Rug Hooking is a simple craft that you can easily teach yourself. I recommend a kit for beginners because you have everything you need to get started.Here are some basic instructions for rug hooking. You can also learn lots more through our online courses or studio workshops.
1. You first fasten your pattern, which is a piece of burlap with a picture drawn upon onto a frame such as a heavy duty quilting hoop, or a stretcher bar.
2. Cut a strip of wool cloth about one quarter an inch wide, and about eight to twelve inches long.
3. Hold your hook in the hand you use to hold your pencil, and the strip of wool in the other hand. Put your hook down through a hole in the burlap backing, and catch the piece of wool, pulling it up thru the burlap. Bring the first end right up through, then continue the hooking pulling it up loop by loop.
4. In primitive hooking , you generally start by outlining an area and then filling it in.
5.Continue hooking until the whole mat is done. Bring all your ends of wool to the surface and clip them evenly with your loops.
6.When you finish your project, cut the excess burlap away from the edge, leaving no more than two inches all around. Use this to bind the rug by folding it and sewing it along the backside of the rug. You can also use cotton twill tape to bind it along the edge.
7.The final stage is to press you rugs with a wet cloth and hot iron on both sides to even out the loops and give your rug a finished look