By Cansu Waldron

As someone who stares at a laptop for about 90% of the day, the idea of doing anything that doesn’t involve a screen feels like a small luxury. Don’t get me wrong — I love my work. It’s just that when your work and hobbies both live inside the same glowing rectangle, you start craving something different. Something you can actually touch.

That’s how my tufting journey began!

Clawlab recently sent me their Tufting Kit, and honestly, it’s the analog hobby I didn’t know I needed. Moreover, you can turn your digital illustrations into fuzzy, colorful objects — rugs, wall art, little tactile versions of your designs you can literally run your fingers through.

Let’s start with the setup: easy. The frame (39 x 25 inches) clamps onto any table and ships flat, which means no bulky mess in your workspace. It took me about ten minutes to assemble while listening to Taylor’s new album. The tufting gun has this reattachable Type-C connection that makes setup feel almost plug-and-play. No nails, no hassle, no fear of accidentally wrecking your desk.

And the gun itself is light as a feather. At just 550g, it’s light enough to hold for long sessions without your wrist giving up (which, as someone who spends hours tufting when in the zone, I deeply appreciate). I read that it’s designed with safety in mind — enclosed motor, automatic standby, no weird snags or tangles. It’s smooth, quiet, and surprisingly satisfying to use.

The Clawlab kit also comes with soft tufting yarn (a cotton-acrylic blend that’s plush and perfect for 3D textures) and a more durable yarn (a wool-cashmere-nylon mix) for bigger or more functional pieces in multiple colors. Basically, you can experiment with both cozy decor and heavy-duty rugs. I started by practicing on scrap fabric, as recommended, and it really helped me get used to the 3-in-1 cut pile needle before moving on to my “real” design.

It’s also worth noting how accessible it feels. I’m not a seasoned rug maker by any means, but the instructions and overall design are intuitive enough that I was comfortably tufting within the first hour. The only trick you need to keep in mind is to hold the gun at a 90 degree angle. That’s honestly it.

I totally get the hype, the satisfaction, the endless TikToks of people turning doodles into rugs. There’s something meditative about the hum of the gun and the growing patch of color under your hands. It’s grounding, in the same way sketching can be, pulling you into the bliss of creating something beautiful.

If your days revolve around screens like mine, or you’ve been itching to bring your digital art off the iPad and into a tactile form, I can’t recommend the Clawlab Tufting Kit enough. It’s lightweight, beginner-friendly, and honestly just fun.

Now excuse me while I go turn my favorite Procreate piece into a tiny rug.

Psst… I have a code for you! Use code DAB19% to get (you guessed it) 19% off your purchase.