Use a needle and thread to demonstrate the first few knots of needle tatting. Repeat the primary steps at least three times while your student observes. Ask your student to try the first loops on her own and offer assistance if she gets stuck. Once she understands how to begin tatting, continue to the next step. Work with your student to complete a small pendant and show her how to tie the final knot. When she is finished, encourage her to try again without your help. This will test her memory and force her to use what she has just learned.
Show your student a needle-tatting website. Some students may prefer to view individual step-by-step images of how to tat, rather than watching another tatter work. Needle-tatting websites offer free instructions on how to tat and offer verbal explanations in conjunction with images and videos of basic needle tatting. Websites are beneficial for students who struggle with the process of threading and knotting because they allow the student to look at the images as long as necessary.
Share a needle-tatting book with your students. Select a book that covers both basic and complex needle-tatting patterns to give your students a well-rounded understanding of the types of things they can create through tatting. Select a pattern to complete together and work closely with your students. Give each student different colored thread to make comparing the final products easier.