Most of us have purchased a latch hook rug kit and assembled it. The canvas has large holes in it, unlike a canvas used for painting. Through these holes a short piece of yarn is poked and knotted. A variety of patterns and pictures are available latch hook rugs. When you are finished, you have a three dimensional copy of the original picture, made with yard.
Once you have successfully completed a kit or three, it is time to extend your creativity by designing and making your own latch hook rug. To do this, you will need to go to a craft store or check online for certain supplies. You will first need the canvas and the number of holes will depend on the size yarn you use. Regular yarn uses a mesh that is 4.5 holes per inch, while thicker yard or fabric requires a mesh that has 3.3 holes per inch. You can also use strips of material that are no more than one inch wide and two to three inches long.
You will also need a frame, a latch hook tool, and yarn. The tool must be appropriate to the size of yarn that you are using. The yarn should be wool or acrylic and can be purchased precut to 2 or 3 inch pieces in a wide variety of colors. Latch hook yarn cutters are also available that automatically cut the yarn to the proper length. You will have to guess how much yarn to purchase for your original picture, based on the kit you already finished, but if you have too much, you can always use it on another project.
Let’s assume you want to make a latch hook rug for someone’s birthday from a color photo of the person. First, enlarge the photo so that it is the size of the rug you want to make. Be sure that a photocopier does not distort the proportions of the picture. It is also possible to project the picture onto the canvas with a video or opaque projector. Otherwise, place the enlarged photo behind the canvas and mark the canvas using the appropriate colored permanent markers.
When this is finished, your canvas looks generally like the picture you want to copy. Next obtain yard in all the colors you will need in order to duplicate the picture. One idea is to take the markers to the yarn store so that the colors match. Then simply latch hook the yarn to the canvas and watch the picture emerge. It is a very creative and stunning present for someone special.
Besides photographs, latch hook rugs can be made from famous pictures or drawings, from an award, or from something you drew yourself. You can also use needlepoint patterns and enlarge the holes. If you use a public domain picture, you may want to make it available to others. From experience, you will become skilled at guessing how much yard is needed of each color.
Latch hook rugs are an inexpensive, creative, and personal way to let someone know they are special. You can teach your children how to latch hook and they will develop finger dexterity while they are making a rug. Imagine the joy you and your children will experience in return when they see their handiwork displayed on the wall, beautifying a hall or room. Now you have some ideas; it is time to put them into action!
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