what is rug tufting

Rug tufting is a technique of hand-making rugs by threading loops of yarn in a design onto supportive fabric, usually with the aid of a tufting gun. The process involves inserting a thread or yarn into a primary base, creating a fluffy rug effect. The tufting gun is a handheld machine that shoots out tufts of yarn threads into a primary fabric. The yarn is then held in place with glue and the primary tufting cloth is folded over to the back and held in place by sewing or gluing. A secondary backing fabric is then used to cover the back of the rug. There are two types of pile when differentiating the tufting guns: cut pile and loop pile. Cut pile rugs have yarn that is snipped every other loop into the backing, creating a “U” shape from the side profile, while loop pile rugs arent snipped and create a continuous “M” or “W” . Rug tufting is an easy-to-learn and versatile craft that can be done at home with a tufting gun, primary and secondary backing fabric, and yarn.