Upcycling: Rug Tufting Loom

This is my first project post here at Earth Forge! It still hasn't been tested by a tufting gun, but it can definitely handle a rug. Enjoy the process. ~Gray

A while ago my partner asked for a rug tufting loom. My only real instructions were: “I need a portable wooden frame that's easy to get staples in and out of.” After a few questions we narrowed it down to around 4' square, that it didn't need to be sturdy enough to hold a canvas, and zero budget. Easy enough. We have an old pine bed frame that had perfectly sized slats for the frame, and too much hardware from the move.

Plan A: Hinges! It's super portable, fold away, and the cabinet hinges lock in place. The cabinet hinges are too big for the wood, and the small ones are too flimsy. Structural support would have to be provided by the stretched cloth medium and staples. This isn't great because the cloth shouldn't be too tight on the frame

Plan B: Swedish L Brackets! Quick, easy, and light. These ended up being too small and too few for the application. Even if there had been enough brackets the build would have taken all of the available 1/2” wood screws. Structural support would have been better but minimal, and a lot of it would have had to come from the cloth and staples.

Plan C: Shelf Brackets! This really seems like overkill. It doesn't collapse. The frame is sturdy enough for a taut canvas, and a bit heavier than optimal. The brackets also have a crossbar that could get in the way. I'm out of 1/2” wood screws. Still, it's easy enough to carry and take apart, while the cloth tension can be adjusted without worrying about the stability.

The Stuff:

• 4: 4' 1"x2" wooden slats

• 16: 1/2" wood screws

• 4: 12"x9" shelf brackets

• 1: Pencil

• 1: Roll of gaffers tape

• 1: Appropriate screwdriver

The Job:

1. Place the slats on the floor lengthwise with a narrow end facing up

2. Align them into a square.

3. Tape two opposite corners.

4. Stand one corner up so the slat is laying flat with a 4’ tower sticking up.

5. Place the shelf bracket in the middle of the wood where the slats meet

6. Tape the bracket in place for stability.

7. Mark the holes with the pencil.

8. Insert the screws through the marked holes.

Repeat steps 4-8 for the second taped corner.

There should now be two half squares that can be joined together using the same method. Tape off both corners at the same time for added stability.

Total Planning and execution time 2 hours.

The shelf brackets ended up being better than expected. As I was showing my partner the frame I noticed that the support bars on the brackets are removable, and found out that they're perfect for macrame. The extra weight has also made the tufting easier and allows the frame to stand up against the rubbing and pawing of cats. The best thing about this plan was it wasn't part of the original plans at all. I stumbled across the shelving while gathering the materials for plans A and B and went back to it when B was a no go. Come to find out, not only was it the best plan for the job, it is also scale-able. The next test will be to see if it can stand up to a tufting gun. I'm sure it won't have any problems, but if it does, I have some plans...