7 Creative Tufting Ideas: What You Can Make with a Tufting Gun
🧵 7 Creative Tufting Ideas: What You Can Make with a Tufting Gun
Are you looking for creative tufting ideas beyond just rugs? Whether you're a beginner with your first tufting gun or a seasoned pro ready for your next challenge, this blog is packed with inspiration for your next DIY tufting project.
Tufting has taken the DIY world by storm, and with good reason! It’s fun, fast, and incredibly versatile. While many people start by making a tufted rug, there are so many more things you can create using your tufting machine. In this guide, we’ll share 7 exciting ways to use your tufting skills, complete with real examples from the tufting community.
Let’s get into it! 👇
1. 🧶 The Classic: Tufted Rugs
Let’s start with the OG. A handmade tufted rug is not just a cozy addition to your home, it’s a statement piece. Whether you're creating a funky abstract design, a favorite cartoon character, or a soft pastel dream, your rug is a reflection of your personality.
Tufted rugs are the perfect beginner project because they let you get familiar with your tufting machine, explore different yarn textures, and experiment with color blocking and outlines. You’ll learn how to stretch your backing cloth, trim your loops, and finish your rug with backing and glue — a whole journey in one project.
📸 Inspiration:
This beautiful colorful floor rug by @flying_carpets
👉 Shop supplies: Tufting guns | Backing cloth | Yarn
2. 🪑 Upholstered Furniture: Tuft a Chair or Stool
Imagine walking into your home and seeing a chair that you actually made yourself! With vibrant tufted fabric that’s one of a kind. Sounds dreamy, right? With tufting, you can bring that dream to life.
Tufted upholstery is an amazing way to breathe new life into old furniture. Cover a stool, a bench, or even the seat of a dining chair with your handmade tufted piece. We love this as an advanced DIY tufting project, especially when paired with some comfy foam, a staple gun, and lots of love.
📸 Inspiration:
This amazing chair by @rugburnberlin 
This beautiful chair by @atelier.le.petit
💡 Pro tip: Make your tufted piece slightly larger than the surface you want to cover, so you can wrap it snugly around the edges for a professional finish.
3. 🖼️ Tufted Wall Art: Soft, Textured Home Decor
A wall doesn’t need to be flat. Add texture, softness, and soul to your space with tufted wall hangings. They bring warmth and creativity to any room, and they’re a fantastic way to express yourself.
The best part? There are no rules. Go abstract with color fields, or create a detailed portrait. Make it large and bold or small and intimate. Tufted wall art gives you all the freedom to let your imagination run wild. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about someone else having the same piece on their wall.
📸 Inspiration:
A colorful work by @steffieelshoutt 
This super cool black and white piece by @sakurasugiyama_tuft
💡 Pro tip: @studio.eisama made a video on different ways to hang you tufted wall art. Check it out here!
4. 🛋️ Tufted Cushions and Pillows
Want to take your cozy game to the next level? Try making your own tufted pillows or cushions. These are perfect for sofas, beds, reading nooks, or meditation corners. They’re not just functional, they’re snuggly pieces of art.
You can make a set of matching cushions to complete your decor, or go wild and make a funky mismatched collection. Hearts, flowers, waves, bold color blocks, the options are endless. These are also super popular on Etsy and make wonderful handmade gifts.
📸 Inspiration:
A cute set of handmade cushions by @clotilde.puy
Or going crazy with a pencil shaped pillow by @byadelinewang
🪡 Tip: Look at this video by @bom_matta for a step by step guide on making a tufted pillow
5. 👜 Wearable Tufted Accessories
Yes, you read that right, tufting is wearable! More and more tufters are exploring tufted bags, pins, hats, and patches. It’s the perfect mix of fashion and fiber art. These smaller items are great for practicing precision and color blending.
Wearable tufting lets you express yourself on the go. Whether you're making a fluffy tote bag or a tiny tufted keychain, you’re turning your art into something personal and portable. And believe us, nothing feels cooler than saying “I made this” when someone asks where your bag is from.
📸 Inspiration:
How amazing is this cutie by @kniteyknitey ?!
Wow! That is a bag collection of our dreams @millierosetextiles
6. 🐾 Pet Rugs & Custom Pet Portraits
For all the animal lovers out there, this one’s for you. Why not use your tufting skills to make a custom rug of your pet? Whether it’s a fluffy portrait or a cute name mat for their sleeping spot, it’s a beautiful way to celebrate your furry friend.
These make amazing gifts for birthdays, memorials, or just because. You can capture your pet’s personality in yarn, from their goofy smile to their bright eyes. And let’s be honest, our pets deserve soft rugs too.
📸 Inspiration:
Three furry friends by @nicoleoreillydesign
Or this cutie pie by @studio.eisama
🐶 Tip: Use photos with high contrast and simple shapes to design your pet's portrait more easily!
7. 🎁 Tufted Home Decor & Small Gifts
Looking for quick tufting projects or thoughtful handmade gifts? Try tufting mirror frames, ornaments, coasters, or even keychains. These smaller items are ideal if you want to experiment without committing to a full rug.
They’re also great for markets, gifts, and trying out new techniques on a tiny scale. You can go seasonal with holiday themes or create a line of signature mini pieces. It's a beautiful way to spread tufting joy to the people around you.
📸 Inspiration:
The sweetest tufted candy ornaments by @and_et
Or make a mirror, like this one by zeyu.studio
Colorfull coasters, making such a cute and personal gift. By @cowroccoli
Ready to Start Your Next Tufting Project?
Tufting is more than a craft, it’s a form of expression. Whether you're creating a soft sculpture, a rug full of memories, or a colorful bag to carry your essentials, every piece tells a story.
✨ Feeling inspired?
🛍️ Shop our tufting supplies here ! everything from tufting guns and yarn to frames and glue.
📸 Don’t forget to tag us @tuftingshop and use #tuftingshopcommunity, we LOVE seeing your creativity come to life.