RUGREADYFree tufting tool
How much yarn does your rug need?
Enter the finished rug size and pile height to estimate the total yarn for a tufted rug, including a 12% allowance for loading, tails, and shearing.
How the estimate works
A tufting gun lays roughly 10 stitches per square centimetre, and each cut-pile stitch pulls about twice the pile height of yarn. That is around 2,000 m of yarn per square metre for every centimetre of pile. Converting length to weight for each yarn class gives these starting figures:
| Yarn weight | Grams per m² per cm of pile |
|---|---|
| Fine | 500 g |
| Standard | 650 g |
| Chunky | 850 g |
Yarn (g) = width (m) × height (m) × grams per m² per cm × pile height (cm) × 1.12
These are calibration defaults rather than lab measurements. Your gun, stitch density, and fiber will move the real number up or down.
Make the estimate fit your workshop
- Weigh before and after. Weigh each cone before your first rug and again when it is finished. Compare actual use with the estimate.
- Correct future rugs. If you used 20% more than estimated, add 20% next time. RugReady stores this as My yarn usage.
- Buy each color in one order. Running out mid-rug can mean a different dye lot and a visible seam, so round up.
- Plan by coverage. The color covering most of the rug deserves the most margin; a tiny accent rarely needs a full extra cone.
Questions about yarn quantities
How much yarn do I need for a tufted rug?
It depends on area, pile height, and yarn thickness. With standard tufting yarn and a 1.8 cm cut pile, a 70 × 70 cm rug needs roughly 640 g including a 12% waste allowance. Use the calculator above for your own size.
Does a higher pile use more yarn?
Yes. Each stitch pulls about twice the pile height of yarn, so yarn use rises roughly in proportion to pile height. Doubling the pile height roughly doubles the yarn.
How do I split the total between colors?
Multiply the total by the share of the rug each color covers. A background covering 60% of the rug needs about 60% of the yarn. RugReady measures each color's coverage from your stencil and lists grams per color.
Why is my real usage different?
Gun type, stitch density, yarn fiber, loop versus cut pile, and how much you shear all change consumption. Weigh your cones before and after your first rug and adjust future estimates by the difference.