Rug Lounge
Salt Lake City's First Rug Tufting StudioTuft a rug. Call it art.
In the news The Salt Lake Tribune →A studio built for makers, beginners, and the curious.
Come ready to learn the craft and leave with a custom piece of quality art.
Book a Workshop
Grab a tufting station, pick your yarn, and walk out three hours later with a rug you made with your own two hands. We'll guide you from "wait, what?" to "look what I made", covering the basics of rug tufting and carving in a small group setting. All supplies included.
Creative choices celebrated, or choose from one of our many templates. Great for an evening out with friends or a creative date night. You'll leave the studio with a real, finished rug.
Don't get hungry! You're welcome to bring your own snacks or drinks to stay energized.
Workshop Agenda
- 01Safety & Tutorial
Demo, learn to use the tufting gun safely, and time to practice.
- 02Trace & Tuft
Project your design onto the fabric, outline it with a marker, then start tufting to our vinyl playlist.
- 03Finishing
We carefully adhere the backing onto your rug to keep it all in one piece.
- 04Cut & Trim
Cut your rug to your desired shape, then carve the pile for a clean finish.
- 05Take It Home
Snap a photo of your finished piece and head out with something you actually made.
Design Guide
Tufting isn't an art of heavy detail, at least not for your first few rugs. Choose a design with clearly defined lines and not too much complexity. Tufting is very beginner-friendly. You'll love it!
Abstract & simple
High-contrast, bold shapes work great. Don't go overboard with detail!
Skip the small text
We don't recommend lettering. If you want any text, make it very bold and very large.
Hard lines are your friend
Cartoons, tattoo-style illustrations, and graphic designs all translate well into tufted pile.
Color-blocked is best
Flat, clearly separated color areas are ideal. Avoid heavy shading and gradients.
Gallery
Shop
Gift Card
Give the gift of a great local experience! Perfect for the maker, the curious, and everyone in between.
Buy a Gift CardCustom Tufting Frame
Interested in your own tufting frame? We can help. Send us an inquiry and we'll get back to you with details.
Get in TouchPrivate Events
Want to rent the space for something special? Bachelorettes, birthdays, team offsites, a crafty get-together. We'll work with you to make it happen. Reach out and let's talk.
Inquire NowFAQ
Do I need any experience to take a class?
Not at all. Our workshops are designed for complete beginners. We'll walk you through everything from safety to finishing — no prior craft experience needed.
What should I bring?
Just yourself and your creative energy! All materials and equipment are included. Feel free to bring snacks or drinks to keep you fueled.
Can I bring my own design?
Yes! You're welcome to bring a design you love. We'll help you adapt it for tufting if needed. We also have plenty of templates on hand if you'd rather pick from those. Check out the Design Guide above for tips on what works best.
How long does a session take?
The Tufting Workshop is a 3-hour session. That includes the tutorial, your tufting time, finishing, and trimming. Most people walk out right around the 3-hour mark with a finished rug, but we schedule a little buffer in the booking just in case.
Where are you located?
We're at 955 E 900 S, Suite B in Salt Lake City, right in the 9th & 9th neighborhood.
What is rug tufting?
- Rug tufting is the process of pushing yarn through a primary fabric to create a dense area of loops or fluffy yarn ends. These are adhered to a secondary backing to hold everything together. This is the premise behind most rugs and carpets you use every day!
- Rugs have been hand-sewn, punch needled, and hook tufted for thousands of years. Mechanized tufting emerged in Dalton, Georgia in the 1930s, eventually growing into a massive industrial process. Small-batch handmade makers kept the craft alive.
- That changed in recent years with the arrival of small, affordable tufting "guns." Tufting has exploded on social media thanks to its low barrier to entry, ASMR-like aesthetic, and genuine capacity to spark creativity in people who didn't think they had any.
- There's a growing community of makers, hobbyists, and curious beginners pushing this craft forward daily. New techniques, innovative technologies, and fresh perspectives are evolving in real-time. We've found it approachable, absorbing, and at times genuinely meditative. We're excited to share this hobby with you!
Say hello
Email us: [email protected]
Call or text us: (801) 230-2981
955 E 900 S Suite B
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
We've grown our knowledge with the help of a variety of makers and businesses. Special nod to Tuft the World, Effy, ClawLab, and Kramis. Their classes, materials, books, and YouTube channels were a huge part of inspiring us to build the Rug Lounge. And huge thanks to everyone who came and donated their time, energy, and enthusiasm to build the space and trial our process before opening. Your support means everything.
Website by Mike Elliott
Stay in the loop
We send one email a month — mostly new classes, rug photos, and occasional promotions.