Rug Gun Tufting

This hands-on three-day course will give you a taste of rug making, and in particular, rug gun tufting. This technique of using a rug gun to make your own rug is much faster than hand tufting and brings its own rewards. You'll be able to explore your own design vision, whilst mastering the process and techniques involved in using a rug tufting gun.

We will introduce you to the design process of rug tufting so you'll be able to create your own piece with the techniques you have learnt. You'll learn how to select appropriate materials and refine your use of colour and composition within textile design.

You'll leave this three-day course with a better understanding and confidence in your abilities to design textiles, a new set of hands-on skills and a completed rug sample of your own design.

This course is designed for:

• anyone who has an interest in rug making, textile design, colour and composition or interior products
• those who want to learn about the tools associated with textile design and rug making
• anyone who has an interest in making or crafting

This technique is hugely popular, very satisfying and fun, so all are welcome on this two-day taster.

Course structure

Day one

• Introduction to rug tufting
• Positive attributes of rug gun tufting
• Practice session
• In pairs, you will practise a series of techniques
• One-on-one design critical session – we'll show examples and what to think about when designing

Following the first day and before the next session, you'll work on your final sample designs and how you want it to look overall.

Day two

In pairs, you will either rug tuft your design or have a design session with your tutor – you will then swap over.

Design sessions will cover:

• different yarn types
• windings
• colour selection

This will then lead on to a session on how to evolve what you have learnt on this course and what your next steps should be.

Day three

• You will be completing your rug samples.
• There will be a final group presentation, where you will discuss your outcomes and how best to proceed going forward.

By the end of this course, you will have learnt to use the rug gun and learnt how to take an idea, develop it into a design and create an actual piece of work based on your concept.