Out of all the things to do in Glasgow, tufting has never been on our list… Until now. The thrill of holding a tufting gun while it’s doing its (potentially deadly) magic while almost having no idea what you’re doing, just that you’re about to create an extremely fluffy piece of art. Glasgow officially has a new tufting spot called Tufter Studio for just that and more.
Located at Central Chambers near Glasgow Central, Tufter Studio opened its doors merely a month ago, inviting visitors to make their own rug and learn the age-old craft.
What is tufting?
According to Tufter Studio, “Tufting is an age-old textile technique that involves the creation of intricate patterns and designs by punching yarn through a fabric base. It’s the art of crafting textures and bringing creative visions to life through the careful placement of each tuft.”
The workshop
Secret Glasgow got the chance to try out the rug-making workshop, getting our hands crafty for the occasion. First, guests have to decide what they want to create. Be it a cartoon character, an anime version of inanimate objects (or planet Earth with a blushy smile, for example).
Those who are gifted at drawing can opt to just create a whole new design they desire, however, those like us who cannot draw as well can simply show a picture of what they want to create, which is then displayed through a projector screen to be able to outline the image on the canvas.
Afterwards, the friendly staff will then teach tufters how to operate the (very sharp, by the way) tufting guns, as well as ensure everything is done safely. Once visitors have had the chance to practice with the newly acquired artistic weapons, they can then make a start at creating their own rug art.
The workshops can take anywhere between two and a half to five hours to complete, so do keep the whole afternoon or the evening free. Plus, this is not one of those BYOB situations, as no alcohol is allowed while working with the guns for safety reasons.
So, if this sounds like a bit of you and you’re over 18 years old, you can book a workshop here.