In the centre of Leeds, just a short walk from the bus station and Kirkgate Market, you can find the Tadatuft studio. This creative sanctuary offers tufting workshops for anyone aged 7 years of age and above.
Tadatuft was founded in 2022 by Lulu and Kai, University of Leeds graduates with a passion for design and a desire to foster creativity within the community. Lulu and Kai discovered tufting during the COVID-19 lockdown and quickly became enamoured with the craft and the range of rug designs that they could create.
What started as a personal creative outlet soon evolved into a full-fledged studio dedicated to sharing the joy of tufting with others. Today, Tadatuft is more than just a workshop space; it’s a hub for creativity, mindfulness and community engagement.
With a mission to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment, Tadatuft encourages participants to explore new skills while enjoying time with friends and family. Beyond creativity, the studio also supports mental wellbeing by donating a portion of proceeds from each booking to Mental Health UK.
The Workshop Experience
I was invited to try out a standard rug workshop, priced at £110. The workshop spans 3.5 hours and offers participants the opportunity to create a 40x40cm rug or wall hanging. I opted to join a Sunday morning session. So, on a particularly cold Sunday in mid-January, I headed into the City Centre and found the lovely and colourful Tadatuft studio.
A few days before the workshop, I shared my chosen rug design with the Tadatuft team. Whilst there are lots of designs to choose from on the Tadatuft website, and even more on their social media channels, I wanted to draw my own design, pulling inspiration from my recent travels in Japan.
When I got to the studio, it was great to see my design sketched onto the prepared easel. Whilst I had never tufted before, I had seen lots of incredible photos on Instagram of other people’s handmade creations, and so I was eager to transform my design into a handcrafted rug.
Lulu kicked off the session with an introduction to tufting techniques, including a hands-on demonstration of the tufting gun. We each had a quick practice run on the communal easel before selecting our yarn colours—a surprisingly challenging decision, given the range of options available. After some deliberation, I settled on my chosen palette and set to work.
Using the tufting gun was intuitive, but also challenging – at least to begin with. While the mechanics were simple, mastering control over the trigger and movement took some getting used to. Lulu guided us throughout the process, offering tips on ensuring even tufting, avoiding gaps and maintaining the right level of density for the best final result. One of the most satisfying moments was looking on the other side of my canvas and seeing my design take shape in its textured form.
As my design came together, and the session drew to a close, the Tadatuft team assisted me with the finishing touches— cutting the design away from the excess canvas, trimming excess wool fibres, securing the backing material and making sure our rugs were properly set.
I was tasked with shaving my rug, a task which I’m sure is somewhat similar to shearing a sheep, albeit with an inanimate object! With my completed rug in hand, Lulu snapped a quick photo of my and my handiwork before heading home, feeling immensely proud of my piece.
Final Thoughts
My experience at Tadatuft was fab. The workshop was well-structured, engaging, and gave us lots of time for hands-on crafting. Lulu and Kai have developed a creative space that is welcoming for all. It was great to see their passion for tufting in their numerous crafted pieces on the wall.
Whether you’re a complete craft beginner or a seasoned crafter, the workshop is a great way to explore a new medium in a supportive and inspiring setting. It is also a great way to spend a morning, afternoon or full day with friends or family, and you get to take home something you’ve created at the end of the session.
I would certainly recommend Tadatuft if you’re looking for a unique, creative experience. Whilst I am not in Leeds enough to make Tadatuft sessions a regular occurrence, I am already considering investing in my own tufting equipment—so my friends and family should expect handmade tufted gifts for birthdays and special occasions in the near future!
You can find out more about Tadatuft here.
Photography by Gemma Bridge.
