You've got your tufting gun. You've stretched your fabric. You're ready to go.
But then you look at the yarn aisle, or worse, fall into an online yarn rabbit hole, and suddenly there are a hundred options and no idea which one is actually right for rug tufting. This guide cuts through the noise. We'll cover exactly what to look for in a tufting yarn, what to avoid, and which yarn is fast becoming the favourite choice for makers across the UK.
Quick Answer
- Use chunky or bulky weight yarn (weight 5 or 6) for the best coverage and speed with a tufting gun
- Acrylic and wool blends are the most popular choices, durable, affordable, and easy to work with
- Avoid slippery yarns like silk or bamboo, they don't grip the backing fabric well
- Twist decides how your rug finishes: soft, low-twist yarns tuft easily and shear flat, while hard tightly twisted yarns are the only ones that carve
- 100% recycled yarn is an increasingly popular choice, better for the planet without sacrificing quality
- Cheekyarn Loop 8 is our go-to recommendation for plush pile work: 100% recycled PET, GRS-certified, 115 colours. It is not a carving yarn
Why Yarn Choice Actually Matters
With rug tufting, yarn isn't just about colour. The wrong yarn can jam your tufting gun, create uneven pile, or produce a rug that doesn't hold its shape over time. The right yarn, on the other hand, feeds smoothly through the needle, holds its pile height consistently, and gives you a finished rug that looks and feels genuinely professional.
Getting this right from the start saves you a lot of frustration.
What to Look for in Tufting Yarn
1. Weight (Thickness)
This is the single most important factor. For tufting guns, you want chunky or bulky weight yarn, typically labelled as weight 5 (bulky) or weight 6 (super bulky). Thinner yarns (like DK or sport weight) will feed through too quickly and produce a sparse, uneven pile. Thicker yarn gives you full, luscious coverage with fewer passes.
2. Fibre Type
Acrylic is the most beginner-friendly option. It's affordable, widely available, holds its shape well, and comes in an enormous range of colours.
Wool gives a premium, naturally soft finish and is wonderful to work with, but it comes at a higher price point and requires more care in finishing.
Wool-acrylic blends offer a nice middle ground: the warmth and texture of wool with the durability and affordability of acrylic.
Recycled PET yarn (made from recycled plastic bottles) is quickly becoming a favourite among conscious makers. Modern recycled yarn is soft, consistent, and performs just as well as virgin acrylic, often better.
3. Ply and Twist
Look for a low-twist or loosely plied yarn. Tightly twisted yarn can be stiff and difficult to feed through a tufting gun needle, especially at speed. Yarn sold specifically for rug making or tufting will usually have the right amount of twist. If in doubt, check the label or ask the supplier.
Twist is also what decides whether your rug can be carved, which is worth understanding before you buy. More on that below.
4. Consistency
Machine-spun yarn is far more consistent than hand-spun alternatives, which matters enormously for tufting. Inconsistent thickness causes the gun to jam or produce uneven pile height.
Stick to commercially produced yarn, especially while you're starting out.
Soft Yarn or Carving Yarn? The Trade-off Nobody Explains
Most yarn guides stop at weight and fibre. But there is a second decision underneath that one, and it decides what your finished rug can look like.
Soft, open, low-twist yarns (including most super bulky recycled and acrylic yarns) feed beautifully through a gun, fill fast, and give you that plush, bouncy pile people want to sink their feet into. They shear flat cleanly. What they will not do is carve. A soft yarn does not cut crisply under a blade, so sculpted edges and relief lines come out fuzzy rather than sharp. That is a property of the yarn, not a technique problem, and no blade or method fixes it.
Hard, tightly twisted carving yarns do the opposite. They are firmer under the needle and less forgiving to tuft, but each strand cuts cleanly, so carved outlines and deep relief stay crisp.
Neither is better. They are built for different finishes. Decide which one your design actually needs before you buy, because you cannot get a carved look out of a soft yarn.
Getting a clean finish from a soft yarn
- Use a sharp trimmer with a shearing guide and level the whole rug in two or three progressively lower passes
- Keep blades clean, since yarn build-up makes any cut messier
- Level the whole surface first, then tidy the outline by hand with scissors
- Design for flat pile and colour blocking rather than sculpted depth, and the result looks deliberate rather than compromised
What Yarn to Avoid
| Yarn Type | Why to Avoid |
|---|---|
| Silk or bamboo | Too slippery, won't grip the backing fabric |
| Very fine yarn (DK or lighter) | Too thin for good coverage |
| Loosely spun novelty yarn | Inconsistent thickness jams the gun |
| Felting wool | Can mat inside the gun mechanism |
| Cheap acrylic with high static | Sticks and tangles mid-tuft |
Cut Pile vs Loop Pile: Does Yarn Choice Change?
Slightly, yes.
For cut pile, you want yarn that fans out nicely once cut. A slightly softer, less tightly twisted yarn works beautifully here, giving you that full, fluffy surface.
For loop pile, you want yarn that holds its loop shape firmly. A slightly firmer, more consistent yarn produces cleaner, more defined loops.
The good news: a high-quality all-rounder yarn (like a bulky recycled yarn) performs well in both modes, which is why it's the go-to for beginners.
Our Yarn Recommendation: Cheekyarn Loop 8
If you want one yarn to start with and grow with, we recommend Cheekyarn Loop 8.
What Makes Cheekyarn Different?
Cheekyarn is a 100% recycled PET yarn, made from recycled plastic bottles and certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Every cone you buy is a small step away from landfill and towards something genuinely beautiful.
But sustainability isn't the only reason makers love it.
Why It Works So Well for Tufting
- 115 colours : from muted neutrals to bold, saturated brights, there's a palette for every project
- Consistent weight and twist : feeds smoothly through tufting guns with minimal jamming
- Soft finish : despite being made from recycled PET, it has a surprisingly luxurious feel underfoot
- Excellent colour retention : colours stay vivid wash after wash
- Available on 600g cones : ideal for tufting, where you need long, uninterrupted lengths of yarn
Being straight about what it is not: Loop 8 sits firmly on the soft, plush side of the spectrum. It is not a carving yarn and we do not recommend it for carved or sculpted work. It shears flat well, but it will not hold a crisp relief line whatever blade you use. If carving is central to your design, source a hard, tightly twisted carving yarn for it. Our full Loop 8 review covers this in detail.
For plush pile, colour blocking, soft shapes and high-pile work in a huge colour range, Loop 8 is a yarn you won't feel the need to upgrade from.
How Much Yarn Do You Actually Need?
A rough guide for beginners:
| Rug Size | Approximate Yarn Needed |
|---|---|
| Small (30 x 30cm) | 100–150g |
| Medium (50 x 50cm) | 300–400g |
| Standard (60 x 90cm) | 600–900g |
| Large (90 x 120cm) | 1,200–1,600g |
These figures vary depending on pile height, density setting on your gun, and yarn thickness. When in doubt, buy slightly more than you think you need. Running out mid-project is every maker's least favourite problem. For a detailed breakdown, read our guide on how much yarn you need for a tufted rug.
Ready to Pick Your Colours?
Choosing yarn is honestly one of the most enjoyable parts of starting a new rug. Once you know what you're looking for, it stops feeling overwhelming and starts feeling exciting.
Start with a bulky weight, low-twist yarn in the colours that excite you most. And if you want a yarn that's as good for the planet as it is for your rug, Cheekyarn Loop 8 is the one.
Cheekyarn Loop 8, Now at UK Tufting
Cheekyarn Loop 8 is now available on UK Tufting: 100% recycled PET, GRS-certified, on 600g cones for £24 each, in all 115 colours. Browse the Loop 8 colours and get everything else you need to start your first rug in the same order.
Shop this guide
Everything mentioned above is available at UK Tufting, with free UK shipping on orders over £60 and Click & Collect from our Hackney Wick studio.
- Loop 8 Recycled Tufting Yarn: super bulky 600g cones made from 100% GRS-certified recycled polyester, in 115 colours
- Rug Tufting Trimmer with Shearing Guide: levels and shapes your pile for a professional finish
- Lined Primary Tufting Cloth (2m x 2m): printed guide lines help you stretch evenly and keep your design straight
- AK-V 2-in-1 Tufting Gun (Desert Brown): cut and loop pile in one gun, UK plug included