Three hours? Three weeks? Depends what you're making. Here's the honest breakdown.
It is the question almost everyone asks before booking: how long does this actually take?
The honest answer is that it depends on what you are making. A workshop rug and a full custom commission live on completely different timelines. Here is the breakdown.
At Cheeky Studio, a workshop rug takes between 3 and 5 hours depending on size.
The Standard Rug (40×40cm) takes about 3 hours. The Grand Rug (55×55cm) takes about 5 hours. That is the time you spend with the gun in your hand, tufting your design.
This does not include finishing. Once the tufting is done, the rug needs glue applied to the back, time to dry, and a backing fabric attached before it is ready to use. We handle all of that for you. If you finish tufting in your session, your rug is finished and backed before you leave. If you run over, we complete it in-house and ship it to you at no extra charge.
So the answer most people are looking for: you walk in, and 3 to 5 hours later you have made a rug.
The reason a rug comes together in a single session is that the hard preparation is already done before you arrive.
Your canvas comes pre-sketched with your design, so none of your session time is spent planning or transferring a pattern. The fabric is stretched and frame-ready. The yarn is wound and waiting in 115 colours. You sit down and start tufting straight away.
For a first-timer doing this from scratch at home, the setup alone (stretching fabric drum-tight, transferring a mirrored design, threading the gun) can take longer than the tufting itself. In a workshop, that part is solved.
Four things change the timeline:
Size. The single biggest factor. A 40×40cm rug is roughly half the surface area of a 55×55cm rug, so it tufts in noticeably less time.
Detail. Bold, simple shapes fill fast. Fine lines, small sections and tight colour changes take longer because you stop and switch yarn more often. This is also why we recommend bolder designs for a first session.
Pile type. Cut pile and loop pile tuft at a similar speed, but mixing the two in one piece adds time because you change the gun setting between sections. (More on the difference between cut pile and loop pile here.)
Experience. Your second rug is always faster than your first. Once the gun feels familiar, you move with more confidence and less stopping.
A custom commission is a different scale entirely. Depending on size and complexity, a bespoke tufted rug takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks from brief to delivery.
That timeline covers design and sizing, sourcing the right colours, the tufting itself, then gluing, drying, backing, carving and finishing. A large or highly detailed piece (think a portrait, a logo, or a 2-metre floor rug) sits at the longer end. A small, simple custom piece can turn around quickly.
For context: the 3×6m Danny Dyer rug we made for Sky TV took 425 hours across the team. Most custom rugs are nowhere near that, but it shows how much size and detail change the maths. (The full story is here.)
If you have a custom rug in mind, the best move is to tell us what you are after and we will give you a realistic timeline up front.
A workshop rug takes 3 to 5 hours and you make it yourself in one session. A full custom rug takes days to weeks depending on size and detail. Either way, the finishing and backing is handled for you.
Book a tufting workshop in Hackney Wick
Standard Rug (40×40cm, 3 hours): £145Grand Rug (55×55cm, 5 hours): £195
How long does it take to make a rug at a tufting workshop?
Between 3 and 5 hours. The Standard Rug (40×40cm) takes around 3 hours and the Grand Rug (55×55cm) takes around 5 hours. That is hands-on tufting time, with finishing and backing handled for you afterwards.
Can I finish a tufted rug in one session?
Yes. Most people finish tufting within their session. If you do not, we complete and finish the rug in-house and ship it to you at no extra charge.
How long does a custom tufted rug take to make?
A custom commission takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on size and complexity. Larger and more detailed pieces take longer. We give you a realistic timeline when you send your brief.
Why is a workshop rug so much faster than tufting at home?
Because the setup is already done. Your canvas arrives pre-sketched, the fabric is stretched and frame-ready, and the yarn is wound and waiting. You start tufting straight away instead of spending time on preparation.
