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Header image courtesy of Keisha (via Unsplash)
If you’re a frequenter of local social media circles, you might have noticed a recent arts and crafts trend amongst younger Hongkongers. From cutesy rugs to fashionable tote bags, and adorable coasters to aesthetic wall hangings, tufting has been taking DIY enthusiasts by storm! Here’s our guide to tufting for those who would like to know more about the craft, and a list of tufting workshops in Hong Kong for you to check out.
A rising trend in the arts and crafts world, tufting is a type of textile manufacturing in which textile is made by feeding yarn into a backing fabric, a.k.a. the canvas for your creativity to flow freely! A variety of patterns can be made on the backing fabric with this technique, but the more detailed your pattern, the more difficult the execution!
One of the most common products made using the tufting technique is rugs. But the new trend in this crafts field has also put tufting to use in making a variety of household items, such as coasters, mirror frames, pillowcases, and more. A lot of pieces today are made with a tufting gun, but other methods are also available, such as using a punch needle.
Tufting actually goes way back in both European and Chinese arts and crafts histories. The technique can be found mainly in the northern regions of China as a special kind of embroidery called 墩繡 (dan1 sau3). Tufted crafts hold a three-dimensionality that puts emphasis on the patterns created. It is seen as one of the intangible cultural heritages of China and is believed to have been brought from the north to the south in the Yuan dynasty. As the technique spread to neighbouring countries and regions, many local elements have also been incorporated into this craft to create something specific to a locale.
In Europe, tufting was popularised many years ago by an American carpet manufacturer, but it is with the modern technology of the tufting gun that the technique caught on in recent years. The age-old usage of the punch needle in tufting is replaced by a man- or electricity-powered tufting gun to make the production process smoother and easier for the maker.
At the various tufting workshops we recommend below, you can expect to tuft with yarn. All workshops will offer students a tufting gun to craft with, as well as a piece of linen stretched onto a frame where you will create your masterpiece. You will tuft according to a drawn sketch on the backing fabric, or from a projected image of your own design.
Lookout Studio is a quaint art studio located close to Kwai Fong MTR station that offers workshops in tufting and fluid art (also a trending craft amongst hip locals) to DIY enthusiasts. Instructors are on-site for each workshop to take students through the processes, so beginners are welcome. Lookout Studio encourages students to send in their patterns or an idea of their design when you are booking your session, so you can create your draft ahead of the workshop, leaving more time to tuft to your heart’s content!
Lookout Studio also allows students to create as many pieces as they can fit into the frame. Don’t worry about leaving time to back and trim your masterpiece—the staff members at Lookout Studio will complete the backing and finishing processes for you and send back your precious creations in five to seven working days.
How to sign up: Direct message on Instagram
Lookout Studio, Shop F, 16/F, On Fook Industrial Building, 41–45 Kwai Fung Crescent, Kwai Chung
Aiming to bring peace and calmness to all of their tufters, Tifting.123 is a studio with wellness in mind. Located in the busy industrial district of Kwun Tong, Tufting.123 has a wide range of workshops available for crafters looking to enjoy a fulfilling session of tufting.
The price for each workshop depends on the frame of your choosing, with sizes ranging from 50x50, 70x70, and 90x90. What this also means is that there’s no time limit to your tufting workshop! We all know genius cannot be rushed, so if your creativity takes time to manifest, this is the perfect workshop for you.
Tufting.123 also offers “cartoonification” services for students who want to tuft a likeness of a pet or a loved one. You can enjoy an exclusive discount when you present a valid student ID card when you arrive for your session. Plus, the bigger your group, and more discounts you can enjoy! At eight people or above, you can book out the studio for a private day of tufting—it’s the perfect hangout activity with friends!
How to sign up: Message via WhatsApp
Tufting.123, Fat Lee Industrial Building, 17 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong
Best Day Ever (BDE) Tufting is the best studio for minimalists who thrive in an aesthetically plain environment. The white studio has spacious crafting stations for each student to create their masterpieces. Students are encouraged to send in images or sketches for their designs so tutors can find the best colours to use on their pieces. You can also sample your design by utilising BDE Tufting’s adorable colour and backside material swatches!
BDE Tufting offers three packages: small, medium, and large. Students can create whatever comes to mind on their framed canvases, be it coasters, cushion covers, rugs, or more. Let your imagination run free and create without restrictions!
How to sign up: Direct message on Instagram
Best Day Ever (BDE) Tufting, 7/F, Lee Chung Industrial Building, 7 Tsat Po Street, San Po Kong
Channelling the motto “Tuft What You Love,” Tuk 1 Tuk Tufting puts creativity at the forefront of its workshops. Students can choose to create a variety of products, from rugs and mirrors to coasters and plushies. Experienced tutors will be on-site to offer students expert tips and guidance on how to bring their creative vision to life.
You can even enjoy discounts when booking your session—the more people in your workshop and the more frames are used, the better value for the price! For groups of four, you only need to pay the price for three of the frame size of your choosing. Students can use this promotion to book in advance for spaces in November and December!
How to sign up: Direct message on Instagram
Tuk 1 Tuk Tufting, A03, 13/F, Metropolitan Factory and Warehouse Building, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 6598 8844
The vibes at Chill Tuft certainly champion its name. Everything at this studio spells “chill,” even its décor! Once you’re booked in for a session of tufting, don’t be shy—snap a few photos at the studio’s designated bohemian lounging areas! You can also take a picture with your finished masterpiece after the session under Chill Tuft’s ethereal neon logo.
With over 90 colours on offer at Chill Tuft, you can be sure your design will be personalised and unique. Choose between 50x50, 70x70, and 90x90 frames to bring your ideas to life. You can also tuft a rug, coaster, mirror, portrait, or logo for an unlimited amount of time! So, lay back and relax as you dive into the haven of Chill Tuft’s studio.
How to sign up: Message via WhatsApp
Chill Tuft, Sing Win Factory Building, 15–17 Shing Yip Street, Kwun Tong
Mei Wah Tufting may be one of the lesser-known tufting studios out there, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting! Open only on weekends and public holidays, Mei Wah Tufting is the best place to be for family classes. Children aged eight years or above can join in on a fun and exciting tufting session with an accompanying adult. Don’t forget to send your designs and ideas to the workshop ahead of your session so tutors can give advice and make adjustments to make your tufting experience as smooth as possible.
If weekends and public holidays don’t fit your schedule, you can still head to Mei Wah Tufting for a private session! Groups of three to four can book a private session outside the studio’s opening hours, but no tutors will be present for these sessions. If you’re already a tufting expert, don’t be afraid to come with a few friends and tuft away!
How to sign up: Direct message on Instagram
Mei Wah Tufting, Mei Wah (Sunlight) Computer Embroidery Factory Limited, Kwun Tong Industrial Centre Phase 4, Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong
Introducing “weightless” tufting to the Hong Kong tufting scene, Urban Peace is the first tufting studio to offer “zero gravity” tufting to arts and crafts enthusiasts in the city. Tufting guns are attached to the ceiling of the studio to elevate some of the weight away from tufters’ shoulders as they work away on their yarn masterpieces.
Apart from innovative “weightless” tufting, Urban Peace also has a variety of attractions on offer at its studio. With a six-metre-tall yarn wall and a 270-degree ball pit, you can dive into a pool of fun before, after, or even during your tufting adventures! Choose between 25x25, 40x30, 50x50, 70x70, and 90x90 frames, and get started on your next masterpiece!
How to sign up: Message via WhatsApp
Urban Peace, Unit 13B, Mai Hong Industrial Building, 160 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong
Buddy Workshop offers the lowest rate for a tufting class on our list of recommended workshops, going as low as $299 per class! There’s no time limit to each session, either. Simply turn up with an idea in mind, and ask for assistance with your design from on-site tutors. You can tuft mirror frames, tote bags, plushies, clocks, cushions, stuffed toys, and drink carriers at Buddy Workshop. Walk-ins are accepted, so if you’re walking around To Kwa Wan and are suddenly hit by a tufting urge, head over to Buddy Workshop.
How to sign up: Direct message on Instagram
Buddy Workshop, 8/F, Gee Chang Industrial Building, 108 Lok Shan Road, To Kwa Wan
Born and raised in Hong Kong and educated in the UK, Celia is passionate about culture, food, and different happenings in the city. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her scouting for new and trendy restaurants, getting lost in a bookstore, or baking up a storm at home.
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