What type of adhesive and backing should I use for my tufted piece?Updated a year ago

Tufted work is finished differently based on the use, presentation, and intended lifespan of the piece. The following recommendations for primary adhesives, backing cloths, and contact adhesives are categorized by project type, and have been tested by Tuft the World. Bear in mind that some of these products might not be available in all countries (*international tufters, see bottom of this page). 

Rugs, mats, or other floor pieces you want to last: 

• Primary adhesive: Synthetic Latex Compounds like the one we sell, are both strong and long-lasting. Synthetic latex is thick, and can be spread onto the back of your rug with a putty knife or gloved hands. Our adhesive can be watered down so it's easier to brush or roll on. 
• Backing cloth: We highly recommend backing any piece intended for the floor. Final Backing Cloth, Felt Backing Cloth, or Action Bac Backing Cloth are all great options for finishing rugs. Upcycling a durable fabric you already have is also an option. 
• Contact adhesive: Gorilla Spray Adhesive or Roberts 8200 both work well or adhering Final Backing Cloth, Felt Backing Cloth, or another substantial fabric to your rug. If you’re using Action Bac or another fabric with an open weave, avoid spray adhesives. Only attach these using the primary adhesive.

Wall pieces, pillows, or other objects for the home that won’t go on the floor and don’t require maximum flexibility:   

• Primary adhesive: Any Polyvinyl Acetate, like Elmer’s or wood glue, can be easily brushed onto the back of your piece.  
• Backing cloth: Backing is generally not necessary for wall hangings, but if you’d prefer to back yours, we recommend Action Bac Backing Cloth or Final Backing Cloth. Whether or not you’ll want to back other creations for the home might depend on their use and whether or not the back of the tuft will be exposed (ie. a tufted chair seat doesn’t need to be backed, but a trivet for your table should be).
• Contact adhesive: You should only use contact adhesive, like Gorilla Spray Adhesive or Roberts 8200, if you are applying Final Backing Cloth or another substantial backing fabric. If you’re using Action Bac or another fabric with an open weave, avoid spray adhesives. Only attach these using the primary adhesive.

Garments, garment-attachments, accessories, and other wearable tufts demanding high flexibility:  

• Primary adhesive: Brushable latex is highly flexible, as is iron-on interfacing. Both will keep yarn-ends contained and in place.
• Backing: If your piece is a tufted garment or accessory, we recommend lining it just as you would any coarse fabric. 
• Contact adhesive: If you’re planning to attach a tufted piece to a garment, we recommend doing so by sewing, and/or with Gorilla Spray Adhesive or Roberts 8200. If your piece is itself a tufted garment or accessory, attach the lining by sewing. 

Watch our ultimate finishing guide here: 

*Every country has their own versions of adhesives. If a product listed above isn’t available in your country, try testing an adhesive containing similar ingredients. This is a list of adhesives available outside of the U.S. that have been recommended by tufters in our Online Community Forum.  

• Pattex PVC and Carpet Glue & Design 

• Lugato PVC Coating adhesive

• Thomsit T440 

• UZIN KE 2560

• Dunlop Carpet and Cork Glue

• Roberts 679 Carpet Latex

• ABC Multibond

• Leinos Naturlatexkleber 720