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Sept 2023

Last Updated: 18/09/2023

Bring 'art on a cosy canvas’ to life at new Leeds tufting workshop

by Flora Grafton

| 18 Sept, 2023

This story is sponsored by Tadatuft.

Two friends who embarked on a journey to Leeds for university studies found themselves caught up a lasting love affair with the West Yorkshire city. Two degrees later, the pair have launched the city’s greatest tufting business and see no sign of slowing down their success.

Owners Kai and Lulu first crossed paths at a tufting workshop in their hometown of China in 2019 and later, quite serendipitously, realigned at a house party in Leeds. The friends had dabbled in tufting before; Lulu sold her fuzzy creations in lockdown, while Kai brought her creative flair from design school to the craft. After graduating, they saw the perfect opportunity to transform their shared love for tufting into a business venture – from there, Tadatuft was born.

Simply put, tufting is akin to painting with yarn and dates back to 5 BCE. It employs a specialised machine to weave colourful threads through a base layer of material, crafting intricate patterns and designs along the way.

Kai and Lulu said:

"Picture it as sculpting a soft, textured masterpiece using yarn as your medium, like making art on a cosy canvas."

As with many start-ups, Tadatufts journey hasn’t been without challenges – particularly being in a lesser-known industry. Kai and Lulu have taken social media by storm, posting regular tufting tutorials and finished results -- amassing thousands of followers along the way.

Just nine months later, the friends now boast a loyal client base and the biggest tufting business in Leeds.

And now the people of Leeds and the Harrogate district can try their hand at tufting! Whether you’re on the hunt for a new rug, tote bag, wall hanging or fluffy mirror, Tadatuft will bring you the ultimate cosy DIY experience.

Located on Park Square East, the small and intimate workshops invite anyone and everyone to begin their creative journey. Suitable for friends, families, colleagues and even wedding parties, Tadatuft provides a session of guaranteed fun and relaxation, while teaching people a new craft and skill to gloat about at Christmas.

Tadatuft welcomes tufters of all ages and ability. No previous skills are required and all materials and guidance will be provided in the workshops.

Your only job is to choose a dazzling design, send it to Tadatuft beforehand and show up ready to tuft!

They continued:

"At Tadatuft, our mission is simple: we aim to create a welcoming space where you can discover a new skill, while enjoying quality time with friends and family.

"We firmly believe that everyone harbours an innate sense of creativity, and through our unique teaching methods and guidance, we can help you transform your ideas into meaningful pieces of art.

"Whether you're a confident artist or someone who's never considered themselves 'creative', we're here to guide you every step of the way."

If that wasn’t enough, Tadatuft also offer commissions and tufting kits for those that wish to tuft at home or cannot attend a workshop.

Customers simply send in their requested designs and Kai and Lulu can work their tufting magic to bring your cosy rug to life.

Kai and Lulu added:

"Our journey at Tadatuft has been nothing short of amazing. In just nine months, we've had the privilege of sharing our passion with over a thousand individuals.

"Witnessing our students' incredible creations and their smiles of satisfaction continues to be our greatest reward.

"We look forward to many more months and years of creative adventures!"

Tadatuft pricing begins at £55 per person for a beginners’ workshop. They say money can't buy you happiness, but a Tadatuft workshop definitely can!

In a review, the workshops were described as:

"An amazing experience! It was great to be able to try something completely new and to have such professional and helpful hosts! We were there for 6+ hours and enjoyed every minute of our rug making. The rugs turned out brilliantly - such a great experience and you get to keep your creation forever too!"

Find out more:

To find out more about Tadatuft or to book a tufting workshop, visit https://www.tadatuftuk.com/ or email Kai and Lulu at enquiries@tadatuftuk.com.