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octubre 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
octubre 04, 2026
See our 32 stock yarn colors, order a swatch card, and learn how custom-dyed yarn works: minimums, pricing, color matching, timing and mothproofing.
octubre 03, 2026
One of the most exciting things about tufting is that texture is a design element — not just a material property. Here's how to use it intentionally.
octubre 03, 2026
How to transfer a design to tufting cloth: draw freehand, trace, project or pounce, plus tips on mirroring, sizing detail and planning colors.