Tufting? You've always wanted to try it! But what equipment should you buy, what gun should you use? Don't panic, this article is for you. We'll guide you so you can easily start making your creative projects.
First of all, to practice Tufting as its name suggests, you will need to equip yourself with a " tufting gun " more commonly called a " tufting machine ". Depending on the desired result, will you be more of a CUT gun or a LOOP gun?
Indeed, there is a difference between these two models: the finish
For the tufting gun CUT , the tufting gun will give a cut result, that is to say that the device will take care of cutting the wool yarn straight. You can generally adjust the length of the yarn between 7 and 20 mm on the tufting gun. Each time you press the trigger, the wool yarn will be cut, this will allow you to speed up the creation of rugs.
On the LOOP tufting gun side, the tufting gun will give a looped rendering. This technique is more time consuming, but the result is of course worth it! When using a LOOP tufting gun, you will need to manually cut the yarn with your scissors when you have finished an area.
If you are new to tufting, we recommend that you start practicing with acrylic yarn balls, they are more affordable and you will be able to do your tests in peace without worrying about your wallet. However, note that the higher the quality of your yarn, the more viable your productions will be over time.
It is recommended to use 2 strands of thread at the same time in your machine if you want an optimal result.
There are many types of yarn and each has its own pros and cons. Acrylic yarns are resistant to dirt, mildew, moths and fading. Acrylic is more affordable than wool and comes in a wide range of colours. Unfortunately, it tends to pill and shed and therefore does not hold fabric as well. So choose to make acrylic creations if you plan to hang them in your clean interior and not outside in a garden for example.
Wool is considered a “premium” fiber because wool creations last longer. Wool comes in a single long ribbon (fishnet style) that relaxes to be knitted. If you are making a rug for someone else or are planning to sell it, we recommend using wool.
Without the right fabric, you won't be working in the best conditions, so let's go to the fabrics to explain the importance of one of the essential elements in the practice of tufting.
After touching different qualities, testing many techniques on more or less rigid supports, we offer you our own tufting fabric . This dense thread woven canvas is strong and difficult to break, you can let your imagination run wild without any inconvenience. We offer two premium white and gray polyester fabrics that will not tear thanks to their thickness and the quality of their weaving.
Finally, you will need a finishing fabric to protect and finish your tufting creations in a professional manner. There are several ways to do this depending on what your rug will become (wall hanging, floor mat, clothing). The finishing of your creation is important because perhaps it is intended for sale or as a gift? If so, it is better to be prepared for these eventualities!
You can use a glue gun, spray glue, or carpet glue to adhere your finishing fabric. Finally, finish with binding tape to hide the “unclean” ends and protect everything.
In your tufting practice, you will also need to make a frame to stretch the fabric over. On letufting.fr, you can buy pre-nailed bars (gripper) that will hold the white or gray premium fabric.
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There are different types of glues to finish your carpets, we recommend acrylic polymer glue or synthetic rubber which is for us the most effective. This is just a suggestion based on our experience and what we have tested but there are other solutions that could work perfectly. We encourage you to test yours and share them with us on our instagram.
That being said, here are other types of glue that you can find in most DIY stores like Leroy Merlin or Weldom as “coating glue” or “Soudal glue”.
Latex Glue: Latex is traditionally used to hold thread in place. The biggest problem with latex is that it breaks down and crumbles over time. It is important to use high quality latex to slow down or prevent its breakdown.
Polyvinyl acetate: PVA glue is cheap, easy to obtain, and non-toxic (you may be familiar with Elmer's glue). It can be used for wall hangings and cushions. Note that the result will be stiffer.
Acrylic polymer glue - synthetic rubber: Acrylic polymers are used in the upholstery industry. The advantage of synthetic rubber is that it adheres very well and does not degrade over time like its natural counterpart.
Last tip, if you plan to make a rug, buy more glue! Small boxes are not enough, we often consume more than we think.
Here is a short, exhaustive list of other equipment you will need:
With all these elements, we hope that this guide can give you the big keys to achieving your personal and professional projects.
All the products needed for tufting are available for sale in our tufting store .
So now, on your marks, tuft!
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