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Deep Buttoned Storage Stool
£445.00
£445.00
Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 4 days
Includes: Everything you need to make the ottoman except 2 metres of fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
0 places available
Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 4 days
Includes: Everything you need to make the ottoman except 2 metres of fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
If you don’t have your own project and fancy a cheeky little 3 day course which allows you try your hand a spot of deep buttoning, then we are spoiling you with a choice of two; this and our Deep Buttoned Footstool! More or less the same as the deep buttoned footstool in size and design, but with an added bonus of some storage inside! You simply need to bring three metres of fabric and 2 metres of lining cloth (or you can get that from us) and we’ll supply all the rest! This course serves as a slightly more in-depth introduction to upholstery and will cover making and applying piping, back-tacking, slip-stitching, button-making, deep buttoning and lining.
This course is available to book for any 4 weekdays and runs from 9.00-4.00. Please select the week you would like from the dates available and we will be in touch to see which 4 days suit you.
Availability
All of our daytime courses are flexible, which means that they can be taken on any weekdays to suit you and spread over one or even several weeks. If you wish to take all your dates in one week, then please select that week from the dropdown box. If, however, you wish to spread the course over more than one week, then please do contact us via phone or email to discuss availability. If dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have those dates available, it is always worth giving us a shout.
Please note that the 4 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 4 days as everyone works at different speeds. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
Additional Information
| Dates | Week commencing 4th Jan, Week commencing 18th Jan, Week commencing 25th Jan (Wednesday not available), Week commencing 1st Feb (Monday not available), Week commencing 15th Feb, Week commencing 22nd Feb, Week commencing 29th Feb, Week commencing 14th March (Wednesday not available), Week commencing 21st March |
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Bring Your Own Upholstery Sewing Day
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Sewing for Upholstery, Courses £70.00Times: 10.00-4.00
Duration: 1 day
Includes: All basic sewing materials, such as thread, zips and piping. Does not include seat cushions, cushion inners or fabric.
At Ministry of Upholstery we are equipped with a large range of state-of-the-art industrial sewing machines and a dedicated full-time sewing tutor with over 40 years’ experience! You can now benefit from this by attending one of our sewing days. They are available to take on almost all weekdays of the year and allow you to tackle whatever suits your needs. These sessions are aimed at those with a particular sewing project in mind, such as sewing new covers for your Ercol cushions. If you want to master a certain skill such as making scatter cushions or perfecting your box cushions, then you could choose to attend one of our Sewing Techniques Days.
These sewing days are ideal if:
- your sofa cushions need new covers
- you have a campervan and the cushions could do with a new lease of life
- you want to improve your upholstery sewing ability
- you own an Ercol and want to re-cover the cushions
Our Bring Your Own sewing days are perfect for those wanting to breathe new life into old furniture at the drop of a hat and at little cost! You bring the old piece, whether that be cushions, seat pads, campervan cushions etc and we will guide you step-by-step through the process of making new covers! You can book one day or multiple days and sewing days are available to take on any weekday you choose!
Booking
Simply choose the week from the dropdown menu and when you book, use the ’notes’ section to advise which day or days you would like to book. We may have availability on other days, which are not listed here and to check this please email us on office@ministryofupholstery.co.uk or if you prefer to speak to us, then please call our office on 0161 222 4243 and we’ll be happy to help.
A note about our workshop and facilities
The sewing area is part of a larger upholstery workshop. We have 9 industrial sewing machines in total: 3 lockstitch sewing machines, 4 walking feet, an overlocker and a twin needle. The sewing area is manned by a dedicated sewing teacher and the teacher’s time is split equally between all students. The number of students will vary from day-to-day but will never exceed the amount of machines. The tutoring is given on an individual basis and not in groups.
The Richmond Chair
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £595.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 6 days on any weekdays, subject to availability
Includes: Everything you need to make the chair except 7 metres of fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
Cost: £595
We absolutely love this chair! It’s a beautiful classic shape and can be upholstered to suit this style. It is also a great canvas for the more adventurous out there, who fancy throwing some bold colours or patterns its way. It can be tackled in different ways to suit your tastes and covers a whole range of modern upholstery skills. As with all of our courses it is suitable for total beginners and those wanting to expand their skills. We will always start with a course with a full staple gun induction and if you complete the chair with a box or back cushion, we will include a full sewing machine introduction too. We provide the frame, which will be ready and waiting for you and lovingly made by our expert frame-making team. You’ll benefit from professional tuition by our skilled teaching team, who come with over 120 years of experience between them, so even if you’ve never lifted a staple gun before, we guarantee you will be thrilled with the end product.
The dripping Union Jack chair pictured was upholstered by our Creative Director Anthony Devine for a show. The chair with the birds on the side was upholstered by previous student Katie McNeill as part of her course.
This course is available to book for any 6 weekdays and runs from 9.00-4.00. Please select the week you would like from the dates available and we will book that week and the following Monday.
Availability
All of our daytime courses are flexible, which means that they can be taken on any weekdays to suit you and spread over one or even several weeks. If you wish to spread the course over more than two weeks, then please do contact us via phone or email to discuss availability. If dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have those dates available, it is always worth giving us a shout.
Please note that the 6 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 6 days as everyone works at different speeds. Deep buttoning the back will probably add one extra day. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
Sidecar
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £450.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 4 days on any weekdays, subject to availability
Includes: Everything you need to make the chair except 4 metres of fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
Cost: £450
If you love the classic design of a cocktail chair but need to fill a slightly bigger space, then you need the Sidecar in your life! Designed by our Creative Director Anthony Devine, this piece is bound to be a talking point in your home. Keep the fabric plain and the piece classic or be bold and make it a statement, either way you will receive a masterclass in modern upholstery tuition. You will start day one with full staple gun induction, ensuring you feel comfortable and ready to tackle your project. You will then be furnished with a brand-new frame, made by our team of expert frame-makers. Our teachers will then guide you step-by-step through each element until your Sidecar is ready to take home and enjoy. Throughout the course you will learn how to web, hessian and foam your project. You will be introduced to a variety of modern upholstery methods including making piping, potential buttoning, applying backtack and plygrip. You will also be able to use our large range of paints and waxes to finish your legs to match your chosen fabric.
This course is available to book on any 4 weekdays and runs from 9.00-4.00. Please select the week you would like to commence the course from the dropdown box and we will be in touch to finalise which 4 day suit you best.
Availability
All of our daytime courses are flexible, which means that they can be taken on any weekdays to suit you and spread over one or even several weeks. If you wish to take all your dates in one week, then please select that week from the dropdown box. If, however, you wish to spread the course over more than one week, then please do contact us via phone or email to discuss availability. If dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have those dates available, it is always worth giving us a shout.
Please note that 4 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 4 days as everyone works at different speeds. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
Bring Your Own Project
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £255.00–£1,500.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 3, 5, 7 or 10 days on any weekdays
Includes: Everything except project, fabric, fire retardant Calico if required, replacement seat cushions if needed
Do you have your own project that you’d like to tackle? Perhaps it’s a chair that’s the perfect size but the wrong fabric, maybe it’s a sentimental piece that you want to keep but it just doesn’t fit in or perhaps it’s a sofa that quite frankly has seen better days and needs a complete overhaul! Whatever it is that you already have, we have a course to suit.
Our Bring Your Own Course is now available to book for 3, 5, 7 or 10 days, dependant on the size of your project. Don’t worry if you don’t finish in your allotted time, you can always tag on extra days if you need them. How ever many days you go for, you’ll receive the same intensive but light-hearted tuition in modern upholstery. We will teach you how to completely strip your project. We will introduce you to the tools and materials used in the upholstery world, covering a full introduction to the pneumatic staple gun and how to use it safely. Once you feel confident, we will then talk you through your options for re-upholstery and you will then receive step-by-step tuition on how to re-upholster your piece to desired specification.
This course is aimed at anyone who has a piece they would like to re-upholster. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve never even seen a staple gun before, let alone handled one. Equally, if you’ve already got some experience and are looking to build on it. Whether you want to start a new hobby, just simply tackle a one-off piece or tick something off your bucket list, we are here to help!
People work at different speeds and come with different levels of experience but we would advise to book as follows. If you are in any doubt, then please send us a photo of your piece to office@ministryofupholstery.co.uk and we can offer our expert guidance.
3 Days
- Footstool
- Headboard
- Dining Chairs (set of 4)
- Italian style chair
- Louis style chair
- Ottoman
5 Days
- Small wingback armchair
- Small Chaise Longue
- Nursing chair
- Fireside Chair
7 Days
- Large Wingback Chair
- Armchair (not Chesterfield)
- Love Seat
- Some Simple Two Seaters
10 Days
- Sofa
- Chesterfield Sofa
- Chesterfield Armchair
You can of course plan to bring more than one project, which is absolutely fine. Please bear in mind that if you wish to do this, that we operate a one-in-one-out policy.
If you have any queries about the suitability of your project, then please email us a picture to enquiries@ministryofupholstery.co.uk and we will be happy to help.
Availability
This course is available to book on any weekdays. Availability dependant and runs from 9.00 -4.00. Please select the week you would like to take the course from the dropdown box. If you are booking for the 5 day we will book you for all the days that week. If you are booking the 3 day we will contact you to see which 3 days you’d like. If you are booking the 7 day we will book you for the 5 days of the week you have chosen plus the Monday and Tuesday of the following week. If you are booking the 10 day we will book you for the week you have chosen and the following week.
All of our daytime courses are flexible, which means that they can be taken on any weekdays to suit you and spread over one or even several weeks. If you wish to spread the course over more than one week, then please contact us via phone or email to discuss availability. If your preferred dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have those dates available, it is always worth giving us a shout to discuss, especially if you are flexible.
If you do not finish your project within your course you are able to add on extra days at a cost of £85/ day but please bear in mind that you may not be able to book in straight away due to the fully booked nature of the course.
Love Seat
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £765.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 8 days on any weekdays, subject to availability
Includes: Everything you need to make the chair except 8 metres of fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
Ok, so you need to fill a space and a chair is too small and a sofa is too big, what’s the answer? This course is the answer! Our Love Seat is that perfect size. Imagine curling up on this; fire on, brew (or wine!) in hand – perfection. Also imagine the sense of satisfaction knowing that you made it from scratch. We provide the frame, which will be ready and waiting for you and lovingly made by our expert frame-making team. You’ll benefit from professional tuition by our skilled teaching team, who come with over 120 years of experience between them. As with all our courses, this course is totally suitable for beginners or those with some experience. It covers a whole range of skills; from applying webbing, hessian, cutting and applying foam, how and why we use Dacron, measuring, cutting and applying fabric, button-making and deep-buttoning (optional), forming pleats and finishing touches. We highly recommend this course!
This course is available to book on any 8 weekdays and runs from 9.00-4.00. Please select the week you would like to commence the course from the dropdown box and we will be in touch to finalise your dates.
Availability
All of our daytime courses are flexible, which means that they can be taken on any weekdays to suit you and spread over one or even several weeks. If you wish to take all your dates in one week, then please select that week from the dropdown box. If, however, you wish to spread the course over more than one week, then please do contact us via phone or email to discuss availability. If dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have those dates available, it is always worth giving us a shout.
Please note that 8 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 8 days as everyone works at different speeds. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
#stofa Course
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £265.00Times: 9.00-4.00
Duration: 2 days
Includes: Everything except fabric, a guide will be sent in the booking confirmation
Want to create something different? Not quite a sofa, better than a stool; this unique frame was designed by our Creative Director; Anthony Devine for BBC’s Money for Nothing and quickly nicknamed the #stofa! It became so popular with our regular students, that we introduced it as a one-day course and it has fast become one of our firm favourites due to the creative nature of the design and the variety of different ways it can be approached!
You will start the course by customising your legs to match your fabric choice, from a range of paints and waxes provided by us. You will then be taken through a thorough health & safety induction, during which you will be introduced to the pneumatic staple gun and shown how to safely operate it. After you are up to speed it is on with the upholstery. You will require no previous experience as our tutors will guide you, step by step, through the exact process Anthony used to make the TV ‘Stofa’!
You will learn a lot of techniques, from webbing, applying hessian, working with foam, cutting and applying fabric and, depending on how you choose to upholster it, some basic sewing! It is a very creative course as it can be upholstered in lots of different ways and using different methods and skills. Please have a look at the pictures to see how other students have approached the design for some inspiration. Full guidance on fabric will be sent in the booking confirmation.
The #stofa measures approx.:
- 1 metre 17cm in length
- 50cm wide
- 37cm in height
Availability
This course is available to book on any two weekdays and runs from 9.00-4.00. Please select the week you would like from the dropdown box and specify your chosen dates in the notes. If your chosen dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have that date available, it is always worth giving us a shout.
Weekend Dressing Table Stool
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £185.00Times: 11.00-5.00
Duration: 2 days Sat & Sun
Includes: Everything you need to make the dressing table stool except 1 metre of fabric
If you’re not sure whether upholstery is for you and want to try your hand at something new or if you just fancy getting creative and making an amazing project, then our weekend dressing table stool course is perfect! Designed as an introduction to the craft, you will start with a solid hardwood frame, made in-house in our frame workshop. You will learn about the tools and materials used as well as covering lots of techniques from webbing, applying hessian and wadding, cutting fabric, corners and shallow buttoning. You will also have a choice of paints and waxes to finish your legs to match your fabric. This course is led by our Creative Director Anthony Devine, who can regularly be seen strutting his stuff on several TV programmes!
We keep the class size small to ensure that you get the most out of it and at the end of the two days you will be able to take your dressing table stool home to show off your new found skills. Keep it and admire your handiwork or, alternatively you could always sell it to pay for your next course because trust us, you will be addicted!
The approx. finished upholstered size of the stool is as follows:
Height: 45cm
Depth: 37.5cm
Length: 50.5cm
Business Foundation Certificate
Business Certificate Courses, Courses £1500.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 15 days
Cost: £1500 divided into 3 payments of £500
Are you inspired by fabric, pattern and design?
Do you want a full or part time career involving upholstery?
Do you want to focus your skillset to suit smaller, designer-led, accent pieces of furniture?
Do you want to attend a course, which has the flexibility to fit around other work or family commitments?
Why study with Ministry of Upholstery?
At Ministry of Upholstery, we don’t just teach modern upholstery. We are at the forefront of innovation when it comes to upholstery design and we encourage all our students to access and nurture their own sense of creativity, whilst teaching all the technical and practical skills required to translate those ideas into reality.
Why choose the Business Foundation Certificate?
Our Business Foundation Certificate course has been designed as a completely accessible and flexible entry into the world of upholstery. It has been carefully constructed to allow you to create a highly successful full or part-time business in a relatively short period of time, by focusing on a smaller core set of products. These items can be bold, on-trend and more flamboyant and allow you to choose brighter, patterned fabrics. The beauty of this course is:
- The projects are small, so a kitchen table can provide sufficient working space.
- The focus is on a core set of skills, which will be mastered during this course and refined quickly through repetition.
- These skills can be easily transferred from one project to another. For example: deep buttoning can be transferred from a footstool to a headboard and vice versa.
- You will reduce your set-up costs by concentrating your efforts around a smaller set of products and…
- In turn, this will maximise your profits.
Course Outline
This 15 day course is taught at our fully equipped, state of the art Manchester workshop and has been carefully structured so that you will cover a concise range of skills concentrated around a select few pieces of upholstery. The skills are transferable so actually, the range of projects which can tackled after this course are vast.
Designed for absolute beginners or those wishing to turn their hobby into a business, this course takes the student through a structured programme of practical work including a dining chair pad, different styles of footstools, varying styles of headboards, an occasional cocktail chair and an opportunity to tackle your choice of project at the end! To support the practical skills we also offer a range of theory sessions, which can be attended via live Zoom sessions or accessed as recordings.
Day 1 – The Induction Day
The first day on all our Certificate courses is an induction day. This takes place away from the workshop and with other students, who are all embarking on the same course. The induction is led by the founders of Ministry of Upholstery, who will spend time getting to know you and ensure you feel totally at ease with the Ministry, the team and how everything works. After a tour of the facilities and a thorough look at the content of your course, we will give you a full health & safety induction. This will introduce you to our pneumatic staple guns and tools. You will spend time mastering how to use the staple gun, so that you feel at ease and comfortable before any upholstery begins. We will finish this day with a Q&A session.
The Practical Side
Once you are up to speed and feel confident after your induction day, you will be provided with a drop-in dining seat pad frame and our expert upholstery teachers will guide you step-by-step through each process until you complete the task. With this basic introduction under your belt, you will move onto our contemporary stool, expanding on the basic prepping skills and introducing you to piping, borders and other modern upholstery materials. After this you will complete the first of two headboards. This can be a single or double (you choose) and will introduce you to borders. You will create a sleek modern headboard with loads of transferable skills. Next up is a large deep buttoned footstool. This is a meaty module, covering loads of skills. We have also incorporated Van Dyking into this module; the method of joining two pieces of fabric together, hidden in the pleats of deep buttoning. It allows you to work on bigger items and keep the pile or pattern running the correct way. The must-have technique in any upholsterer’s toolbox; think headboards and bench seating. After this you are onto the second of our headboards which features a more modern take on buttoning, the square buttoning technique. Then it’s our gorgeous statement cocktail chair, which combines the best of modern and traditional techniques and incorporates a fluted back; yet another transferable skill for your arsenal. Finally, time-permitting, you may have the opportunity to work on something of your choosing. This could be something you provide yourself or a frame you buy through us. We’d recommend something like an upholstered dining chair, but of course the choice is yours.
Ministry of Upholstery is a modern upholstery school, so you will be coached in modern upholstery skills and using modern upholstery materials. This makes for a course which is more accessible, the skills are easier to master and therefore you can be up and running with your new business in no time. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to build up a photographic and video portfolio of your work, which will document the techniques used and skills gained. This record will provide an invaluable reference tool to enable you to go on to independent work at home.
Course Content at a glance
| Module 1 | Drop in seat – all materials included |
| Module 2 | Small Contemporary Stool – frame and materials supplied; you must supply fabric |
| Module 3 | Single (90cm x 90cm) or Double Headboard (135cm x 90cm) with a border – frame and materials supplied; you must supply fabric |
| Module 4 | Deep Buttoned Footstool with van dyking – frame and materials supplied; you must supply fabric |
| Module 5 | Single (90cm x 90cm) or Double Headboard (135cm x 90cm) with square buttoning – frame and materials supplied; you must supply fabric |
| Module 6 | Cocktail Chair with Fluted back – frame and materials supplied; you must supply fabric |
| Module 7 | Free Learning – materials supplied except any specialist foam, you must supply (or you can buy through us at extra cost) frames and fabric |
Practical Techniques
- Full health & safety induction and introduction to tools and materials
- Sewing machine induction
- Shallow buttoning
- Deep buttoning
- Square buttoning
- Borders
- Cutting and applying foam
- Fluting
- Pleating
- Tool selection
- Piping with and without sewing
- Applying ply grip
- Applying backtack strip
- Close nail studding
- Sewing
- Webbing
- Prepping
- Use of machinery
- Van dyking
- Creating a sprung seat
- Creating mitred edges
Theory Sessions
In addition to the practical side of the course we have also selected some core theory sessions, designed to give you the knowledge to maximise your new business. These are:
- Fire Regulations
- Workshop set up at home and introduction to compressors and tools
- Fabric Knowledge
- Job Costing
- Introduction to Sewing Machines
- Fabric Measuring
- Setting up a business
- Plus more
These theory sessions can be attended live via Zoom or accessed as recordings through a student login.
You will also be granted access to our exclusive Facebook group just for students and graduates of Ministry of Upholstery.
What’s Included?
All frames are included in the cost of Modules 1-6 and are brand new frames made by our expert frame-makers. Everything you require to upholster these jobs is also included in the cost of the course. You will only need to supply the fabric and any fire retardant interliner, should you require it. You will also be given a full induction in sewing and how to use a sewing machine, led by our expert sewing tutor. The pieces that you make are all yours to keep. If you sell these, you can expect to recoup around £1500, i.e. the cost of the course! We also sell kits for all products, so once your friends and family start to ask you to make for them, you can hit the ground running and start your business! If you don’t have the tools and space to get you going, don’t worry, we have 3 equipped self-contained workshops (or Pods), which we rent out on day rates to students. It’s as simple as:
Learn the skills Buy the Kit Rent the Pod or use your own space Make the product Start the business!
What is the Ministry Certificate?
Established in 2014, Ministry of Upholstery are now world-renowned as the go-to place for learning the craftmanship of modern upholstery. Upon completion of this course, you will be awarded the Ministry of Upholstery Foundation Certificate. We will provide both a virtual and physical certificate, which you can display on your social media and website to show people that you have trained with the leading modern upholstery school in the UK.
If you are looking for a course which is more in depth and covers larger projects, then why not consider our Business Certificate. If you are not able to come to us in Manchester to study, then why not consider our Business Foundation Certificate Online.
Availability and Booking
After the initial induction day, which you must select from the dropdown box above, this course can be taken on a totally flexible basis. The core hours are 9.00-4.00 Monday to Friday, but you are not required to attend 5 days per week. You can select to attend on any weekdays to suit your schedule; meaning you can even do this course on a day/ week basis if this suits you. Please call us for a chat if you would like to discuss this in more detail, we’re always happy to help. Please note that there is no specified timeframe within which you must complete the course as it is entirely flexible.
Booking is simple, to book a place you just need to select your start date from the dropdown box. This day is an induction day carried out in small groups of new starters. It involves a full briefing of every element of your course and life at the Ministry, a staple gun and health and safety induction, a tour and fire regulations session. This first day will be a shorter day, starting at 10.30 and finishing approximately 3.00pm, group size dependent.
Once you have booked your first day, we will then contact you to book the rest of your time. If you wish to check or discuss availability before booking, then please email us on office@ministryofupholstery.co.uk or call us on 0161 222 4243.
*Please note that we have a maximum class size of 8 per teacher and classes are booked on a first come, first served basis. If you want to check availability for the whole course before you book, then please contact us.
Payment
We appreciate that this course is a large amount of money to pay in one go so we have devised a payment scheme that allows you to pay for it in three smaller, more manageable instalments.
Upon booking your first week, which you can do online, you are required to pay the first instalment of £500. Before you attend your 6th day you are required to pay the next instalment of £500. The same again before you attend your 11th day. This allows you to stagger the payments according to your attendance rate. If you attend once per week for example, then you’ll only make a payment every 5th week!
Business Certificate in Modern Upholstery
Business Certificate Courses, Courses £3200.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 40 days
Cost: £3200 divided into 4 payments of £800
Do you want a full or part time career involving upholstery?
Do you want to be able to tackle a large range of upholstery projects?
Do you want to attend a course, which has the flexibility to fit around other work or family commitments?
Then why not study with the UK’s leading modern upholstery school!
Why study with Ministry of Upholstery?
At Ministry of Upholstery, we don’t just teach modern upholstery. We are at the forefront of innovation when it comes to upholstery design and we encourage all our students to access and nurture their own sense of creativity, whilst teaching all the technical and practical skills required to translate those ideas into reality.
Why choose the Business Certificate?
Our Business Certificate in Modern Upholstery has been designed as a completely accessible and flexible entry into the world of upholstery. We have designed our unique 40 day course to allow you to create a highly successful full or part-time business by learning the comprehensive skills required to tackle a large range of upholstery projects. Not only do we teach you the practical skills but we this course also includes free access to a large range of support sessions in order to provide you with the skills to run a successful business.
Course Outline
This course takes the student through a set programme of practical work, starting with a basic drop in seat dining pad and progressing all the way through to different styles of chair. Ministry of Upholstery is a modern upholstery school, so you will be coached through all modern upholstery skills required to complete a large range of projects. Although the majority of the course focuses on modern upholstery methods, we also understand the importance of traditional upholstery and so to ensure that you cover all main techniques, you will complete one of our cocktail chairs using mainly traditional methods.
This unique course also allows for you to bring a selection of your own pieces for upholstery. Once you have gained the basic skills and feel confident, you will be encouraged to bring your own pieces. This is known as free learning and is an important part of the course, which allows you to start to think about your own style and the focus your business will take.
Finally, you will finish this course with 5 days in your own self-contained workshop, known as a Pod, where you be encouraged to work autonomously and put everything you have learned into practice. Upon completion of this you will be awarded the Ministry of Upholstery Business Certificate, which you can display on your social media or website to show people that you have trained professionally.
Throughout the course you will be encouraged to build up a photographic and video portfolio of your work, which will document the techniques used and skills gained. This record will provide an invaluable reference tool to enable you to go on to independent work.
Day 1 – The Induction Day
The first day on all our Certificate courses is an induction day. This takes place away from the workshop and with other students, who are all embarking on the same course. The induction is led by the founders of Ministry of Upholstery, who will spend time getting to know you and ensure you feel totally at ease with the Ministry, the team and how everything works. After a tour of the facilities and a thorough look at the content of your course, we will give you a full health & safety induction. This will introduce you to our pneumatic staple guns and tools. You will spend time mastering how to use the staple gun, so that you feel at ease and comfortable before any upholstery begins. We will finish this day with a Q&A session.
The Practical Side
We work to a set programme to ensure that you complete all key skills within our skills matrix. Throughout your course, you will complete the following practical projects, all of which are included in your course:
| Module 1 | Drop in seat dining pad – all materials included |
| Module 2 | Small shallow buttoned footstool – frame and materials supplied, you must supply fabric |
| Module 3 | Large deep buttoned footstool – frame and materials supplied, you must supply fabric |
| Module 4 | Wingback chair with cap on arm, scroll wing and a box cushion – frame and materials supplied, you must supply fabric |
| Module 5 | Richmond chair focussing on pattern match – frame and materials supplied, you must supply fabric |
| Module 6 | Cocktail chair using traditional methods – frame and materials supplied, you must supply fabric |
| Module 7 | Free Learning – you will supply frames and fabric. All materials, except specialist foam, will be included |
| Module 8 | Pod Time – you will supply frames and fabric. All materials are chargeable. We estimate the cost of this to be between £40 and £60. |
What’s Included?
All frames for modules 1 – 6 are included in the cost and are brand new frames made by our expert frame-makers. Everything you require to upholster these jobs is also included in the cost of the course. You will only need to supply the fabric and any fire retardant interliner, should you require it. You will also be given a full induction in sewing and, as part of the course, you will make a buttoned scatter cushion. You will be required to supply a small selection of projects of your own choosing for your free learning and one piece for your 5 day Pod time. These can be pieces that you source or we can provide you with a new frame at extra cost. The pieces that you make are all yours to keep. If you sell these you can more than cover the cost of the course as we estimate the market value around £4000!
Techniques and skills covered
- Full health & safety induction and introduction to tools and materials
- Sewing machine induction
- Shallow buttoning
- Deep buttoning
- Facings
- Borders
- Cutting and applying foam
- Scatter cushion
- Box cushion
- Pattern matching
- Fluting
- Pleating
- Tool selection
- Stripping
- Piping
- Arms
- Seats
- Applying ply grip
- Applying backtack strip
- Slip stitching
- Close nail studding
- Sprung seats
- Sewing
- Webbing
- Cutting
- Measuring fabric and fabric guide
- Use of machinery
Theory Sessions
As part of your course you will be given free access to a range of theory sessions, designed to support your practical learning and covering less hands-on side of running an upholstery business.
- Fire Regulations
- Workshop set up at home and introduction to compressors
- Fabric Knowledge
- Job Costing
- Introduction to Sewing Machines
- Fabric Measuring
- Setting up a business
- Deep buttoning
Some sessions are offered in-person in the workshop and some are offered via Zoom. The Zoom sessions can be attended live or accessed as recordings through a student login.
What is the Ministry Certificate?
Established in 2014, Ministry of Upholstery are now world-renowned as the go-to place for learning the craftmanship of modern upholstery. Upon completion of this course, you will be awarded the Ministry of Upholstery Business Certificate. We will provide both a virtual and physical certificate, which you can display on your social media and website to show people that you have trained professionally with the leading modern upholstery school in the UK.
If you are looking for a course which focuses on smaller projects, then why not consider our Foundation Certificate in Modern Upholstery
Availability and Booking
After the initial induction day, which you must select from the dropdown box above, this course can be taken on a totally flexible basis. The core hours are 9.00-4.00 Monday to Friday but you are not required to attend 5 days per week. You can select to attend on any weekdays to suit your schedule; meaning you can even do this course on a day/ week basis if this suits you. Please call us for a chat if you would like to discuss this in more detail, we’re always happy to help. Please note that there is no specified timeframe within which you have to complete the 40 day course as it is entirely flexible.
Booking is simple, to book a place you just need to select your start date from the dropdown box. This day is an induction day carried out in small groups of new starters. This first day will be a shorter day, starting at 10.30 and finishing approximately 3.00pm, group size dependent.
Once you have booked your first day, we will then contact you to book the rest of your time. If you wish to check or discuss availability before booking, then please email us on office@ministryofupholstery.co.uk or call us on 0161 222 4243.
*Please note that we have a maximum class size of 8 per teacher and classes are booked on a first come, first served basis. If you want to check availability for the whole course before you book, then please contact us.
Payment
We appreciate that this course is a large amount of money to pay in one go so we have devised a payment scheme that allows you to pay for it in four smaller, more manageable instalments.
Upon booking your first week, which you can do online, you are required to pay the first instalment of £800. Before you attend your 6th day you are required to pay the next instalment of £800. The same again before you attend your 11th and 16th days. This allows you to stagger the payments according to your attendance rate. If you attend once per week for example, then you’ll only make a payment every 5th week!
Although this course is about focusing on skills and not completed projects, we estimate the total value of the products you will make throughout the duration of the course will exceed £4000!
Deep Buttoned Wingback Armchair
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £760.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 8 days on any weekdays, subject to availability
Includes: Everything you need to make the armchair except 7 metres of fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
Our latest addition to the armchair range; this wingback chair is an absolute classic with its elegant deep buttoned back. This is a cracking course, which will introduce you to all the basics of upholstery plus some more advanced techniques. You’ll start the course with a brand new frame, manufactured by our team of expert frame-makers. You’ll then learn how to build your dream chair layer by layer, from webbing , hessian, foam, applying your fabric, mastering the deep-buttoning process and all the finishing touches. As with all our courses, you will be coached every step of the way by our expert tutors so don’t worry if you’re a complete beginner to upholstery, we’re confident that you will be taking home a chair that you absolutely love!
This course is available to book on any 8 weekdays and runs from 9.00 -4.00. Please select the week you would like to commence the course from the dropdown box and we will be in touch to finalise your dates.
Availability
All of our daytime courses are flexible, which means that they can be taken on any weekdays to suit you and spread over one or even several weeks. If you wish to take all your dates in one week, then please select that week from the dropdown box. If, however, you wish to spread the course over more than one week, then please do contact us via phone or email to discuss availability. If dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have those dates available, it is always worth giving us a shout.
Please note that 8 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 8 days as everyone works at different speeds. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
Weekend Contemporary Stool
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £185.00–£205.00Times: 11am-5pm Saturday & Sunday
Duration: 2 days
Includes: Everything you need to make the stool except fabric
This weekend course serves as an excellent introduction to upholstery whilst also offering you the opportunity to make a beautiful and incredibly stylish stool. The stool was designed by our Creative Director Anthony Devine, who when not teaching at the Manchester school, can often be seen moonlighting on several TV programmes! Led by Anthony Devine, you will follow the step by step tuition, making this stool from scratch from a bare solid hardwood frame. This course covers some of the same techniques as our weekend footstool course, such as webbing, cutting foam, applying hessian and wadding, but also covers different techniques like making and applying piping and applying borders. You will also have a choice of paints and waxes to finish your legs to match your fabric. Everything is included in this course apart from 1 metre of fabric. You can choose from two different sizes for this course. Both stools are the perfect size and height for a dressing table or desk for example.
The approx. finished upholstered size of the stools is as follows:
Small:
Height: 47cm
Depth: 39.5cm
Length: 53.5cm
Large
Height: 47cm
Depth: 39.5cm
Length: 76.5cm
This course is suitable for complete beginners and those with some basic experience. It serves as an excellent introduction to the tools and materials used and as a perfect taster if you’re thinking about one of our longer courses. It’s also perfect if you just want an awesome one-off stool for your home at a fraction of the cost of buying one as, at the end of the day, the stool is yours to take home and admire! Or alternatively you could sell it to pay for your next course because trust us, you will be addicted!
Classic Sofa
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £785.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 8 days on any weekdays, subject to availability
Includes: Everything you need to make the sofa except 12 metres of fabric
We love this compact and stylish two-seater sofa. Keep the fabric neutral or go bright for a ‘pop’ of colour – the choice is yours! You will cover a wide range of skills on this course, learning about the preparation of the sofa from bare frame to completion. It can be completed in a couple of different ways. Either with deep-buttoning or square buttoning (please see pictures for the difference). This sofa is usually completed with two box cushions. Don’t worry if you’ve never used a sewing machine before, our top of the range machines make light work of it and you can even set the speed at which you feel comfortable working!
This course is available to book on any 8 weekdays and runs from 9.00-4.00. Please select the week you would like to commence the course from the dropdown box and we will be in touch to finalise your dates.
Availability
All of our daytime courses are flexible, which means that they can be taken on any weekdays to suit you and spread over one or even several weeks. If you wish to take all your dates in one week, then please select that week from the dropdown box. If, however, you wish to spread the course over more than one week, then please do contact us via phone or email to discuss availability. If dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have those dates available, it is always worth giving us a shout.
Please note that 8 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 8 days as everyone works at different speeds. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
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