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From TikTok to Tufting: How Motion Built Tuft Customz One Rug at a Time
Meet Motion, the Albuquerque artist behind Tuft Customz, and discover how a TikTok video inspired him to teach himself tufting and build a growing fabric-art business.
HIGH DESERT MAKERS
Martin Molina
8/10/20269 min read
LEARNING AS HE WENT
Motion did not go to school for textile art, and he did not have someone standing beside him teaching him how to use a tufting machine. For the most part, he taught himself.
He used TikTok and other experienced tufters to pick up techniques, but a lot of it came down to getting behind the machine and figuring things out through practice. As it turns out, using a tufting gun is not quite as easy as TikTok makes it look.
He had to learn how to maneuver the machine in different directions, create shapes, control the speed, and eventually turn an idea into something recognizable. Nearly three years later, that experimenting has grown into a business creating custom fabric and texture art.
DESIGN
A self-taught Albuquerque artist turned something he discovered while scrolling through TikTok into a growing fabric-art business - and along the way learned that handmade does not always have to mean perfect.
Sometimes, starting something new does not come from a lifelong plan. Sometimes it starts with seeing something that catches your attention and deciding to give it a shot.
For Motion, the owner of Tuft Customz, that is pretty much exactly what happened. About three years ago, he was scrolling through TikTok when he came across someone tufting. He showed the video to his wife, and she told him he could easily do it. So he decided to try.
"I figured it was easy enough and ordered the materials right then and there."
About a week later, the supplies showed up. He built his frame and started learning. In August of 2023, Tuft Customz officially began.
"Learning the speed of the machine and how to properly guide it was my biggest obstacle."
MORE THAN JUST RUGS
It would be easy to call Tuft Customz a custom rug business, but that does not really tell the whole story. Motion creates business logos, sports logos, characters, portraits, and other custom designs. Everything is handcrafted, and the idea behind the name was to make it clear that customers are getting something made specifically for them.
"I wanted people to get the idea that everything is handcrafted and made 1:1 style with not one rug looking the same."
He is already looking beyond rugs, too. Tuft Customz is working on limited-edition duffle bags that they hope to have out by the end of the year.
WHAT YOU DON'T SEE IN THE FINISHED PIECE
A finished piece might look simple when you see the final photo online, but there is a lot that happens before it gets to that point.
It starts when a customer reaches out with an idea. Motion either designs what is needed or cleans up the image so it can be traced. He transfers the design onto tufting canvas and begins working the yarn through it with the tufting machine.
Then comes scissor carving, gluing, backing, trimming, and cleaning up all the little details. Lettering has to be sharpened, borders have to be finished, and the piece gets non-slip backing and stain-repellent treatment. Motion also sends progress photos along the way so customers can watch their idea take shape.
Some projects carry a lot more meaning than simply decorating a room. Motion has created portraits for families honoring loved ones who are no longer with them.
TRACED ON CANVAS
TUFTING
CARVING & DETAILING
FINISHED PIECE
"To get the reaction of the families is really worth all the hard work that goes into this craft."
"I'm hoping the customer feels they've received something sentimental. A lot of my projects have had deep stories behind why I've made them or why the customer wanted them."
LEARNING THAT HANDMADE DOESN'T MEAN PERFECT
Like a lot of people who make things with their hands, Motion can be his own toughest critic. His biggest challenge has not necessarily been learning a new technique or taking on a difficult design. It has been wanting every piece to be perfect.
"My biggest challenge is wanting to be perfect every time," he said.
But as Tuft Customz has grown, he has started realizing something important about handmade work.
"I'm learning now as we grow that people love the art that has some character to it more than something that's perfect."
I think there is something important in that. When something is handmade, the little differences are part of what makes it handmade. The person behind it is part of the finished piece.
COMING BACK TO NEW MEXICO
Motion was born and raised in Albuquerque and has been part of the content community for more than a decade, but much of the early growth of Tuft Customz actually happened in Colorado. When he moved back to New Mexico this year, he had to rebuild a lot of the customer base he had developed there.
That meant putting himself and his work out there more and introducing Tuft Customz to people back home. That work is starting to pay off. Motion says he has grown significantly since becoming part of New Mexico's small-business community. He has even had people recognize him while working his regular job at a local dispensary.
Friends have also started asking if he offers lessons. For somebody who taught himself only a few years ago, having people ask him to teach them says a lot about how far he has come.
"It's a super dope feeling knowing the work you put out is being received the way you intend."
THE ORDER THAT CAME AT THE RIGHT TIME
Every small-business owner probably has a point where they wonder whether what they are building is actually going anywhere. Motion had one of those moments at the beginning of this year. He was questioning the direction he was heading with tufting when a customer reached out wanting eight rugs. Then, while he was working on the original order, they added even more.
It was more than a big order. It showed up at a time when he needed a reminder that people valued what he was creating.
"It was a refreshing point in my journey, because at the time I was honestly doubting the direction I was heading with tufting."
He kept going. And now he can look back at that period differently.
"Happy to say we've overcome."
BUILDING IN NEW MEXICO
Being back in New Mexico also means building Tuft Customz in the place where Motion grew up. He says New Mexico taught him to take pride in what he does and not be afraid to show people what he has. He has also found support from other creators here.
One of those people is another New Mexico tufter, T2Tuft, based in Roswell. Motion says she has been helping him perfect his craft for about a year.
That is one of the things I like about the maker community. Two people working in the same craft do not always have to look at each other as competition. Sometimes, one person getting better can help somebody else get better too.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR TUFT CUSTOMZ
Motion's five-year goal is to open a gallery that showcases other local artists, not just fabric art, but artists from many different media. He would also like to teach classes.
"Everything takes time. Be patient with the craft and fall in love with the journey."
"If you're scared, you're halfway there. The other half is found by taking the jump!"
Motion took that jump. Now he's building something of his own back home in New Mexico.
WHAT SUCCESS REALLY MEANS
I asked Motion one final question that I ask the makers I feature:
For me, success means...
His answer was not about followers, the number of orders he could get, or how big Tuft Customz could become. It was about time.
That answer stuck with me.
We talk a lot about growing a business, getting more customers, and reaching the next level. But sometimes the reason for building something is not to work every hour of every day. Sometimes it's about building something that gives you a little more control over your time.
"For me, success means being able to take a day off to go spend time with my son or take a long enough lunch to enjoy it with my family."
FINAL THOUGHTS
What stood out to me most about Motion's story is how quickly something small can turn into something much bigger when you are willing to take a chance on yourself. He saw someone tufting on TikTok, showed his wife, and she told him he could do it too.
So, he ordered the equipment, built a frame, and started learning.
Three years later, people are recognizing his work, customers are trusting him with pieces that carry real meaning, and he is already thinking about a future where he can teach others and create a space for local artists.
But I think my favorite part of his story was his answer when I asked what success means to him. It was not about money, followers, or how many rugs he could sell. It was about having the freedom to take a day off and spend it with his son, or having enough time to sit down and enjoy lunch with his family.
I think sometimes when we are building something, it is easy to get so caught up in trying to make it successful that we forget why we are building it in the first place. Motion has not forgotten.
Stories like Motion's are why I wanted to create this series in the first place. There are people all across New Mexico building things, creating things, taking chances, and trying to make something of their own. Some of them may never have a huge following or have their story told. But that doesn't make what they're building any less worth noticing.
Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to spend with me. You could have been doing just about anything else, but you chose to read this journal entry, and that means more than you probably realize.
I'd also like to thank Motion for taking the time to share his story and for giving us a look behind Tuft Customz. I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes it next.
That is exactly the kind of story I wanted High Desert Makers to tell.
Not just what people make,
but why they keep making it.
Tuft Customz is currently taking custom orders through social media while the website is being built.
CUSTOM ORDERS
COMING NEXT
FOLLOW TUFT CUSTOMZ
Limited-edition duffle bags are planned for release by the end of the year!
Founder, High Desert Grooming Co.
Publisher, The High Desert Journal
High Desert Makers is a series from High Desert Grooming Co. sharing the stories of New Mexico's makers, artists, builders, and small-business owners - the people turning an idea, a skill, and a lot of hard work into something of their own.
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High Desert Makers is about more than telling stories, it's about building community. What stood out to you about Motion's journey? Share your thoughts, encouragement, or a few words for the maker below.
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High Desert Makers celebrates the people across New Mexico who build, create, and craft with their own hands.
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