A Tufting Workshop in London: The Date Idea You Haven't Tried Yet
There's a version of a London date that goes like this: you book a restaurant, wait 40 minutes for a table, spend £90, and go home having talked mostly about work.
Then there's the version where you spend an afternoon in Hackney Wick making something with your hands — and leave with two finished rugs and a story worth telling.
This is about the second kind.
What Is a Tufting Workshop?
Tufting is a textile technique where you use a handheld gun to push yarn through a canvas, building up a design row by row. The result is a thick, plush, handmade rug — the kind that looks like it took weeks and actually takes an afternoon.
At Cheeky Studio in Hackney Wick, you design your own from scratch. Your idea, your colours, your hands. We handle the rest.
Why It Works as a Date
Most date activities put you side by side watching something — a film, a show, a chef doing the interesting bit. A tufting workshop puts you both in it.
You're making decisions together. Which design? Which colours? Cut pile or loop pile? There's just enough to think about that the conversation never runs out, and just enough focus required that you're both properly present — phones down, heads up.
It's the kind of afternoon that feels full afterwards. Not just "we went somewhere" but "we made something."
What Actually Happens at Cheeky Studio
Here's the honest version of what a session looks like:
Before you arrive, you submit your design idea — a sketch, a photo reference, a description. We sketch it onto your canvas in advance so you walk in ready to go. Not sure what to make? Our team will help you figure it out.
When you arrive, the first thing you do is choose your colours. We stock 115 shades of Cheeky Yarn — our own GRS-certified yarn made from 100% recycled PET. This part takes longer than most people expect. In a good way.
During the session, our instructors guide you through the technique from the first pass. How to hold the gun, how to move it, how to handle your design. Most people find their rhythm within the first 20 minutes. After that, it's just you and the rug.
At the end, if your rug is fully tufted, you take it home the same day. Finished, backed, and ready to go on your wall or floor. No waiting. No collecting it six weeks later. Same day.
The Two Workshop Options
Standard Rug — 3 hours, 40×40cm, £170 per person. The most popular session. Enough time to make something you're genuinely proud of without it feeling like a marathon.
Grand Rug — 5 hours, 55×55cm, £220 per person. More time, more space, more rug. Ideal if you want to go bigger or work on something more detailed.
Both sessions are capped at 8 people maximum. Small groups, proper attention, no feeling like you're on a conveyor belt.
No Art Skills. Genuinely.
This comes up a lot. People assume tufting requires some baseline of creative ability. It doesn't.
The technique is learnable in minutes. The design can be as simple or as detailed as you want. Some of the best rugs we've seen at Cheeky Studio were made by people who described themselves as "completely uncreative" when they walked in.
If you can follow a line, you can tuft a rug.
Why Hackney Wick
Cheeky Studio is based at Tradestars, 415 Wick Lane — right in the middle of East London's creative quarter. Two minutes from Hackney Wick Overground. Easy to reach from anywhere in the city.
The studio itself is bright, colourful, and full of finished rugs on the walls. It's the kind of space that makes you want to make something the moment you walk in.
The Practical Bits
📍 D009 Tradestars, 415 Wick Lane, Hackney Wick, London E3 2JG🕙 Open every day, 10am–5pm🪡 Standard Rug — 3hrs · 40×40cm · £170 per person🪡 Grand Rug — 5hrs · 55×55cm · £220 per person⭐ Rated 5.0 by 316 tufters
Ready to Book?
Head to our workshops page and pick your date. The booking takes a couple of minutes and you'll get everything you need to prepare sent straight to your inbox.
Got questions first? Check our FAQ or get in touch — we'll get back to you quickly.