¡Hola, crafters! You know, my grandmothers always had a way with words. They used to say, "It's OKAY si te vuelves adicto a las manualidades, translation it's OKAY to be addicted to crafts!
We get students all the time who want to set up a new hobby, and we figured it's high time we share our honest opinions on what you really need if this is going to be your new favorite pastime. From the essential tools to the best materials, we've got you covered.
Plus, we’ve sprinkled in some affiliate links to help you save a few bucks. Yes, we might get a small commission, but hey, it helps us keep doing what we love – bringing you the best tips and tricks for your crafting adventures.
So, whether you're just starting out or looking to upgrade your crafting game, take a look around. We've put together a list of must-haves that’ll make your creative process smoother and more enjoyable.
List of Supplies
Here’s a list of supplies you’ll need to get started with rug tufting as a beginner:
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Tufting Gun: This is the main tool you'll use. There are cut pile and loop pile guns, so choose one based on the type of rugs you want to make. In Class we like medium or short pile because it's best when shaving or details. We get all our Tuft Guns from TUFT THE WORLD Use our code fro anything and get 15% off CODE: FELICITAANDFAUSTINA Trust me when I tell you those Amazon Tuft Guns are good but not great!
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Tufting Frame: A sturdy frame to hold your backing fabric taut while you work. You can build one yourself or buy a pre-made frame. In class we use two styles
LARGE Wood Frame like this
LARGE Metal Frame (WAY easy to tuft the fabric)
SMALL Steel Frame -
Primary Backing Fabric: Typically, a monk’s cloth, primary tufting cloth, or burlap. This fabric is what you’ll be tufting into. This ONE works great!
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Yarn: Acrylic yarn is a popular choice for beginners because it's affordable and comes in many colors. Make sure the yarn is thick enough to work well with your tufting gun. Walmart is the ideal place! Sometimes Hobby Lobby has good yard but if you want EXTRA quality these yarns are BEAUTIFUL
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Carpet Adhesive: Used to secure the yarn in place after you’ve finished tufting. I use this REAL carpet adhesive but it has a stench so if you are sensitive to smells I would use this water based adhesive
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Fabric Shears or Electric Carving Clippers: To trim and shape your rug once the tufting is complete. This Shaver is ALL you need to start but as you saw in my class I use the clean and cut as you go and I love these shears
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Tufting Cloth Scissors: Sharp scissors to cut your backing fabric. GOOD Fabric Scissors If you know ANYTHING about crafting you know that everything has it's own type of scissors for a purpose
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Sharpies: For drawing your design on the backing fabric before you start tufting. Get colorful permanent markers so it's easy for you to identify colors when tracing ( especially for detailed work)
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Staple Gun and Staples: To secure the backing fabric to the frame. ONLY if you use a wooden frame( this one is good)
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Protective Gloves: To protect your hands while working. If you're serious about tufting buy a BOX of gloves because the glue is messy but also protective if you are using a wood frame OUCH
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Eye Protection: Safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying yarn bits and debris. Optional
Optional but Useful:
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Yarn Threader: Helps to thread the yarn through the tufting gun more easily. These break easy so just get this pack and YOU MUST get a Yarn Threader for your Yarn because when you buy the yarn you must unthread and re thread loosely.
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Projector: To transfer your design onto the backing fabric if you're working with a detailed pattern. I have gone through 3 and this ONE is the best because you want a quality output so you can trace.
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Resources: YouTube University! This is a GREAT video that is step by step!
These are the basic supplies you'll need to get started with rug tufting. If you have any questions or want to book a 1 on 1 session to go over the entire process please email us felicitaandfaustina@gmail.com
Happy tufting!