Entry No. 36 — the Cincinnati file — filed under: rug-tufting
We Throw Rugs
Housed in an industrial building west of downtown, this specialized fiber arts studio teaches couples how to wield pneumatic tufting guns to shoot yarn into stretched monk's cloth.
The story
You walk into an industrial building on Evans Street in Lower Price Hill, hand over a custom design you uploaded in advance—maybe a cartoon character or a bold abstract geometric layout—and get handed what looks less like a craft tool and more like power equipment. We Throw Rugs isn't a passive knitting circle. You step up to a sheet of tightly stretched monk's cloth, grab a pneumatic tufting gun, and get ready to shoot colored yarn straight into the backing at high speed.
The studio strips away the traditional pretense of textile work in favor of something loud and physical. Instead of hand-stitching for months, you squeeze the trigger and let compressed air force strands of yarn through the canvas frame. You and your date trade off machine duty: one person operates the tufting gun along pre-traced lines, while the other manages yarn spools, keeps lines straight, and trims stray strands.
Once your chosen canvas is fully filled in, the session transitions into heavy finishing work. You operate electric clippers to shear down the fleece face to an even pile, carve out clean color separations, and apply a heavy layer of latex adhesive anchored with felt or rubber backing to lock every single tufted loop into place. You didn't hear it from us, but taking home a custom piece of floor art you literally shot into existence beats buying off-the-rack rug decor every single time.
What it's like
Arriving at 911 Evans Street puts you inside an industrial workspace west of downtown Cincinnati. The vibe is focused and tactile, filled with the hum of power tools and the smell of yarn fibers and latex adhesive. Plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early so your session starts on time, and wear comfortable, casual clothes you don't mind getting coated in lint. The hands-on work takes a few hours of standing and maneuver work, so budget your energy for the final shearing and backing steps.
The move: Upload a custom joint design—like a favorite character or abstract pattern—and spend hours taking turns operating tufting guns, shearing fleece, and applying latex backing to create a custom rug.
- 📍 Lower Price Hill
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 911 Evans St, Cincinnati, OH 45204
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Sedamsville Rectory — Stay on Cincinnati's West Side and trade a loud industrial rug workshop on Evans Street for an 1870s Gothic Revival rectory notorious for ghost stories just 1.6 miles away.
- The Futuro Flying Saucer House — Cross the river into Kentucky to balance your hands-on fiber session with a view of a retro-futuristic 1968 ellipsoid UFO home perched on a Covington hillside.
- Lloyd Library & Museum — Swap the clatter of pneumatic tufting tools in Lower Price Hill for silent, dust-scented stacks housing rare botanical texts dating back to 1493.
- Ghost Baby — Follow up hours of mechanical tufting by diving four stories underground into 1850s brewery lagering tunnels for a quiet drink in crushed velvet.
Good to know
Where is We Throw Rugs located?
The studio is located at 911 Evans Street in Cincinnati's Lower Price Hill neighborhood, west of downtown.
Do I need prior rug-making experience to take a workshop?
No experience is needed. Guided workshops teach beginners how to handle the tufting tools, shoot yarn, shear fleece, and apply backing.
Can I bring my own rug design?
Yes. You can submit a custom joint design—such as a favorite character or custom pattern—in advance to be traced onto stretched monk's cloth before your session.
What tools and materials are used during the class?
You use pneumatic tufting guns, yarn, stretched monk's cloth, electric shears, latex adhesive, and felt or rubber backing materials.
What is the workshop scheduling and arrival policy?
Guests are asked to arrive 5 to 10 minutes before their start time, and rescheduling requires at least 48 hours' notice prior to the class.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-07-21