Like many other art mediums, tufting has side effects that can impact your health. We encourage you to consider taking safety precautions to protect against: 

Noise: The sound of most tufting machines is similar to a drill or a loud sewing machine. We recommend tufting with earplugs or noise cancelling headphones.

Fiber Inhalation: Yarn is made of loose fibers rolled together to create a continuous strand. When the fiber moves through the head of your tufting machine, it sheds, causing you to breathe in small amounts of those shed fibers. The lasting effects of inhaling yarn shedding ranges in severity depending on how frequently you tuft. Regardless, we recommend wearing a mask or turning on an air purifier while you tuft.

Adhesive toxicity: Adhesives range in toxicity levels and odors, and some can pose a respiratory threat. Please read the label on your chosen adhesive prior to use and follow the safety instructions. We recommend applying adhesive in a well-ventilated area, and wearing a mask and gloves during application.

Body pain: Tufting machines can be heavy. If your wrists, feet, or back start to ache, take a break and stretch! We recommend wearing motocross fingerless gloves, comfy non slip shoes, and practicing good posture while tufting.

Tuft the World’s AK-I, AK-II, and AK-III tufting machines come with an AC/DC adapter, which converts up to 240 volts of AC (alternating current) power to 30 volts DC (direct current) power. Adapters have a Type A plug compatible with household electrical sockets in the U.S. and several other countries. 

Most international customers will need to purchase a universal plug adapter to use in combination with the AC/DC adapter we provide. 

KRD-I tufting machines are available in 110 volt or 240 volt models. We currently only sell 110 volt models.

International customers will need to purchase a power converter to change 110v to 220/240v. Tuft the World is not responsible for electrical problems that may arise from incompatible usage.    

To learn more about the specifics of your country's plug-types and voltage, click here. To learn more about each tufting machine, click here to check out our comparison chart.

This video demonstrates the first steps to getting started: how to feed and thread your AK and DUO machines and other tufting basics. For more detailed instruction on how to thread or change the pile height on your AK-I, AK-II, or KRD-I machine, check out the articles on Low-pile Machines.

For users of the AK-IIICut- and Loop-pile Tufting Machine, check out our High-pile section. 

You can also visit the link to our showcase of videos demonstrating how to use and adjust the AK-I and AK-II tufting machines.  Please note this showcase is password protected. The PW is included in an e-mailed download link, and, in the printed materials included in your shipment.  If you are unable to locate it, please email us with your order number.  You must be a Tuft the World customer to access the showcase.

Looking for a more in-depth intro? We offer an online workshop and in-person workshops across the U.S.

Carpet tack strips are by far the best method to attach tufting cloth to the frame. Carpet tack comes pre-attached to our Instant Tufting Frame. If you are building your own frame, you’ll need to cut tack strips to length, then securely fasten these to the outer edge of your frame using wood glue and a hammer, or a staple gun (read more about how to set up your own frame here). 

It’s crucial that you attach the carpet tack strips so that the angle of the tacks face away from the center of the frame. This is necessary for the tacks to tightly grip the fabric.  

The sharp ends of nails can also be used to attach cloth to the frame, by hammering nails in facing out (points toward you) in order to penetrate and hold the cloth taut. This method is much more labor intensive, though, since each nail needs to be hammered in manually and the nails should be carefully spaced for a consistent grip. 

Once your frame is set up with tack strips (or nails), stretch your tufting cloth across the frame, working from the top down, so that the tack punctures and grips the fabric. You’ll want the fabric to be very taut, much like stretching a painting canvas. 

To prevent the yarn from snagging on exposed carpet tack strips or nails, we recommend covering the edges of your stretched fabric with artist tape or foam strips. 

The specific size and sharpness of a tufting machine needle requires tufting into specifically designed fabrics, like the Primary Tufting Cloth we sell. Monk’s cloth, which is generally used for punch-needle rug making, and Burlap or Hessian are also a possibility, though we’ve used both with mixed results (high-quality varieties often work well, but lower-quality options can shred easily, especially when attempting to make curves). 

What is most important is finding a cloth that is primarily polyester and has a weft count of 14 or more. The weave of the fabric needs to be loose enough to accommodate the tufting machine needle without tearing. 

Canvas, muslin, and other woven fabrics cannot be tufted into. The weave on these fabrics is often too dense for the tufting needle, or the fabric is too lightweight, tears, or can’t hold tufts. 

The size of fabric you’ll need to purchase depends greatly on the size of the tufted piece you have in mind and the dimensions of your tufting frame. We recommend building your frame based on the size of tufting cloth you plan to use most often. This will allow you to maximize your fabric and prevent waste. 

The chart below is based on the measurements of our  Primary Tufting Cloth  and a number of sample frame sizes. It's designed to help you decide which yardage size to purchase based on the number of tufted pieces you'd like to get out of it. 

Creating your own tufting frame is a cost-efficient option for tufters looking for a larger or custom-sized frame. Check out this video for a quick visual on the process! 

In addition to the following materials, available at most hardware stores, you’ll need a drill and a hammer. 

Materials for a 72” x 72” tufting frame: 

• 5 pieces of lumber, 2" x 3" x 96" 
• Approximately 24 feet carpet tack*
• 2.5" long screws for frame construction
• 1.25" long screws for leg braces
• Wood glue and nails, or staple gun

*Note that there's a range of carpet tack varieties and pack quantities on the market. For this frame, we recommend buying two packs of three, 4-foot strips. Some carpet tack comes with nails pre-installed (in which case we also recommend adding wood glue). We do not recommend carpet tack varieties with a peel-off adhesive back.  

Instructions: 

1. For the frame: Cut the ends of four pieces of your lumber at 45 degree Miter angles. 

2. For the frame legs: Divide the fifth board into two 24”, two 16”, and two 8” cuts. The 8” pieces should also have 45 degree cuts at both ends. 

3. Lay out the pieces of your frame on a flat surface. Use a T-square and hand drill to screw together the four corners of the frame using eight 2.5” long screws.

4. Create two T-shaped leg braces using the six smaller cuts of lumber and 1.25” screws. Attach these to the base of the frame and stand the frame upright. 

5. Using a handsaw and gloves, cut carpet tack into four strips, approx. 70 - 72.” Depending on how much tack you have, it’s also fine to use smaller increments. If the tack doesn’t cover every part of the frame edge, we recommend that the gaps between strips are less than three inches long. 

6. How you attach the carpet tack will depend on the kind you’ve purchased. We recommend using either staples, or both wood glue and nails to attach the tack strips to the side of the frame you want to tuft on. Tacks should face out (toward you) and pointing away from the center of the frame in order to tautly secure your cloth.

Making a yarn feeder is an additional step, and can be done many different ways. Similar to the yarn feeder we include with our Instant Tufting Frame, we recommend creating two extensions off to one side of your frame, one near the bottom and one near the top. One or more upright dowels secured to the bottom extension will hold your yarn cone(s) in place, while one or more screw eyes in the top extension will help feed the yarn into your tufting machine.

But what size frame should I build? And how much fabric will fit?  

Consider building a frame based on the size of pieces you plan to tuft and the cloth you plan to use most often. This will allow you to maximize your fabric and prevent waste. 

The following chart is designed to help you estimate how many pieces you should be able to tuft based on the measurements of our Primary Tufting Cloth. 

Check out this video for a step-by-step demonstration of how to set up our Instant Tufting Frame, or scroll down for written instructions. Interested in building your own tufting frame? Check out our recommendations here. 

The following instructions are included with the Tuft the World Instant Tufting Frame and Tufting Starter Kit: 

1. Lay wooden pieces on their edges in the shape of the frame with tack points facing up. 

• Make sure the right and left boards are in the correct position. 
• The right side board has 4 holes drilled in the face. 

2. Use a hand drill with a Philips head driver to screw the four frame boards together along the pre-drilled holes in the top and bottom pieces.

3. Attach screw eyes to the yarn feeder using pre-drilled holes. 

4. Attach the cone holder and yarn feeder on the right side of the frame. 

• Cone holder attaches with pre-drilled holes on the right board, 4” up from the bottom of the frame. 
• Yarn feeder attaches 4” from the top of the frame. 

5. Place dowels in corresponding holes on the cone holder. 

6. Clamp frame to the edge of any sturdy table using adjustable clamps (purchased separately). We recommend c-clamps or bar clamps, available at any hardware store.

*Arrows on the diagram indicate tack direction, and the text printed on the side of the carpet tack should be oriented as it is in the above diagram, pointing away from the center of the frame. 

**Cloth should be very tight on the frame. If it doesn’t “stick” to the carpet tack, make sure the points of the tack are facing away from the center. If they aren’t, unscrew and rotate the frame sides so they do. 

Table of Contents: Tufting Essentials

Source: Excerpts from "What do I need to start tufting? A quick overview."

I. Essential Equipment

• Tufting Machine: This section introduces the two main categories of tufting machines (low-pile and high-pile) and recommends the DUO machine for beginners. It also provides links to learn more about different machine types.
• Tufting Cloth: This section emphasizes the importance of using a suitable fabric for tufting and recommends the Primary White Tufting Cloth. It includes a link for exploring various tufting fabric options.
• Yarn: This section discusses yarn requirements, suggesting the use of rug-making yarns like Reflect Wool or Eco-Cotton. It also links to resources for choosing and loading yarn into the machine.
• Tufting Frame: This section highlights the necessity of a frame to hold the tufting cloth taut and recommends the Instant Tufting Frame or building a DIY frame. It links to resources with frame information and a DIY frame tutorial.

II. Finishing Materials & Tools

• Adhesive: This section explains the need for adhesive in securing the tufts and provides a link to learn about adhesive types and recommendations.
• Backing Cloth: This section introduces backing cloths for finishing tufted pieces and mentions options like Final Backing Cloth, Felt Backing Cloth, or Action Bac. It includes a link to learn more about backing cloths and their applications.
• Shaping & Finishing Tools: This section covers optional shaping tools for cut-pile tufts, including clippers, scissors, and sheep shears with a Shearing Guide. It clarifies that shears need to be purchased separately.

Tufting Machine. There are several models of tufting machines to choose from, depending on your skill level and preference, but generally machines fall into one of two categories: low-pile and high-pile. For beginning tufters, we recommend the DUO, our new machine that performs both cut-pile or only loop-pile.  The DUO is available in low pile, medium pile and high pile. Learn more about machine types here. 

Tufting Cloth. Tufting requires a specific fabric surface to tuft into. Like other fabrics, tufting cloth is available by the yard, and should include enough allowance to adequately secure it in place on the frame. Our Primary White Tufting Cloth is the industry standard, designed specifically for use with tufting machines. Learn more about the range of potential tufting fabrics here. 

Yarn. You’ll need a fair amount to tuft, but the exact amount will depend on the size of your project (examples here), whether or not you’re using a low or high-pile machine, and how many yarn strands you’re tufting with at a time (we recommend two, for a plusher density). You can tuft using most types of natural fiber yarns, but high quality rug-making yarns, like our Reflect Wool and Eco-Cotton, will work best with your tufting machine and be the most durable. Learn more about how to choose tufting yarns here. See how to feed yarn into your machine here. 

Tufting Frame. This is essential to holding the tufting cloth taut while you work. Our Instant Tufting Frame is easy to assemble at home and designed to clamp to the edge of a standard tabletop. You can also make your own tufting frame for about $25. Learn more about frames here, including a video showing how to build your own here.  

Adhesive. Once you tuft a rug, you will need to glue the back of the piece as part of the finishing process. Read more about adhesives types, and our recommendations, here. 

Backing Cloth. After the adhesive is dry, you’ll need to finish (or “back”) your rug with another cloth (we sell Final Backing Cloth, Felt Backing Cloth, or Action Bac). There are several ways to do this depending on your piece’s function (wall piece, floor rug, garment?). Learn more about backing cloths here. 

Shaping and Finishing Tools. Shaping is an optional finishing step. Cut pile tufts can be shaped with clippers or scissors, or trimmed to an even pile by combining a sheep shear with our Shearing Guide (*shears are not included with our shearing guide and must be purchased separately from an alternative supplier)

Tuft the World is proud to provide extensive after sales support to all of our customers.  Some examples of our unique customer service offerings: