How to Make a Latch Hook Rug - Easy Shag Rug for Beginners

Steps

1. 1. Gather a Latch Hook, Rug Canvas and Yarn

   You need a latch hook, rug canvas and plenty of yarn. Jenn bought two mesh canvases, a set of bent latch hooks and 10 skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease.

   Tip: Buy all your yarn from the same dye lot so the colour matches across the whole rug.

   

2. 2. Cut the Rug Yarn Into Short Pieces

   Each tuft is a piece of yarn about 2 1/2 inches long. Jenn's first method was to cut a few 20 inch lengths, fold and cut them in half to make 10 inch pieces, then halve them twice more.

   Tip: Cut a big pile before you start hooking so you are not stopping every few rows.

   

3. 3. Wrap Yarn Around a Cardboard Guide for Faster Cutting

   After her sixth skein, Jenn found a better way. She cut two cardboard strips 2 1/4 by 4 inches and glued a narrower 1 1/4 by 3 inch strip between them, leaving a channel down the middle.

   Tip: Do not wrap too tightly or the yarn stretches and the pieces shrink once cut.

   

4. 4. Push the Latch Hook Through the Rug Canvas and Fold the Yarn

   Pick the sturdier rows of the canvas to work into, and leave 4 rows empty on every side for the edge. Push the hook under one bar and back up through the next square, with the latch open.

   Tip: Work from the bottom of the canvas up so the finished pile falls away from your hands.

   

5. 5. Pull the Latch Hook Knot Tight on the Canvas

   Pull the hook down a little so the yarn slides under the latch. Bring both ends up and into the hook.

   Tip: Pull every knot with the same firmness. Loose ones look fluffy, tight ones flat.

   

6. 6. Fill the Latch Hook Rug Canvas Row by Row

   Keep going across the row, and make sure every knot faces the same direction. To speed up, Jenn lines the yarn ends up before the hook goes in.

   Tip: A fabric-covered surface under the canvas stops it sliding around as you work.

   

7. 7. Chart a Simple Rug Design on Grid Paper

   For a pattern, draw it on grid paper first. Each square is one knot.

   Tip: Lay the chart on the canvas and count squares out from the edge so the motifs sit evenly.

   

8. 8. Hook the Black Yarn Design Into the Rug

   Cut a small pile of the contrast colour and follow the chart square by square. Hook the motif knots exactly where the chart shows, and fill the cream around them as you reach them.

   Tip: Use a dark colour sparingly. A few motifs look smart; a busy pattern can look cluttered.

   

9. 9. Fold and Whip Stitch the Latch Hook Rug Edges

   For neat edges, fold the spare canvas under by 2 rows and whip stitch the two layers together with strong thread. Knot the end firmly.

   Tip: Upholstery thread is worth it here. Ordinary sewing thread can snap under the weight.

   

10. 10. Hook Yarn Into the Folded Rug Edges to Finish

    Latch hook the 2 folded rows all the way round, working through both layers, so the edge is covered in pile like the rest of the rug. Trim any long tufts.

    Tip: Shake the rug out well when it is done. Loose fibres keep coming out for the first few days.