A hand-tufted rug is created without tying knots into the foundation, but rather by pushing wool or arcylic yarn through a primary backing, creating a 'tuft'. Then, using a latex glue to hold the 'tufts' in place, a rugmaker will apply a secondary foundation, or 'scrim', which is then covered by a third and final cloth backing to protect your floor. The final step involves shearing the tops of the looped tufts to create the pile. The height of the pile is determined by how much yarn is cut off, and how far the initial loop was pushed up.
Hand-tufted rug makers use a tool called a 'tufting gun' which holds the yarn, to push through the primary backing which is stretched in place on a frame. This method of rug making is less time consuming than hand-tying each knot, but still requires a high level of craftsmanship to efficiently and accurately portray the intricate designs. The design is determined by transferring a pattern onto the primary foundation, this acts as a template showing the craftsman where to push through each colored tuft.
Hand-tufted rugs can be made faster than hand-knotted rugs, therefore they are generally less expensive than their hand-knotted counterparts. The tufting method creates a highly durable and beautifully accurate handmade rug that will weather foot traffic for years to come.
