good idea of how much yarn you might need.
After tufting, there is a lot of yarn left on the floor.
You will get a feel for your personal consumption quite quickly. In general, I would say that it is better to order too much than too little. I have had situations where I had to reorder because I only had 5 cm left to tuft but no more suitable yarn. This can be very annoying.
The Glue
Why do you glue tufted rugs?
The glue is needed to attach the yarn to the tufted fabric because the tufting machine does not make knots. It simply pushes the yarn into the tufted fabric. In addition, the yarn spreads on the other side during tufting, creating tension. Without glue, the tufted piece can roll up when it is removed from the frame. This effect becomes more pronounced the larger your tufted piece is.
That's why we glue the piece while it's still stretched on the frame. For this you need a good glue that is waterproof and still remains flexible. We use the same glue that we sell in our store:
The adhesive prevents your carpet from falling apart.
How do you glue a tufted rug?
You can apply our Geistlich glue with a putty knife. It will hold when you wash your tufted piece, has no smell and remains flexible after drying. I really like it, but I'd love to find a thinner, spreadable glue. If I find anything, I'll be sure to let you know.
The Backing
What backing does a tufted rug need?
When you tuft a rug, you need some kind of backing. This backing serves several purposes. It protects your rug from behind, holds it in place with a non-slip felt underlay and provides a nice finish.
We use our high-quality cotton backing material and our non-slip felt backing. Depending on your taste and how you want to finish your rug, you can choose accordingly.
Our bestseller and the favourite in the studio is the non-slip felt underlay. It has great non-slip dots that keep your rug in place.
The non-slip felt back (top) and the cotton back (bottom).
You can apply them right after you glue your rug and trim the edges once they dry. This way you don't have to fold over the edges. As you see here, I apply it when the glue is still wet and then just trim it once everything has dried.
You can also attach them after the rug has dried, especially if you are using a woven fabric like our cotton underlay, which is added later.
How do you fix the backing?
We have found that spray adhesive works best for us, but choosing the right adhesive can be tricky.
Most spray glues create droplets that spread everywhere, even if you cover the area. This simple spray adhesive does not work well. The droplets do not adhere properly to the uneven surface of the carpet. We need an extra-strong contact spray adhesive that creates a mesh-like pattern.
You spray both the tufted carpet and the finished backing material, let them sit for a few minutes and then press them together. This mesh pattern holds and connects the pieces.
Use only suitable spray adhesive.
The Trimmer
The trimmer can really enhance your tufted rug, as it allows you to smooth the surface and create a three-dimensional masterpiece. We are often asked if you can use an electric hair clipper instead. Yes, but hair is probably not as thick and dense as yarn, and hair clippers are not designed for this type of work and workload.
This clipper also has a speed controller.
The Tufting Accessories
Threader
It may sound silly, but this long curved wire with a wooden handle is incredibly useful. I have tufted without it – just a curved wire – and lost it every few minutes. It would fall out of the machine into the yarn stack and be hard to find. Spend a little money on a threader; it's worth it.
Scissors and clippers
There are several different scissors and thread cutters available. This really comes down to personal preference. I love and recommend these super easy-to-use thread cutters and angled scissors, as they help you cut close to the surface without accidentally damaging the tufted fabric. Proper fabric scissors are also great for cutting your fabric and for carving.
Yarn winder
As mentioned earlier, this tool will be one of your best friends if you want to tuft with yarn that comes in skeins. It makes winding a skein into a smooth, easy-to-handle yarn cake a breeze and is really a good investment.
Our Ultimate Premium Starter Set offers you everything you need to get started with tufting.
That's it for this tufting material blog! Now you have a basic list of the things you need to get started with tufting. If you have any further questions, just leave a comment here or contact us!
Have a fluffy day and if you liked this blog post, we would be happy if you give it a like and share it with other tufting lovers!
