The Grand Make

This course will be delivered through Zoom, which is a free app downloadable to your PC, laptop, phone or tablet. You will only require a stable internet connection, a flat surface like a kitchen table, our kit and a few inexpensive tools. It is a full day of tuition including time to ask any upholstery questions. You will receive a full footstool kit through the post to your house in advance of the course. This will contain all of the materials you will require to make the footstool. We will also email full instructions on how to join the course through Zoom so that you can get yourself set up ahead of the day and ready to go. You will also receive access to a pre-recorded, chapter by chapter video tutorial to accompany the course. You will have access to this before the day and unlimited access after the course to watch and use as much as you like!

All the materials required to make your stool:

• Frame
• Foam
• Fabric of your choice
• Leg of your choice
• Paint or wax of your choice
• Buttons made in your fabric choice
• Wadding
• Bottom Cover
• Leg spacers
• Buttoning fabric template

Access to a pre-recorded, chapter by chapter video tutorial to accompany the course, a full day of tuition with Anthony Devine via Zoom and a Ministry of Upholstery tote bag!

Just a few basic tools:

A staple gun – We will teach you using a staple gun. Now don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be a fancy pneumatic gun, like the one used by Anthony, a good old manual one will do the trick.

Staples – don’t forget your staple gun won’t be much use without these! Ideally they should be 8mm in length or longer.

Tack lifter/ staple remover – these come in many shapes and forms. Hopefully you won’t have to remove too many staples but one of these will make life a lot easier if you do. You could not bother with this and simply use a screwdriver end!

Pincers – a staple remover will loosen the staple but then you’ll need something to grab it and pull it out. These are the tool for that job. If you have a pair of pliers, these could do the trick.

Spray Adhesive – this is the double contact glue that you will use to attach your foam to your frame. This is a must-have item!

Regulator – the upholsterers favourite tool! You’ll see Anthony working with this to create the pleats. It’s a good tool to invest in if you’re thinking about upholstery as a hobby.

Scissors –There’s not a huge amount of cutting in this project so don’t worry too much, as long as you have a pair, which will cut fabric.

Paint Brush – a small round or flat manmade bristle brush will do the trick (keep it small so it will fit into the top of our pot!) or even a foam applicator.

A lint free cloth – any old cloth will do as long as it doesn’t shed any bits, this can be used for applying the wax, if you choose the wax option.

You are welcome to purchase the few tools you’ll need through us but you can also buy these from lots of online places. We have put together a tool kit for you with at a discounted price or you can buy tools individually if you don’t need all of them.

Absolutely. We have provided a range of leg options, paint colours for the legs and fabric types and colours.

Yes of course, you can purchase more kits whenever you like in order to make more stools. If you order a kit without fabric, we can make buttons for you in your own fabric if you send us a piece of fabric and a stamped addressed envelope for us to return them to you. To order these kits, you need to have purchased The Grand Make and you can then email us your order. Kits are priced as follows.

• Footstool kit with castor legs £100.00 – does not include fabric or paint/ wax
• Footstool kit with all other legs £80.00 – does not include fabric or paint/ wax
• Footstool kit  with castor legs and fabric £140 – does not include paint/ wax
• Footstool kit with all other legs and fabric £120 – does not include paint/ wax

We do not recommend using your own fabric. We have chosen the fabric included in the kit due to its suitability for deep buttoning and upholstery. Using this pre-selected fabric will make your life much easier. If you want to make another one after the course in your own fabric, then you’d be very welcome to purchase another kit for this.

Kits will be sent using Parcelforce. You must place your order leaving at least 7 days before the course, in order to guarantee delivery in time.  

We might be biased but we think this would make an ideal Christmas gift! Simply tick the box to send as a gift and we will post a gift voucher for this course, which can then be redeemed by the recipient, at which point they can choose the leg, fabric and paint options.  

Unfortunately we are not currently offering this outside the UK. Firstly the vagaries of the postal system leave a lot to be desired at the moment and we wouldn’t want kits to not make it to you. Secondly it would be almost impossible to put the materials together yourself due to the pre-fab nature of the kit. We are very sorry about this.

Ministry of Upholstery will not accept any responsibility for technical issues experienced by the student throughout the duration of the course. It will be the responsibility of the student to ensure they have downloaded and set up Zoom prior to the course and are familiar enough to understand how to join the session and switch the camera and audio on. Students will be sent joining information prior to the course and be permitted access from 9.30 in order to check visual and audio. The course will start promptly at 10am irrespective of whether everyone has joined. The course moves at a fair pace and any late joiners may have difficulty catching up. Having said this, any mistakes made during the course, can be rectified afterwards using the pre-recorded course. The course will include a lunch break during which time everyone will stay connected but you will be free to move away from the screen.

• 50% of the entire course fee will form a non-refundable deposit.
• Refunds will only be provided where a minimum of 7 days’ notice (prior to the course start date) has been given via email to office@ministryofupholstery.co.uk.
• In the case of a refund being requested and providing it has been received in writing at least 7 days before the course commences, then 50% of the course fee will be refunded.
• Bookings can be transferred to another date but only be where a minimum of 48 working hours’ notice (prior to the course date) has been given via email to office@ministryofupholstery.co.uk.
• No refund or course transfers will be provided in any case when less than 48 working hours’ notice (prior to the course start date) is given.
• In the case where courses are paid for but not booked or cancelled and not re-booked, then any cancellation of these courses shall result in a 50% refund
• Courses can only be transferred once without charge. Further transfers will result in a fee of £100.