Latch Hook Basics: Make Your Own Rug | Floor Giebels | Skillshare
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Latch Hook Basics: Make Your Own Rug

teacher avatar Floor Giebels, Embroidery Artist

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Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Watch this class and thousands more

Get unlimited access to every class
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Lessons in This Class

    • 1.

      Introduction

      1:18

    • 2.

      What is Latch Hooking?

      0:58

    • 3.

      Class Project

      2:14

    • 4.

      Materials

      6:19

    • 5.

      How to Use a Latch Hook

      2:46

    • 6.

      Make Your Own Latch Hook Pattern

      4:57

    • 7.

      How to Finish Your Latch Hook Project

      2:12

    • 8.

      Final Thoughts

      0:31

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About This Class

If you want to try something new that is easy, cheap, and can be used to decorate your house with some new rugs or pillows then latch hooking might be something for you.

In this class we will go over the following topics:

  • What is latch hooking?
  • Class project
  • Materials
  • How to use a latch hook
  • How to Make your own latch hook pattern
  • How to finish your latch hook project
  • Final thoughts

we will make our own pattern and create a little sample piece that you can make as big as you want. 

This class is for everyone. You don’t need any experience and this might be your new hobby to do while you are watching tv because it is that easy. 

Meet Your Teacher

Teacher Profile Image

Floor Giebels

Embroidery Artist

Top Teacher

Hi, my name is Floor and I'm a Dutch embroidery artist living in The Netherlands.

Originally from a design background, I found my artistic freedom and expression through the more traditional art of embroidery. Entirely self-taught, I started my journey in 2016 and am continually learning new skills and applying them to my work. I also like to explore the boundaries of traditional hand embroidery by creating some pieces as mixed media, to contrast and compliment the thread itself. 

I have found that embroidery has led me to explore the textures present in the world around me - living on the coast, the beautiful beaches, scenery and animals constantly offer me inspiration for new projects. One of my favorite topics to explore in my pieces is the interplay b... See full profile

Level: Beginner

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Transcripts

1. Introduction: [MUSIC] If you want to try something new that is easy, cheap, and can be used to decorate your house with some new rugs or pillows, then latch hooking might be something for you. My name is Flora and I'm an embroidery artist from the Netherlands. I like to explore everything there is when it comes to fiber or textiles because it is just so much fun to really make something yourself from scratch that you can touch and even use to make your own pillows or rugs. In this class, we are going to do exactly that. I'm going to show you the basics of latch hooking. I'm going to show you all the materials you need, how to use your latch hook, and for a class project, we will make our own pattern and create a little sample piece that you can make as big as you want. This class is for everyone. You don't need any experience and this might be your new hobby to do while you are watching TV because it is that easy. Join me and start a latching that hook. Wait [LAUGHTER] a minute. Join me. 2. What is Latch Hooking?: [MUSIC] A latch hook is a bow to two and the textile art of latch hooking. Latch hooking difference from traditional rug hooking with the fact that you make a knot and not hook it into the fabric. Latch hook was invented in the 19th century. While Rug hooking uses a base fabric of burlap, latch hooking uses especially woven rug canvas. The pattern maybe stenciled onto the canvas or works from a chart similar to needle point patterns. Latch hook yarns maybe bought pre-cut or in skins and cut to the length you want it to be. Latch hooking became popular after World War II and made a comeback in the 70s. Now you know what latch hooking is, where it originated from, let's start with our class projects. [MUSIC] 3. Class Project: [MUSIC] In this class we will go over the following. The materials, spoiler alert and not many materials are needed for this class. How to use the latch hook. When you see a latch hook, you probably have no idea what to do with it, don't worry, it is not difficult and once you have the technique under control, you can do it without even looking at your canvas, I promise. Then we are going to make our own pattern and make a little latch hook sample. When we are done making the little sample, I will show you how you can finish your latch hook projects and the last lesson will be our final thoughts. For the class project, I want you to think about your materials because we do have not that many materials, but there are different options within those materials. Have a look at a PDF that you can download and think about if you want a canvas that is already made as a rug. Or maybe you want to make your own size rug and only buy the fabric and the same goes for the yarn. Think about if you want to use acrylic yarn or use real wool and this has all to do with the cost and how big you want to make your projects. When you want to make your project big, like under the couch rug big, then be aware that it will take months before it is finished. When you have figured out all your materials, it is time to make a plan of what you want to make. In this class, I'm going to make a sample of a repeat pattern that you can make as big as you want. Any PDF pattern are more examples of repeat patterns that you can use. When you finish making your project, don't forget to upload your project in the project section and I would love to see all your amazing takes on this project. In the next lesson, I'm going to show you the materials we will need for latch hooking. [MUSIC] 4. Materials: [MUSIC] The materials I'm going to mention in this lesson are very basic. You can have a look at the PDF for more options with any of those basic materials. The first thing that we absolutely need when we're doing latch hooking is a latch hook. You have a latch hook in a normal size. This is a normal size latch hook and then you have a finer latch hook. You have these lays wakes where you can really make those amazing custom wakes. You can use that using a smaller version of this. You also have a sudden fabric, and that is also a rug fabric, but that is very small with very detailed rugs. You use also a smaller latch hook for that. But we are using a normal regular latch hook. You do have different fabrics for that you can use with, you don't necessarily have just this one fabric that you use. I'm going to use this fabric. If you look online latch hooking fabric you will get this fabric. It is rug mesh canvas type fabric. You have them in different sizes. You have them much smaller, and when it's smaller, it means that all those little holes will be smaller. The thing is that I like this size, is a little bit bigger than you might want to. These are 13 squares per 10 centimeters. You also have this conversion in inches. I live in Europe so we work with centimeters. But that's how you can see the size. What I like about this size is that you can always choose to make your yarn bigger with having multiple strings. You can choose, for instance here, to have two strings in one of these squares. When you have a smaller canvas, you don't really have that option. This scissor is just great to use, this is a scissor that you can use for cutting off those little yarns that you're going to make. You can sculpt it and you can create forms. It's just a really nice tool and I'm actually loving it just to cut everything with it. The last tool that we need is this tool. This is a bit of a tool that you can make yourself or you can use something else, you can use two cardboard pieces together and wrap your yarn around, this is not super necessary, but it is nice to have. This is a tool where you can put your yarn. I like to do it like this. Your yarn, wrap it around, I liked it then, shove it there, I'm just going to show you how it works. I'm going to cut this off, and then I have here, this one I can just cut it, and then I have all these little loops that I can use. I can pull it together, and that will stand up like this. When it comes to the thickness of this yarn, I'm using yarn that is chunky. You can see here the label, this is an acrylic yarn. I really like this yarn for latch hooking because it fills it in nicely. But honestly, you can just experiment with whatever yarn you have, and you can totally make a rug out of this. You can really make a rug for, under your couch if you want to. I warn you that is going to take so long, really a long time. But then you have made your own rug. I was initially also wanting to do that, but I have a dog. What I learned from having a dog is that you shouldn't buy expensive carpets, rugs, or couches. That's all I need to know. [LAUGHTER] I'm not going to make my own rug because that is just a waste of my rug. I don't want a hand-made rug and then have accidents happen on them. That is such a really cool idea, but if you want to make it into a rug for really under your couch, under your dining room table, then I would suggest to use the same size of yarns so that you don't all of a sudden use thicker yarn and then thinner yarn because then this surface where you're going to put it on it will be a little bit wonky here and there, and it will not be a flat surface, an even surface. Try to think about that when you are using a yarn. If you really want to use it for a rug, try to use the same yarn for every piece that you're using. If you feel comfortable then I would love it if you show in the project section what materials you decide to choose. Don't forget to also have a look at the PDF for more options. Now it is time to start using our materials and I'm going to show you how to use the latch hook. [MUSIC] 5. How to Use a Latch Hook: [MUSIC] Using the latch hook will take some practice. But once you have the technique under control, you will be able to use your latch hook without looking. We are starting with some yarn that you full double. What we're going to do is you're going to have your threads, your piece of yarn. [NOISE] You're going to do that first over the latch hook. [NOISE] You're going to go in and while you go in with your latch hook, you can see that little thing goes down. That's also what we want. Then we want it to go up again. But while it goes up, [NOISE] you put your yarn over it and then you push it down. [NOISE] That's how you create your knots. Hook it here hook it there, over it and under and pull it. [NOISE] This is a very common stay that latch hooking is just something you need to get your mind around because it's really easy to just go in without the yarn. It's something you just have to do a lot of times to get used to. You yarn around. [NOISE] Make sure that this little hooky thing is on top and then while it goes up, while moving upwards, you're doing this over it and you push. It's good to always turn it. When you have it, sideways, first turn it a little bit so that it goes smoothly over this hump, and then move it a bit sideways so that it easily goes under there. Keep practicing with the latch hook and you can always look back at this video and pause to see all the steps now that you have the latch hook under control, it is time to make a batter and make a sample piece. [MUSIC] 6. Make Your Own Latch Hook Pattern: [MUSIC] For our sample, you can use graph paper or an iPad, whatever you would like to use. You can also just go with the flow and just use whatever colors and patterns you like to make, when you're actually making the piece. But I'm just going to show you what's the iPad, how you can do that. When you have the tools here, that little wrench, you have the drawing guides and you can turn that on or off. I'm going to do this. I'm going to make a design be like 10 squares. Because here we have our fabric that I'm going to use, and a fabric has 10 squares. I just want to make a little design, show you how you can make that. Let's go 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. If I hold my pen so long, it will create a straight line, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Wait, this is not completely straight. That will do. I'm going to make another layer, and I want to make it pink. I'm just going to use pink, and I want to make a repeat pattern. I think I want to make here pink and two squares, none, pink, pink, and then here, pink. Then here two, two, and two. Then here again that pink. I'm just going to make this little pattern that I can use as a reference for my pattern. Yeah, and then here I'm going to end it with this. I'm going to use a lot of conscious. I'm going to use these pink ones to create the pattern, so first going to start here [NOISE]. We have the two. I don't necessarily need to draw this on there. You can also just look at your pattern that you made. For me, this is just a little bit easier. We're just going to recreate this pattern all the way down with the pink. This is all pink from the pattern, and now I want to do the rest with white. Just so you have a good big contrast. Make sure that you put everything nice and flat down. You have to be careful that you're not getting in those other threads, those other yarns. We're going to continue making this pattern. This is the finished results when we made a pattern. Now you can see when we look at it from this side, it is not all equal, and you can cut off a little bit. I have a sample here that you can see what happens when you cut off too much, then it's going to fall out. But just a little bit of snippets are like, I really want too a little bit of a touch. You can see how nice that is, that little design. We made a sample piece. In a PDF, you can find many more sample pieces that you can make in different sizes for bigger pieces. Share in the project section your sample piece. I would love to see all the different colors and patterns you all create. If you do, don't forget to share it in the project section. The only thing that is left to do is finishing our piece. [MUSIC]. 7. How to Finish Your Latch Hook Project: Now that your sample piece or bigger piece is done, it is time to finish the size of our canvas. You don't always have to do this. You can buy ready-made rugs that you can use for latch hooking. First, I'm going to show you how you can also start your piece. This part is already done. You can fold it and then use your latch hook into folded parts. [BACKGROUND] See that way you already have this covert. It is difficult to do it also on the side because then you're dealing with more doubleness. I wouldn't recommend that. Of course, you can also use it on the bottom. But this is just a way of how you can start your latch hooking. You just simply going to fold it over and then you don't have to deal with this side anymore. If you already have done your latch hooking and this is your last part where you're going to be. You can just simply fold it over. You use a needle and thread and yarn that you are using, and just fold it over, and make a nice little stitch like this. Then it is also secured and you can do that on both sides if you want. If you're making your work, what you can also do is that you save this down and then you put like a fabric on it, and then you stitch it on it. You have different options to secure it. Of course, here you can also end with a stitch like here that you did here. This is also really easy method. Now you have everything you need to know about latch hooking. I want to take a minute to share my final thoughts and some tips and tricks. [MUSIC] 8. Final Thoughts: [MUSIC] First of all, I want to thank you for taking this class. I truly enjoy making classes and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. This class was just a little introduction for latch hooking and for you to try out and see if you like it. In a PDF, I have some links for really cool vintage rug kits, don't forget to check them out and I hope to see you soon. Thank you so much. [MUSIC]