How to Complete a Latch Hook

This is what a latch hook can look like when completed.

Completing a latch hook project takes time and patience. Latch hooking is a yarn craft that comes from an early form of rug hooking. Generally, it involves short piece of yarn being tied, or hooked, onto individual squares of a canvas grid to create a pattern or design. Latch hooks are generally sold in kits at any craft store.

Things You'll Need

• Latch hook kit
• Latch hook

Instructions

How to complete a latch hook

1. There are thousands of latch hook kits available at almost any craft store or online at craft websites. Start out with something small until you get the hang of latch hooking. Once you get the latch hook kit, separate out your colored yarn so it is easier once you start. This is especially important as you do larger and bigger projects with hundreds (if not thousands) of pieces of yarn.

2. Practice using the latch hook. The instructions in your kit should also include an explanation of how to use a latch hook tool. Take a piece of yarn and practice this on your rug before you start. This is how to use the tool: Take a piece of yarn and wrap it around the base of your latch hook. Put the hook part of your latch hook under and through the square you want the yarn to be in. Then wrap your yarn through the hook and pull the latch hook out of the hole. Your yarn should be knotted securely on the square and completely fill the square.

3. After practicing with the latch hook tool, you're ready to begin. Start anywhere you want. Make sure you have your instructions in front of you so you know what color goes where. The diagram always has a suggested starting point, but you can also choose to complete the latch hook design by colors, finishing one color after another. Larger latch hook projects may take many months (if not more than a year) to complete.

4. Once the latch hook is complete, decide what you want to do with it. You may decide to hang it on a wall or make make a rug or pillow--whatever you think would be best for that latch hook. Special binding is available to use for the edges of latch hook projects and is sold at craft or fabric stores. This is best sewn on with a sewing machine. You can also get fabric and sew that to the back of the latch hook's canvas to give it a more finished look.