Bridgeport Tufting Studio Lets Crafters Make One-of-a-Kind Rugs

Angel Idowu | May 24, 2023, 6:39 pm

If you’ve ever wanted to make your own rug, we might have the place for you. A tufting class in Bridgeport aims to bring more fun to the South Side.

“I’ve lived in Bridgeport for 20 years and love the neighborhood,” said Erni Pun of Freestyle Ceramics and Tufting, 2927 S. Archer Ave. “I really wanted to bring something fun to Bridgeport.”

With a simple desire, Pun called her now partner, Susan Li, and Freestyle Ceramics and Tufting was born.

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WTTW News arts correspondent Angel Idowu creates a rug at Freestyle Ceramics and Tufting. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

“We first started with ceramics because ceramics has no age limit,” Pun said.

Less than a year later, Pun and Li expanded beyond ceramics to include freestyle tufting, a new art class concept that allows anyone to make their own rug. What started at eight seats quickly expanded to 24.

Each session begins with a practice tutorial to ensure every tufter feels comfortable with the tufting gun.

“The gun we use is the newest in the market,” Pun said. “It’s called an AK1 that does the cutting. … If you don’t use the gun correctly, it’s easy to poke holes. We have the ability to fix any of those issues, so if you come in and make a mistake, you don’t have to worry.”

Freestyle Ceramics and Tufting in Bridgeport offers rug tufting classes. It takes about three hours to finish the smallest size rug. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

After finishing the tutorial, tufters sketch their images with the help of a projector, and then it’s off to the races. There are four frame sizes; the smallest takes about three hours to complete.

“One thing about tufting is you don’t really have to be an artist,” Pun said.

Rug tufting begins at $68 with a $10 studio fee. Click here for more information.