You want to start tufting. But every time you search for what you actually need, you end up with a dozen browser tabs and more questions than answers.
Quick Answer
- Tufting gun : the core tool, drives yarn through fabric
- Tufting frame : holds fabric taut while you work
- Primary tufting cloth : the fabric you tuft into
- Yarn : bulky weight, low-twist for best results
- Rug latex or PVA : seals yarn after tufting
- Backing fabric : finishes the underside
- Scissors and threaders : essential accessories
- Everything above is available at UK Tufting, shipped fast across the UK
The Full List of Tufting Supplies You Need
1. Tufting Gun
The tufting gun is the heart of the whole operation. It drives yarn through your tufting cloth at speed, creating the pile that becomes your rug.
Two types:
- Cut pile : cuts each loop as it goes, creating soft, fluffy pile
- Loop pile : leaves loops intact for a structured, dense finish
- 2-in-1 : does both, ideal for beginners
For most UK beginners, the AK-V 2-in-1 is the go-to choice. One gun, two techniques, no commitment to a single style before you've had a chance to explore.
2. Tufting Frame
Your tufting cloth needs to be stretched tight and held securely. That's what the frame does. Without a proper frame, the fabric moves as you tuft, which means uneven pile, distorted designs, and a lot of frustration. A 50cm aluminium frame is the ideal starting size for home use: lightweight, sturdy, and manageable for a first rug. A 90cm frame is the one to choose if you want full-size floor rugs.
3. Primary Tufting Cloth
This is the open-weave fabric you stretch onto your frame and tuft your yarn through. Think of it as your canvas. 100% polyester primary tufting cloth is the modern standard. It holds tension evenly, works with all tufting guns, and gives beginners far more consistent results than older alternatives like monk's cloth.
Our Lined Primary Tufting Cloth (£25, 2m x 2m) gives you plenty of room for a standard rug with enough left over for practice runs, and the printed guide lines make it easier to stretch square and keep your design straight.
4. Yarn
Not all yarn works in a tufting gun. You need bulky or super bulky weight (Category 5 or 6) with a low twist. This feeds through the needle smoothly and gives you full, even coverage. Avoid anything too thin, silky, or hand-spun.
Our Loop 8 by Cheekyarn is a 100% recycled PET super bulky yarn designed specifically for tufting: soft, fluffy, and consistent across the cone.
5. Rug Latex or PVA Adhesive
Once you've finished tufting, the yarn needs to be locked in permanently. That's what latex or PVA does. You apply it across the back of your tufted piece, let it dry completely, and it bonds every tuft in place. Skip this step and your rug will slowly unravel.
Our PVA Adhesive Sealer & Primer (£13, 1L) is the easiest option for beginners: water-based, easy to apply, and dries clear.
6. Spray Adhesive
Once the PVA is dry, you need to bond your backing fabric to the underside. That's where spray adhesive comes in. Our Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive (£15, 500ml) is DCM free and fast-drying, giving even coverage in seconds without the mess of a brush-on adhesive.
7. Non-Slip Backing Fabric
The final step. Applied over the dried latex, the backing fabric covers the raw underside, protects the yarn ends, and stops your rug sliding on smooth floors. Our Non-Slip Final Backing Fabric (£20, 2m x 2m) is trimmed to fit and applied with spray adhesive. The step that makes everything feel finished.
8. Sharp Scissors
You'll use scissors constantly: trimming yarn ends, shaping pile, tidying edges. Blunt scissors slow everything down. Our 8-inch Tufting Scissors (£12) are sharp, precise, and long enough for clean strokes across larger pieces.
9. Yarn Threaders
Threading yarn through a tufting gun needle is fiddly without the right tool. A threader makes it take seconds instead of minutes. Get at least two or three. You will lose one.
Our Bamboo Tufting Threaders (3-piece set, £5) are reinforced and weighted for reliable, fast threading every time.
10. Tufting Projector (Optional but Game-Changing)
Getting your design onto tufting cloth accurately is one of the most underestimated challenges in rug making. A projector beams your image directly onto the stretched fabric so you can trace the outlines in minutes: no gridding, no guesswork.
Our Trace & Tuft Projector (£59) works with any image from your phone, tablet, or laptop.
The Full Shopping List at a Glance
| Supply | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tufting Gun | AK-V 2-in-1 | £180 |
| Frame | Aluminium Tufting Frame 50cm | £150 |
| Tufting Cloth | Lined Primary Tufting Cloth 2m x 2m | £25 |
| Yarn | Loop 8 by Cheekyarn, 600g cone | £24 |
| PVA Adhesive | PVA Sealer & Primer 1L | £13 |
| Spray Adhesive | Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive 500ml | £15 |
| Backing Fabric | Non-Slip Backing Fabric 2m x 2m | £20 |
| Scissors | 8-inch Tufting Scissors | £12 |
| Threaders | Bamboo Threaders 3-piece | £5 |
| Projector | Trace & Tuft Projector | £59 |
The Shortcut: Pro Starter Kit
Don't want to source everything separately? Our Pro Tufting Starter Kit (£375, saving £58) includes the AK-V gun, 50cm aluminium frame, lined tufting cloth, non-slip backing fabric, trimmer, scissors, and threaders. The 90cm version is £395.
Just add yarn and adhesive and you're ready to go. Not sure which kit fits? Read which tufting starter kit is right for you.
Shop everything at UK Tufting: fast UK shipping, London Click & Collect available.
Get your supplies. Start your rug.
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.
- All tufting starter kits: compare every kit side by side
- AK-V 2-in-1 Tufting Gun (Desert Brown): cut and loop pile in one gun, UK plug included
- Lined Primary Tufting Cloth (2m x 2m): printed guide lines help you stretch evenly and keep your design straight
- Loop 8 Recycled Tufting Yarn: super bulky 600g cones made from 100% GRS-certified recycled polyester
- Non-Slip Final Backing Fabric (2m x 2m): the finishing layer that stops your rug sliding
- PVA Adhesive Sealer & Primer (1L): locks the yarn in place on the back of your rug