Tufting Cloth: What It Is and What You Can Use

October 03, 2026

Tufting cloth is the woven fabric you tuft into. Not every fabric works. The size and sharpness of a tufting machine needle mean you need a cloth designed specifically for tufting.

What Fabrics Can You Tuft Into?

Our Primary Tufting Cloth is made for tufting machines. If you're thinking about using something else, look for a cloth that is mostly polyester with a weft count of 14 or more. The weave needs to be loose enough for the needle to pass through without tearing.

Monk's cloth, which is usually used for punch-needle rug making, can work. So can burlap (also called hessian). We've had mixed results with both. High-quality versions often work well, but cheaper ones can shred easily, especially when you're tufting curves.

Canvas, muslin and other tightly woven fabrics won't work. Their weave is often too dense for the needle, or the fabric is too lightweight, tears, or can't hold tufts.

Fabric Comparison

• Primary Tufting Cloth: works for straight, curved and diagonal lines. Doesn't tear easily.
• Monk's Cloth: works for straight lines. Curved and diagonal lines are risky. Tears easily.
• Burlap (or Hessian): works for straight lines. Curved and diagonal lines are risky. Tears easily.
• Plastic Tarp: works for straight lines only, not curved or diagonal lines. Tears easily.
• Not compatible: shade cloth, primitive linen, canvas, muslin and denim.

Can I Tuft Pillows on Lightweight or Cotton Fabric?

Our tufting machines are built for tufting cloth and aren't designed for lightweight fabrics like regular cotton. If you want to make pillows, bath mats or similar pieces on thin fabric, you'll want a different kind of machine: a punch-needle-style or sewing-type tufting tool that stitches yarn into almost any fabric. These tools don't need adhesive to hold the yarn in place, and they're how most pillows and bath mats are made commercially.

If you want to make pillows with one of our machines, tuft onto primary tufting cloth first, then finish the piece with adhesive and backing and sew or attach it to your pillow cover.

Our Tufting Cloths

Primary White Tufting Cloth

Our Primary White Tufting Cloth is the industry standard, and we use it pretty much every day. Its weave lets the needle pass through cleanly while holding the yarn loops in place. It works for both cut pile and loop pile.

• Width: 157" (about 4 m)
• Sold: by the yard. A 1-yard piece measures 36" × 157".
• In stock: pieces up to 5 yards. We no longer stock 10-yard pieces of white cloth, but we can special order larger pieces (see below).

Premium Gray Primary Tufting Cloth (German-Made)

Our premium gray tufting cloth is made in Germany. Professional tufting factories around the world use it, and it's the same fabric we use on our own CNC tufting machine.

• Width: 4.6 meters (about 13.8 feet)
• Sold: at the moment, only in 10-yard pieces. A 10-yard piece measures about 360" × 165" (30 feet × 13.8 feet). We're looking for a supplier that can provide shorter lengths.
• Price: $325 per 10-yard piece

If you need a smaller amount of cloth, choose our Primary White Tufting Cloth, which is available by the yard in pieces up to 5 yards. If you buy gray cloth, plan large projects around the 13.8-foot width.

The gray cloth we stock now has a more open weave than the tighter weave some long-time customers may remember. We use this open weave in our own production on rugs up to 10 × 13 feet without issues. The key is to stretch it as tight as humanly possible on your frame. If you'd prefer a different feel, try the Primary White Tufting Cloth.

Gray cloth stock can vary. If it's sold out, contact support@tufttheworld.com for an estimated restock date.

How Much Cloth to Buy

How much you need depends on the size of your piece and the size of your tufting frame. Cover your design plus about 4–6 inches extra on every side. You need that extra cloth to grip the carpet tack strips on your frame. If the cloth is too small for the frame, it won't stretch properly and your tufting will be uneven.

We recommend building your frame to suit the cloth size you'll use most often. That way you get the most out of your fabric and waste less.

Cloth Size Chart

This chart is based on our Primary Tufting Cloth and some sample frame sizes. Use it to see how many tufted pieces each yardage gives you.

• 1 yard: 36" × 157" (91 cm × 4 m)
  • 30" × 30" (76 cm × 76 cm) frame, such as our Instant Tufting Frame: 4 pieces
  • 48" × 30" (122 cm × 76 cm) frame: 3 pieces
• 2 yards: 72" × 157" (182 cm × 4 m)
  • 66" × 30" (167 cm × 76 cm) frame: 4 pieces
  • 66" × 44" (167 cm × 111 cm) frame: 3 pieces
• 3 yards: 108" × 157" (274 cm × 4 m)
  • 96" × 44" (244 cm × 111 cm) frame: 3 pieces
  • 96" × 72" (244 cm × 183 cm) frame: 2 pieces

Tip: On a 6' × 8' frame, buy cloth in 3-yard pieces. Each 3-yard piece gives you exactly 2 frame-sized pieces with little to no waste.

Large, Custom and Special-Order Lengths

For very large frames, one continuous piece saves you from seaming panels together. We can special order white primary cloth in larger pieces, such as 10 yards, or cut to any custom length up to 20 yards. Custom pieces are cut to order.

Delivery times for special orders vary with the order and the shipping method. Our estimates have ranged from about 12 days for pieces shipped direct to about 35 days for a 10-yard white piece. Standard sea shipping takes about 45 days from order to arrival. Faster air cargo takes about 14–18 days, but shipping costs are significant. If you need cloth sooner, gray cloth works the same way and is usually the faster option.

A 10-yard piece is roughly 14 feet wide × 30 feet long and can be hard to handle. Unless you really need one continuous piece that large, we recommend buying smaller pieces.

Bulk and case-quantity discounts may be available. To get a quote or place a special order, contact support@tufttheworld.com.

Preparing Your Cloth

Transfer your design onto the cloth before you mount it on the frame. A permanent marker or chalk works well. You'll be drawing on the back of the cloth, so your design will appear mirrored on the front (pile) side. If your design isn't symmetrical, such as text or a face, draw it mirrored on the back.

Mounting Cloth on Your Frame

1. Stretch the cloth onto the frame's carpet tack strips. Start from the center of each side and work outward.
2. Keep going until the cloth feels taut and firm, like a drum skin. Uneven tension leads to uneven pile, so take your time getting it right.
3. If you're using open-weave gray cloth, get it as tight as you possibly can.

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