Pull a rug
from thread
& intention.
A three-hour guided session where you sketch a design, thread a frame, and tuft your own rug, loop by loop. Bring it home the same day — still warm from the steam.
A way of making that feels slow on purpose.
Tufting is the craft of pushing loops of yarn through a stretched cloth to build a pile — stitch by stitch, row by row — until a rug emerges. It's part drawing, part sculpture, part sewing; the tool does the poke, your hand does the painting.
Walk in with a napkin sketch or an idea you've been sitting on for months. Walk out — three hours later — with a finished piece, trimmed, steamed, and bound. Beginner-friendly, hypnotic in practice, deeply satisfying in the result.
No two tufts look alike. That's the whole point.
From Siberian burial mounds to your living room.
Tufting isn't new. It's one of the oldest ways humans make soft things. But the version you'll try at Artis House belongs to a very new moment — a quiet revival of craft, slowed down and made welcoming again.
The oldest surviving pile rug.
Frozen in a burial mound for 2,400 years, the Pazyryk carpet emerges in 1949 — hand-knotted, impossibly fine, proof that humans have been pulling loops of wool into floors since long before they pulled words into pages.
Rug-making becomes a language.
Whole villages spent generations perfecting regional knots and motifs. Patterns carried meaning: family, prayer, dowry. A rug was an archive you could roll up.
The tufting gun appears.
In Dalton, Georgia, Catherine Evans Whitener revives colonial candlewicking and teaches her neighbors to tuft chenille bedspreads. Within a decade, the industry invents the mechanical tufting machine and carpets the world.
The craft revival.
Lockdowns hand the tufting gun to a new generation of artists on TikTok and Instagram. The practice returns to its roots: slow, expressive, domestic, deeply satisfying. Studios like ours open so you don't need a garage to try it.
Five steps. Three hours. One rug.
No experience assumed. No homework. Your artisan stays with you through the full arc — we'd rather guide you closely than leave you hunting for answers.
A cup of something warm, a quick studio tour.
Your artisan greets you at the door, walks you to a workstation, and pours you a tea or small coffee. We talk through the session — what we'll do, what to expect, what's okay to mess up.
⏱ 15 minutesPick a design — or draw one from scratch.
Flip through our pattern book for inspiration, or sketch your own on paper. Your artisan helps you think about proportions, color, and what's tuftable for a first piece. We trace the design onto the monk's cloth together.
⏱ 25 minutesChoose your yarn, load the gun.
Choose from over 80 colors of wool and acrylic yarn — dusty roses, cool greys, soft mustards, bold jewel tones. We walk you through loading the tufting gun, how to hold it, and a short practice patch to find your rhythm.
⏱ 15 minutesThe meditative hour. Loop by loop.
This is the long, quiet middle. You outline your shapes first, then fill. The gun hums, the cloth fills, the pile rises. Most guests describe it as the most present they've felt all week.
⏱ 90 minutesTrim, glue, steam — and walk out with it.
We trim the surface even, brush a fabric backing on, steam it, and bind the edges. Twenty minutes later you're holding a finished rug — still warm — wrapped to take home that afternoon.
⏱ 30 minutesEverything you need at the workstation, included.
- Pre-stretched monk's cloth on a sturdy wooden frame
- AK‑I tufting gun, calibrated & ready
- 80+ colors of wool & acrylic yarn — use as much as you'd like
- Scissors, carving shears, & finishing tools
- Fabric backing, glue, steam & bound edges
- Apron, ear protection, all consumables
- One‑on‑one guidance from your artisan, start to finish
- Coffee, tea, & small snacks throughout
- A finished 18×24″ rug, wrapped to go home
- Photos of your piece, emailed within 48hrs
Six directions guests have taken — yours can go anywhere.
A starting library of styles past guests have built. Bring one in, riff on one, or design something we haven't seen before.
Soft Bloom
Layered organic shape, two-tone palette, simple sculpted center. A go-to for first-timers.
Three Verticals
Bold color blocks, no curves to navigate. Surprisingly satisfying for a first piece.
Initial Letterform
One letter, one color, big and confident. A favorite for housewarming gifts.
Pebble Field
Clusters of overlapping circles in a graded palette. A modern, gallery-style piece.
Quatrefoil
An heirloom motif — Persian, Anatolian, eternal. Paired well in earth tones or jewel pairs.
Mountain Sun
Silhouette landscape with a pop sun. Layered pile heights bring depth to the peaks.
Six tools you'll meet — all provided.
You don't need to know any of these by name when you walk in. By the time you walk out, they'll feel natural in your hands.
AK‑I tufting gun
An electric needle that pushes loops through cloth. Beginner-friendly weight, single-trigger control.
Monk's cloth on frame
Tightly-woven cotton stretched on wood. Pre-tensioned to the right tightness — no fiddling required.
80+ yarn cones
Wool, acrylic, and acrylic-wool blends. Roses, neutrals, cool jewel tones. Use as much as you'd like.
Carving shears
Scissor-style shears for trimming pile flat and sculpting depth. Sharper than they look.
Latex backing
A thin layer brushed onto the back to lock loops in place. Cures while you trim.
Steam iron & binding
Final pass to set the pile, soften the edges, and bind the border before you take it home.
Things first-timers ask.
Click any question to expand. Don't see yours? Reach out — we read every email.
Do I really need zero experience?
Yes — most of our guests have never tufted before. Our session is built for absolute first-timers, and your artisan paces with you. By the end you'll have used the gun, trimmed pile, and finished a rug.
How big is the rug I'll make?
The standard piece is 18×24 inches — a comfortable size for a doormat, a wall hanging, or a small accent rug. Larger blanks (up to 36×48 in.) are available on request for an additional fee, and require a longer session.
Can I bring a custom design or photo?
Absolutely — bring it on a phone, in print, or describe it to us beforehand. Our team will help simplify it into a tufting-ready template before the session. Email us your reference 48 hours in advance for the smoothest start.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothes you don't mind getting yarn fluff on. Closed-toe shoes are required for safety. Aprons are provided. Long hair should be tied back; we'll have hair ties on hand if needed.
Do I take the rug home the same day?
Yes. Your rug is fully finished — backed, trimmed, steamed, and bound — by the end of your session. We wrap it for the trip home. It's machine-stable; vacuum gently and spot-clean as needed.
How many people fit in one session?
Two to six guests for an open session. Private bookings (couples, groups, corporate) accommodate up to twelve at our Calgary studio. Tell us your group size when you book and we'll pair you with the right room.
Is it kid-friendly?
Children 12 and up can join a session with a parent or guardian present. The tufting gun is electric and we exercise caution; safety briefings happen for every guest, regardless of age.
What's your cancellation policy?
Cancel or reschedule for free up to 48 hours before your session. Within 48 hours, we offer a credit for a future session. No-shows forfeit the booking. Life happens — message us and we'll work something out.