No matter what your quilting project looks like, you’re probably going to need to use a quilting ruler of some fashion.
These are not your average rulers; we’re not talking about the kind you had in your desk in elementary school. Quilting rulers look more complex at a glance, with grids and specific measurements placed throughout to help you cut the perfect squares (or other common quilting shapes) with ease.
But it can be overwhelming to try and pick out the right ruler, and some of them get downright expensive, which makes the choice even harder.
What are the best quilting rulers overall? The best quilting ruler is a versatile option, allowing you to measure and cut a variety of even shapes in different sizes. It should be easy to read, with bold, clean lines and well-defined markings, including the diagonal line that will cross your ruler.
Now it seems there are more ruler options than ever for quilters. It’s even easier to complete projects quickly and more efficiently, while still producing high quality pieces. There are even rulers designed with machine quilters in mind, helping you to make nice, clean lines when sewing your projects.
7 Best Quilting Rulers
There are a variety of shapes and sizes available for you and at a range of different price points. If you’re making triangles, there are specific rulers that you can use, with many of the rulers designed with flexibility in mind: you can make squares, rectangles, diamonds, or triangles.
It was hard to narrow down the best quilting rulers on the market, but we looked at different factors, including the price point, flexibility, and uses for the ruler and found our top choices:
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Creative Grids Rectangular Quilting Ruler Template | Non-slip grip, 6.5x24.5" |
| 2. | Creative Grids Triangle Quilting Ruler Template | Equilateral triangle, versatile, 12.5" |
| 3. | Skyhawk Acrylic Quilting Rulers Combo Pack | 4 rulers, different sizes, non-slip rings |
| 4. | Creative Grids Stripology Quilting Ruler Template | Measure up to 10x10" squares, acrylic |
| 5. | ARTEZA Quilting Ruler | Laser-cut acrylic, 6.5x24" |
| 6. | EZ Quilting Easy Dresden Quilt Tool Set | For Dresden plate pattern, 8" long |
| 7. | Creative Grids Machine Quilting Ruler Template | Durable, easy to read, 10.8x5.3" |
So get your quilting pins ready and read on to find the next ruler to join your quilting room!
1. Creative Grids Rectangular Quilting Ruler Template
Creative Grids makes some great tools for use with quilting, and this 6.5 inch by 24.5 inch ruler is no exception. It tops our list of the best quilting rulers for a few different reasons.
The easy to read markings allow beginners and experienced quilters to use the ruler with ease for any of their quilting projects.
The markings on this Creative Grids quilting ruler are in black and white, and the black markings are clearly legible when you read the ruler with the half-inch portion of your measurement being on your right hand side.
The white measurement markings are inverted and legible when you invert the ruler. This makes the ruler handy no matter what type of fabric you are using.
This ruler is a standard quilting ruler, meaning that it is rectangular. The ruler is divided into 1 inch grids that also feature 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch increments, so you can use this ruler for measurements as precise as an eighth.
The ruler also features a half-inch seam allowance on the ruler, so you won’t have to rely on any other tools when measuring out your quilting fabric pieces.
You are not limited to just square or rectangular shapes with this ruler. The CGR24 ruler has two 45 inch lines that are diagonal across the ruler. Having these diagonal grid lines allows you to cut out precise triangular or diamond shapes with your Creative Grids ruler.
The Creative Grids ruler is also easy to handle. While you can read it from either direction, you also don’t have to worry about it sliding across the fabric while you are using it.
The ruler is able to be moved across the fabric you are cutting when there is no pressure applied, but the backside has gripping dots that hold onto the fabric when you press down firmly before making your cuts in the fabric.
This helps prevent the fabric from slipping when you go to cut it, helping to minimize the possibility of wasting fabric as you use your ruler.
2. Creative Grids Triangle Quilting Ruler Template
As we said above, when you get a Creative Grids measurement tool, you can rest easy knowing you are getting a quality product. So it’s no surprise their 60 degree quilting ruler is on our list, too.
Use this ruler to easily make triangles or other designs that need 60 degree angle lines for cutting and measuring. This is predominantly used to create 60 degree equilateral triangles with sides that are up to 12 inches long, with quarter inch seam allowances.
This ruler also has a center line that allows you to divide the ruler into two sections, producing two triangles with 30, 60, 90 angle measurements each, which drastically increases the options you have when working with the tool.
While you may not have to make triangles all of the time in your designs, you won’t be disappointed that you have this ruler in your quilting kit. And if you’re unsure of exactly how to use this quilting ruler, you can scan the item’s QR code and learn all about how to use it.
This ruler’s sides feature a quarter-inch seam allowance all around the ruler, and the center line also features this seam allowance, making cutting your pieces of fabric a breeze.
The markings on the ruler are presented in black and white. This allows you to easily read the markings for your triangles regardless of which side you have the ruler laid down, be it the correct orientation or inverted.
If you are color blind or even if you are working with varied fabrics, you will be able to read the markings on this ruler!
Like other Creative Grids rulers, this ruler features gripper dots on the bottom of the ruler. They hold the fabric in place when you press down on the ruler, which helps to minimize the possibility of your ruler slipping, which can lead to inappropriate cuts or drawn lines on your fabric.
When you don’t press the ruler into the fabric, it isn’t stuck on the fabric, meaning you can easily move it around.
3. Skyhawk Acrylic Quilting Rulers Combo Pack
If you are just starting out quilting, you will find out quickly that having various sizes of quilting rulers can be a real boon. The Skyhawk quilting rulers combination pack offers you a number of options.
There are four rulers, a 4.5 inch by 4.5 inch square, a 6 inch by 6 inch square, a 9.5 inch by 9.5 inch square, and a 12.5 inch by 12.5 inch square.
The convenience of these variable sizes cannot be overstated: if you are working on cutting small pieces of fabric, choosing one of the smaller sized squares is much easier to wield than needing to use a larger ruler.
Each of the square quilting rulers in this pack features a 1/2 inch allowance for seams. The rulers also each have 1 inch increments on the gridding, as well as 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 inch increments.
These rulers also have an ambidextrous function: you will find that they have angled lines at 30, 45, and 60 degrees, designed for both right handed and left handed users. You will be able to use these rulers to make everything from squares to triangle shapes.
The markings on each of these rulers are printed in two colors, yellow and black. You can readily use them on fabric of any color, as the yellow lines will show up well on darker fabric, while the darker lines are useful when working with lighter colored fabrics.
The actual construction of these quilting rulers are premium acrylic, designed for strength and durability, so you don’t need to worry if you accidentally drop one of your rulers. All but the 4.5 inch square have a hanging hole, allowing you to easily store your rulers hanging up on the wall.
4. Creative Grids Stripology Slotted Quilting Ruler Template
Creative Grids makes some very useful products, which is why you’ll see them in several places on our list. This quilting ruler is typically best for a more advanced and busy quilter. If you’re a beginning quilter, you might want to ease into using a tool such as this due to the sheer number of options it presents.
This quilting ruler offers options to reduce a quilter’s cutting time. The grid features 45 and 60 degree angles across the length of the grid, so you can easily cut out shapes such as triangles or diamonds.
While this ruler offers gridlines and markings in black and white lines, it can be a little confusing to use, especially for beginning quilters. The black lines are upright when holding the ruler one way up, while the white are upright when you hold the ruler the opposite way.
You’ll need to orient the ruler the correct way, particularly if you are using very light or very dark fabrics, to ensure that you are able to read the measurements appropriately.
That said, the markings alternate on the ruler’s horizontal orientation, so you can use them to determine where to cut based on the color of fabric that you’re using.
The ruler is long, which can make it difficult to handle, especially if you are not experienced at using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter. The ruler is quite convenient to cut folded fat quarters with its vertical strips, such as if you are making a strip quilt or cutting a jelly roll.
For the convenience of many quilters, this ruler offers a 10 inch square template, which you can use in many different projects. Rather than needing to manipulate the ruler into odd configurations to get the 10 inch size, the ruler allows you to cut it quickly and efficiently. The markings on the ruler also allow you to cut 1.5 inch and 2.5 inch strips quickly.
Other features of this ruler include its gripper strips, which help hold the fabric in place when you put pressure on the ruler. This allows you to rotary cut through fabric, particularly multiple layers, easily.
If you’re a little unsure of how to use the ruler, you can scan the product’s QR code and access a step-by-step illustrated guide to using this Creative Grids ruler.
5. ARTEZA Quilting Ruler
ARTEZA makes a great 6.5 inch by 24 inch quilting ruler, perfect for cutting both large and small pieces out, although the large size can make it unwieldy for small squares or triangles. A major use of this ruler is in cutting 6 inch strips out of your fabric or cloth.
It provides you with a half-inch seam allowance all around the piece, so you can whip right through cutting each of your strips.
Like many quilting rulers, the ARTEZA quilting ruler has a grid designed with two colors, allowing you to see what you are marking or cutting no matter what the fabric color or pattern is.
What makes this one a little unique is the actual colors it uses, black and lime green. If you are red-green color blind, this isn’t the right choice for you.
No matter if you are a left handed or right handed quilter, you can use this ambidextrous quilting ruler. It features line markings that are angled for either side to use at 30, 45, and 60 degrees. This allows you to use the ruler to cut everything from strips to triangles. It’s a highly versatile tool.
This quilting ruler is designed and laser-cut out of acrylic and is 0.1 inches thick, so it is strong and durable, potentially lasting you a lifetime. It also has a hole to allow for hanging, making it a breeze to organize in your crafting room. It also comes with a satisfaction guarantee.
6. EZ Quilting Easy Dresden Quilt Tool Set
If you’re looking at making more unique shapes for your quilt tops than just a square, rectangle, or triangle, give this Dresden quilt ruler a try! Don’t get us wrong, we love a good strip quilt, but using the template ruler to make a Dresden quilt will give you an absolutely beautiful design.
When you are pricing different quilting rulers, the cost of getting one or more rulers is definitely a factor for most people. The good news is that this template ruler is very affordable, generally only costing in the neighborhood of a few dollars.
This quilting ruler is also easy to use, with a clear design and black markings. Granted, it will be difficult to use on darker fabrics, but you are sure to find it a dream to work with on lighter colored materials.
This quilting ruler tool kit also comes with a bamboo pointer and creaser too, which helps you make smooth lines with your Dresden template ruler. There are clear markings on the tool from 1 inch up to 8 inches, with half-inch sizes also marked off. There is also a seam allowance on the template ruler.
7. Creative Grids Machine Quilting Ruler Template
Machine quilters, don’t worry. We have not forgotten about you! Rounding out our list of best quilting rulers is this machine quilting ruler. It’s got an odd shape if you’re not use to it, and it can be used for a variety of things, from echoing and stitching in seams to crosshatching and geometric machine quilting.
Unlike other rulers on this list, this ruler is not really designed for use in measuring and cutting. Instead, this handy ruler is used when you are actually machine quilting. It promotes the stitching of nice, straight lines.
It’s a thin ruler, so it can be used on almost any project. It also has a curved edge that allows you to use the ruler in even more numerous ways and stitching projects.
Like other Creative Grids rulers on this list, the guide lines are printed in both black and white, so you can see what you’re doing regardless of the color or print on the fabric or fabrics you’re working with.
Also like other Creative Grids products, this ruler features a non-slip grip. The biggest downside is that there is only one size of ruler available.
In Summary
There you have it: the best quilting rulers on the market.
While Creative Grids is top of the list for their range of different products, you will find that there are plenty of options for quilters to use, no matter what your brand preference is.
If you find yourself bored with the same old patterns, try branching out with a more unique shape for your quilting ruler, such as a Dresden template ruler or a triangular ruler to help you make a quilt filled with triangles of different colors!
You will find that the variety of options can keep you busy for years to come!
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