HAND TUFTED RUGS

How are hand-tufted rugs & carpets made?

A hand tufted rug is typically a much higher-quality rug than one made by a machine, but, when compared to a hand-knotted rug meticulously created by an artisan, it is less durable and less valuable. They aren’t completely unique works of art, but they are much closer than other weaves since it is created by a weaver, and not on a weaving or looming machine, without a human to guide the pattern or yarn.

Some hand-tufted rugs can be mistaken for hand-knotted rugs. They are often made of wool, and, depending on the manufacturer and materials used, they can last for up to 20 years. Hand-tufted rugs aren’t made on a loom but are created with a tool called a tufting gun. Additional patterns can be carved on the rug with a tufting gun.

A hand tufted rug can have a colourful, geometric, flowered, paisley, or striped pattern, or pretty much anything you’ve seen on a machine made or hand-knotted rug.

A textile worker or artisan creates a hand-tufted rug by placing strands of wool or yarn on a frame and punching the strands with a tufting tool. This process takes less time than hand-knotting, and anyone can learn it and make a hand-tufted rug without much training.

The process begins when a weaver makes a backing with a design. A textile worker or weaver uses the tufting gun to inject yarn or cotton into it. When all the yarn or other material has been injected into the pattern, another piece, called a scrim, is placed on the rug with latex glue to keep fibers intact. The weaver then shears the carpet loops so the rug becomes flat and suitable for foot traffic. The edges of some hand-tufted rugs are bound to make them stronger.

Look at the back of a rug to determine if it is hand-tufted. You’ll see the applied coating that secures the tufts covered by canvas or another type of material.