What’s the best way to attach my cloth to the frame?

February 19, 2026

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. 

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