Halloween Special Mug Rug Punch Needle Crafty Workshop

Tiger Lily Tufts are running a Halloween Special Mug Rug Punch Needle workshop at Hotwalls Studios on Saturday 24 October. It's a beginner-friendly session, so you don't need any prior experience with punch needle to get involved.

The project is a mug rug — a small, textured coaster for your tea or coffee — and the Halloween theme means you'll be working with autumnal colours and spooky motifs rather than something more conventional. Punch needle is a form of embroidery that uses a hollow needle to push yarn through fabric, creating a raised, looped pile that feels like a miniature rug. It's a tactile, repetitive process, and because it's a small-scale project, you'll finish with a complete piece to take home.

The workshop is held in Studio 2 at Hotwalls, which is part of the wider studios complex in Portsmouth. Hotwalls runs workshops and classes led by its resident designer-makers, where you get to see how their work is made and make something of your own. They also put on paint-along sessions led by professional instructors, held in pubs and bars where you can have a drink while you paint, so there's a fair bit of making going on around the place.

It's a Saturday morning session, and since it's beginner-friendly, it's a good way to try punch needle without having to buy your own kit first. You'll leave with your own Halloween mug rug, and the workshop runs on Saturday 24 October in Studio 2 at Hotwalls Studios, Portsmouth.