Upholstery: restore, refresh and re-imagine furniture (improvers)

About this course

The course focuses on restoring, adapting and upcycling small or medium-sized furniture, such as chairs, stools and footstools. Participants assess a piece, plan suitable upholstery approaches, measure and prepare components, and work on techniques including re-webbing, padding, shaping, covering and basic frame preparation. Teaching combines tutor demonstrations with individual guidance. Learners work mainly on their own project and consider how fabric, colour and decorative details affect the finished piece, while evaluating the quality and next steps of their work.

What you'll learn

• Assess furniture and plan an upholstery or upcycling project
• Select suitable fabrics, materials and techniques for a piece's design and function
• Measure, calculate and prepare upholstery components accurately
• Apply intermediate techniques including re-webbing, padding, shaping and covering
• Prepare basic furniture frames for upholstery
• Evaluate a completed project and identify possible next steps

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for improver-level learners developing beyond fundamental upholstery techniques. Participants receive demonstrations and individual guidance but work mainly at their own pace on a personal furniture project.

• The course involves working independently for much of the time
• Learners work on a small or medium-sized furniture item

Before you go

• Participants work mainly on their own small or medium-sized furniture item, such as a chair, stool or footstool.
• The course involves using upholstery workshop tools, equipment and materials.