After a hectic workweek, Hyderabad-based chartered accountants Deepika Mamidala and Sneha Mupparthi unwind with a rug tufting session at Artgram, a cosy art studio. Deepika, an art enthusiast, sees it as the perfect way to relax while spending time with friends. “It’s so rewarding to create something with your own hands. Sure, you can buy a carpet or rug, but making one yourself is a completely different experience,” she shares.
Deepika Mamidala and Sneha Mupparthi show their tufted designs
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Special Arrangement
Business analyst and self-confessed Potterhead, Ratnamani Venisetty, recently tufted a 16×16-inch Harry Potter-themed rug for her two-month-old nephew, Aryan. However, she has not gifted it to him yet — she plans to complete the scene with a Gryffindor robe and a Hufflepuff t-shirt. Initially expecting a three-hour session, Ratnamani was pleasantly surprised to finish her piece in just 90 minutes, leaving her with extra time to tuft an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit rug. Ratnamani started tufting recently when when she saw a session online.
The creative and tactile experience of tufting a rug using a tufting gun is quickly gaining popularity in Hyderabad, a city increasingly embracing hands-on art and craft experiences. Participants can create everything from hearts and coasters to guitars, customise designs for gifts, or craft doormats and wall décor. With its blend of creativity and relaxation, rug tufting is proving to be more than just a trend.
Points to ponder
One need not like tufting to try it.
One can have zero knowledge but can still try tufting.
It is not about being professional but enjoying the time, process and a satisfaction of creating something new.
Tufting gun is not like a colour pencil or paint brush that can be controlled to enhance the strokes. Have patience while using a tufting gun and slow down a bit to control its speed.
There is nothing to ruin/spoil. One can go wrong while tufting a design but it can be still be corrected.
Using a tufting gun might feel like a workout for the shoulder.
Immersive experience
Hema Somisetty and Shweta Somisetty
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Even beginners can try their hand at rug tufting, says Shweta Somisetty, who co-founded Artgram in Banjara Hills along with her co-sister Hema Somisetty in 2023. The DIY studio, which first opened in Vijayawada and later expanded to Bengaluru, offers a space for both adults and children to explore various art forms, including mandala art, mirror mandalas, paintings, mosaic art, and slime-making. Rug tufting with a tufting gun was introduced in October 2024, offering young adults and professionals a unique way to create textile art while enjoying an immersive hands-on experience.
“Tufting is a great way for professionals or homemakers to relax. They can do it solo, as a team, or even as part of a corporate bonding session,” Shweta explains. “With the option to take breaks over coffee or snacks, the idea is to de-stress and catch up with friends while engaging in a creative activity.”
Tufting session at Artgram
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Special Arrangement
The studio is equipped with adjustable wooden tufting frames, each fitted with a tufting cloth (jute) at the centre. The process begins by threading a coloured yarn through the tufting gun’s needle, securing it with a knot at the end. “You start by outlining the design on the fabric. Then, by pulling the trigger of the tufting gun, the yarn is punched through the cloth, creating a pattern or design,” explains the studio’s in-house art teacher.
Tufting classes across India
The Clumsy Studio, Mumbai
( theclumsystudio.in)
Go Rug Yourself, Gurgaon
(gorugyourself.com)
Blr Tufting Studio, Bengaluru
First Rug, Dharamshala
(firstrug.com)
There are classes to learn tufting; Participants can choose to tuft an 8-inch, 12-inch, or 16-inch rug in a three-to-four-hour session, with prices ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹4,500. One can have zero knowledge in tufting but can still try it Whether tufting for fun, relaxation, or team-building, Artgram is making this creative craft more accessible and enjoyable for all. It’s not about getting proficient as Shweta says, “This is not a certification course to be a professional; It is about discovering something new for an unique experience in an art club.”
Therapeutic art
Niharika Gollapali
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Special Arrangement
A few kilometres away in Jubilee Hills, Lyzure Art Therapy Café offers a serene atmosphere, bringing communities together through various forms of therapeutic art. Its founder, Niharika Gollapali, recalls seeing a group of young people tufting a rug in London using raw materials sourced from different parts of India. During her research, she discovered that the logistics and supply chain for these materials in India were not well-streamlined.
A participant tufts a design at Lyzure Art Therapy Café
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Special Arrangement
“There is immense potential for tufting,” says Niharika, who worked for a year and a half with her team before introducing it in her studio in December last year. “Intricately designed, handwoven carpets once adorned entire rooms during the Nizam’s era. Today, rugs and carpets have become an essential element of modern interior design aesthetics.”
The growing interest in experiential art in Hyderabad was a key reason for launching tufting at the café in December 2024. The therapy café also offers sessions on candle-making, pottery, T-shirt painting, and various forms of painting.
The tufting space at Lyzure
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Special Arrangement
From sourcing yarns, frames, and fabrics from different parts of India and selling DIY tufting kits to collaborating with architects and interior designers to create custom rugs, Lyzure aims to build a vibrant community around tufting.
The story of tufting is the story of evolution. Its long and checkered journey has its origin in the ancient history of weaving. Tufting was earlier practised to create decorative rugs, textiles and ornate fabrics. This technique of making custom rugs and textiles can be traced back to civilisations such as Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome. This art of rug making spread across the world and its evolution over centuries narrates a timeless tale. Tufting is a form of creative expression and with an option to choose from different materials, contemporary designs and styles, a tufted rug adds a personal touch to the creation and also warmth and character to a wall decor.
Published – February 20, 2025 11:09 am IST
