Tatting is a very old technique for handcrafting lace. The instrument that is used is called a shuttle, and shuttles come in various shapes and materials. Tatting was traditionally used to make lace for ladies' dresses as well as doilies and other decorative uses. Because it is extremely time consuming (it can take hours to make only an inch of lace, depending upon the intricacy of the pattern) it is not as popular as it was during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Tatting is very similar to, and may have developed from, netting, a craft used to create fishing nets and still practised for net repair in fishing communities. The shape of the tatting shuttle is sometimes similar to the typical netting shuttle.

Contrary to popular belief, many people around the world still participate in the art of tatting and the craft is experiencing a resurgence in interest around the world.

It is believed that tatting may have developed from netting as sailors and fishers would put together motifs for girlfriends and wives at home.

In modern times, in addition to shuttle tatting, a long, thin needle can be used as an alternative method to form the double-hitch knots used in tatting.

Tatting instructions and patterns can be found all over the web, including some streamlined video instructions