What are the Methods
of Rug Making?

What are the methods of rug making? This question is simple and straight forward enough. But the answer, it seems can be somewhat complicated. And this is despite the fact that area rugs are a popular way to make our homes more beautiful, whether we live in a tiny apartment or dorm room or a spacious house.

Indeed, most of us have only a vague idea about rug making - how they're made, what they're made of, or what signifies a quality rug. Here's some information to help you learn about area rugs, and choose the best one for you when you go shopping. If you want to learn about area rug making, read on.

Wool

Wool is one of the most traditional fibers, and is common in high quality area rugs. It's also the fiber used in the best handmade Oriental-type rugs. It wears longer than synthetic fibers (which are less expensive), looks good and stays cleaner longer. It also reduces the build up of static charges, enabling it to attract less dust and lint.

Rug making using wool is a good place to begin. Long staple wool from New Zealand is best for these rugs, but there are other types as well. Worsted wool fibers are combed an extra time, resulting in a longer, more durable, silkier yarn, and this kind of wool is considered to be well worth the cost.

Synthetics

Machine made area rugs are often made from synthetic fibers. The fact that these fibers aren't porous means they resist almost every stain, while still feeling soft. The big advantage of rug making using synthetics is that they're east to maintain, plus they're less expensive than other fibers.

Cotton

Cotton is a natural plant fiber known for its strength. Rug making using cotton means a fiber lighter than wool and many synthetic fibers is being used. Cotton lacks some of the durable qualities of wool, but is still an excellent choice for an area rug. Because cotton enhances the softness of a rug, it is often combined with wool, instead of being used alone. Rug making using this combination is a better choice than cotton-only rugs, alone.

There are many different methods of making area rugs, and each has its place. There are several characteristics you'll want to pay attention to when shopping. These include twist, density, and fiber.

Twist is the number of spirals in the yarn, or its tightness. More yarn spirals indicate a tighter twist, and that mean greater rug durability.

Density refers to the tightness of the tufts, or knots. The denser its weave, the better the area rug will wear. Rug making using a denser weave is more expensive.

Fiber for refers to a variety of synthetic or natural materials, which will help determine an area rug’s performance and appearance. Natural fibers provide soft, low-luster colors and long-term performance. Synthetic fibers provide brilliant colors, softness, ease of maintenance and value.

Area rugs can be made by hand - hooked, knotted or tufted, by machine, and in a flat weave or even braided.

Handmade Area Rugs

In addition to traditional handmade area rugs, Asia and the Middle East also produce many handmade contemporary area rugs. There are different types of handmade area rugs: knotted, tufted, hooked, looped and flat weave. Knotted rugs can take as much as a year to complete, and are incredibly dense and high in quality.

Area rug construction alone, however, does not dictate area rug quality, factors such as density, material and weave should also be considered when selecting an area rug.

What distinguish handmade Persian rugs from machine-produced versions are the intricate processes used to design and craft them. There are three main types of handmade Oriental rugs: knotted, tufted, and hooked.

Hand-knotted Construction

Hand-knotting is the most intricate, labor-intensive rug weaving process in use today. As a result, area rugs made by hand-knotting take much longer to create and are more expensive than other types of rugs.

Hand-knotted area rugs are woven by hand; and depending on size, construction and density, one area rug could take a year or more to complete. Hand-knotted area rugs are secured to the foundation by knotting, instead of gluing, which produces exceptional density and quality.

Hand-Tufted/Hand-Hooked Construction

Hand-tufted and hand-hooked rugs are generally less expensive and easier to make than hand-knotted rugs. Tufted and hooked rugs essentially undergo the same method of construction; the only difference between them is the pile used to form the surface of the rug.

Tufted rugs have a cut pile surface and hooked rugs have a looped (rounded) pile surface. Often, area rug making by this method will combine both cut and loop techniques.

Hand-tufted area rugs are usually created by punching yarn in a cloth that is attached to a frame. After hooking the yarn, the backs are glued with latex. The maker then shears the surface loop pile to produce a flat surface.

This process creates an area rug that is very plush. Hand-tufted area rugs are generally less expensive and easier to make than hand-knotted area rugs.

Hand-hooked area rugs are created through the use of a pattern and a hooking device, when yarn is punched through a canvas cloth, which creates a looped pile. The yarns are then glued in place in place of knotting, and a cloth is attached to the back.

Flat Weave Area Rugs

Flat weave area rugs are less expensive, easier to make and are usually made of wool, cotton, bamboo, or nylon. Because they are looped, flat weave area rugs do not have a pile and are reversible. This category also includes Kilims, Dhurries and Soumaks.

Braided Area Rugs

Braided area rugs are constructed in several different ways, including tape, tubular, yarn and flat. In the tradition of early America from which braided area rugs were created, these area rugs may be woven with many different materials such as wool, clothing, old blankets, nylon and blends.

Machine-Made Area Rugs

These area rugs are made on power looms by hand, machine or computer. The loom is strung with a cotton or jute warp, and then woven using a natural or synthetic material. Computer operated machines produce a number of contemporary designs in various sizes and colors from a predetermined design.

More than 40 shades can be achieved in a single area rug using a cross-weaving technique. Rug making by machine has become very popular due to the variety of sizes, colors, designs, lower pricing and availability.

Beyond hand-woven or machine-woven construction methods, there are three distinct methods used to weave rugs. Machine-made area rugs are woven on Wilton, side-woven Wilton or Gripper Axminster looms.

Wilton Woven

The Wilton construction method means that the pile yarn is continuously woven through the weft, leaving loops, which can be cut or uncut. The result can be smooth cuts, loops or a mix of cut piles and loops, creating patterns from the texture.

Because the yarns run continuously through the rug and colors show, it must be limited to avoid interfering with the pattern or look.

Wilton looms are situated face-to-face and feature computerized electronic heads. The loom needles loop the yarns in two synthetic backings. Loom size and structure vary based on number of color capacities. Two identical area rugs can emerge from the loom, once the weaving process is complete and the rug is cut in half.

Wilton Side Woven

Wilton side-woven area rugs are woven in a similar fashion, but at a 90 degree angle to the above area rugs. Cotton backing is used at times to give these area rugs a softer feel.

Axminster

The rug is made by inserting pile into the backing from above, cutting it so that the yarn does not run continuously along the back. Since the yarn does not run the entire length or warp, it shows only at the points where inserted. So any number of yarn colors may be inserted.

The resulting Axminster cut pile pattern is usually very colorful and detailed.

Axminster more commonly refers to a type of carpet rather than a type of loom, although the Gripper Axminster loom was created to mass produce carpets in 1927.

Getting Started

If you want to leap right in and do some pre-shopping for some great and affordable rugs, I'm sure you'll find the rug that suits your choice in design, material, color, type of weave, and size at one of the recommended sources below.

I can assure you I took great care to select each one. Each ranks high in customer satisfaction, and they have quality rugs in many price ranges, a sure bet they can satisfy their customers' needs.

All About Hooked Area Rugs
Hooked area rugs make for a great addition to any room and are one of the cheapest, fastest ways to change the look of just about any room in your home.

Hand Woven Area Rugs
Hand woven area rugs are a great way to spice up the decor of any room, create a visual center to your space, and add a lot of class for a small amount of money.

Hand Tufted Area Rugs
A hand tufted area rug is made using one of the three major weave techniques: hand-tufted.

Machine Made Rugs
Owning a machine made rug means extravagance can be yours while still living within your means.


Return to Top of Methods of Rug Making


Return to My Area Rugs Guide Home