How do you come up with ideas for what to tuft, where do you find inspiration, and what are the possibilities? In this blog, I will try to answer these questions as best as I can.
I still regularly hear during workshops people saying: “this is so much fun, I didn’t even know this existed” and yet tufting is gaining popularity all over the world and continues to grow. The boundaries of tufting are far from being reached. Of course, there’s a limit to the details you can add, but even that is constantly being pushed. The number of applications is also expanding daily. So it’s not just carpets being made, but also photo frames, flower pots, Christmas ornaments, pillows, and so on. That’s the great thing about such a “new” hobby, the boundaries are yet to be found.
Inspiration
Everyone finds inspiration in different places, of course, but I’ll explain here how I find inspiration.
Little experience
For tufters with little experience, it’s often pleasant to search among the work of others. As long as you’re making something for yourself or as a gift, you can make and possibly recreate whatever you want. You can also adapt an existing illustration to your own style. A good place to find existing work is through social media.
Pinterest has an endless library of pins about tufting. You’ll find artists who make rugs for themselves and for sale. You can search for “tufting”, but “punch needle” also gives great pins that are easy to tuft.
Instagram is also full of inspiration. Here you can also find “reels” with explanations about certain techniques. Popular hashtags are: #tufting #tuftgun #rugmaking.
TikTok
And of course, TikTok is also full of it. These videos are often more for entertainment, but the attentive viewer can learn a lot and at least find inspiration. You can search for #tufting #tufttok.
More experience
If you’ve gained more experience, you might also find inspiration in other places. Maybe when you’re walking outside and see a beautiful flower, or perhaps you make portraits of children or pets. You can also think outside the box. For example, you decide which colors to use, maybe the rug needs to match something. Then you can just start drawing on your canvas and create something that’s one of a kind. Or you can look for patterns and give them your own interpretation. You can also, of course, make an abstract version of any inspiration.
I hope I’ve been able to help you on your way and wish you lots of fun finding your inspiration!
