Tufting, the Viral Craft You'll Want to Try

If you’ve spent a few hours scrolling on TikTok, you’ve probably stumbled upon the magical art of tufting. There are countless videos of crafters using a robotic arm to punch streams of colorful yarn into a canvas frame. A few swipes with a pair of clippers over a pile of fluff reveals a smooth handmade tufted rug. It’s probably made you wonder: should I learn tufting? If you’ve hit replay on one of these tufting videos, here’s your chance to explore tufting classes in NYC. 

What is tufting?

Tufting is a weaving method to create textiles, including garments and carpets. The process includes using a machine or tool to punch yarn through a fabric backing. After finishing your piece, you are left with a completed rug.  

While you may have only heard of tufting in the last couple of years, mechanized tufting dates back to 1930 in Dalton, Georgia where the first tufting machine was created and brought “The Golden Age of Tufted Rugs,” as Americans began lining their homes with wall-to-wall carpeting. And as with most crafted items, there were still many independent tufters and fiber artists creating tufted rugs by hand and paving the way for a new generation of tufters. 

Why is tufting so popular in the 2020s?

In the summer of 2020, most of the world was sequestered in their homes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This led to hours of aimless scrolls through social media, increased free time, and the craving for some sort of positivity. 

In July 2020, just as tufting just began to hit its stride, TikTok also hit its peak with more than 500 million users in the world which helped push tufting to viral status. People were looking for an escape from their homes. Whether that was in the form of satisfying videos, new hobbies, or glimpses of nostalgia, tufting could bring you all three and reemerged just at the right time.

Everyone from fine artists to teens in their parent’s garages was picking up the craft. Artists could turn their designs into rug versions or even test the limits of the medium to make museum-worthy creations. Hobbyists could unwind and fill their long hours stuck at home with something creative.

This was a period of time that brought dopamine dressing, craftcore, and a resurgence of nostalgic fashion trends. People were looking to surround themselves with vibrancy, and most of all, find a way to destress and entertain themselves. 

How can I try tufting?

Tufting piqued the interest of many because it looked possible, and not to mention, fun! You don’t need to be a fine artist to learn how to use a tufting gun. While it might be entertaining to watch tufting videos on TikTok, it’s best to learn from an expert. You can learn how to tuft with confidence in tufting workshops, where a professional will provide all the necessary tools and knowledge to create your rug. In just a few hours, you’ll create handmade tufted rugs personalized to your style. 

Eager to learn what to expect at a tufting class? First, choose your design. This can be hand-drawn by you or you can trace your design by projecting an image onto the canvas. This makes it easy to recreate your favorite cartoon characters, logos, or symbols. But if you’re an artist, don’t be afraid to show off your work! Go big and make a tufted rug to use as a statement piece in your home or learn how to make tufted coasters to use as the perfect quirky accent to your coffee table. 

Now the fun begins, pull out your desired color yarn and use your tufting gun to outline the pattern on the canvas. Similar to a sewing machine, your tufting gun will punch your yarn through the fabric to reveal a pattern. Once you’re done filling out your design, you’ll learn how to apply a backing to your tufted rug, cut your creation for the canvas, and trim it with clippers for a polished finish. 

If you enjoyed the tufting class, you can continue on your journey with the skills you learned in the workshop. Many tufting studios are beginning to open where you can book studio time and work among fellow creatives. Or you can buy your own tufting gun, yarn, tufting frame, and a handful of other finishing supplies, to keep crafting on your own.  

Tufting ideas and inspiration

Animated characters, retro patterns, and your favorite foods, all turned into rugs? You might be wondering where to start or how many rugs you could possibly need. The great part of tufting is that you aren’t limited to rugs and you can even weave tufting into current fashion, home decor, and craft trends. If you’re looking for practical or unique tufting designs, here are some of our favorite tufting ideas you can learn to get you started. 

• Tufted mirrors: Statement mirrors are a trend in themselves, but now you can create your own tufted versions by tufting a fluffy frame. It will also take your mirror selfies up a notch! 

• Tufted food: Crochet brought the loveable amigurumi trend turning animals and foods into three-dimensional creations, now tufting has its own adorable version with tufted food. Create 3D sandwiches and burgers by stacking tufted coasters. Or add a large fried egg rug to your kitchen or make a bubble tea bath mat. 

• Wearable rugs: Tufted purses, tote bags, coats, and more! Remember, tufting is just another form of woven textile. It’s time to push quilted jackets out of the way and make room for tufted coats. 

• Gift ideas: Nothing is more unique than a handmade gift idea. Create a personalized tufted rug featuring your friend or loved one’s favorite logo, zodiac sign, or even their pet! They’ll be shocked at this thoughtful gift that shows off their style and personality. 

Punch needle: a cheaper alternative

Don’t have the space in your apartment to fit the cumbersome tools required for tufting, not ready to commit, or maybe tufting is a little out of your budget at the moment? Punch needle is an alternative craft to tufting that will still provide the satisfying process and retro design of tufting but on a smaller scale. You can even take a punch needle workshop or virtual punch needle class to learn the basics to start your new hobby. 

Start with punch needle coasters! Rather than a 5’x5’ wooden frame to hold your canvas, you can simply use an embroidery hoop. Instead of spending over a hundred dollars on a tufting gun, you can get a punch needle tool for less than ten. The process may be a little slower, and the shag a little thicker, but you’ll still get awesome results for a fraction of the price. This can be a great alternative while you save up for tufting supplies, or maybe you’ll love the slowed-down process even more. 

The positive benefits of tufting

Ultimately, the reason people love tufting is that it provides a creative escape. Creativity allows you to both challenge your brain and unwind. While tufting has been around for years, TikTok and the struggles that came with the pandemic allowed us to discover new crafts and heightened our interest in caring for our mental well-being and bringing positivity into our lives. Lucky for us, tufting and its colorful shag rugs, proved to be more than just a quick pandemic trend, but an opportunity to create, explore, and appreciate handcraft.