- "Send as a Gift" is a required field.
Upholstery Techniques Online
£125.00 per module
Free!
Times: 11.00GMT
Days: Tuesdays
Duration: Each module is comprised of 8 online sessions
Cost: £125/Module
Date: Commences 8th September 2022 (see below for full details)
0 places available
Times: 11.00GMT
Days: Tuesdays
Duration: Each module is comprised of 8 online sessions
Cost: £125/Module
Date: Commences 8th September 2022 (see below for full details)
Your complete guide to the three main disciplines required for successful upholstery, allowing you to build your confidence and banish imposter syndrome. This is a unique, completely accessible online techniques-based course.
Why Ministry of Upholstery?
Ministry of Upholstery are leading the way with relevant, industry-based upholstery. We have taught in-person courses at our Manchester school for over 10 years and now we are successfully pioneering the way with online upholstery training. This unique Upholstery Skills course allows you the opportunity to be trained professionally by the UK’s leading industry upholstery school, without having to come to us in Manchester.
What is a techniques course and who is it for?
Imagine you can see a chair and see the techniques involved. Not only that but you possess all the skills required to complete these techniques. Well, If you could do that then you could upholster anything! That’s what this course aims to achieve. Not only that but we will also delve into the business side of upholstery, so that you get the complete package and can not only make items, but also sell them after and most importantly, make a profit!
This course is ideally suited to anyone who has undertaken some upholstery training, been practicing upholstery as a hobby, is self-trained or is running an existing business and wants to ensure they are ‘getting it right’. It’s ideal if you want to:
- Turn your hobby into a business
- Fill any learning gaps
- Understand routes to market
- Grow in confidence and banish ‘imposter syndrome’
- Grow and develop your existing skillset
- Ensure compliance
The Three Skillsets
In the upholstery industry there are three defined stages with three separate skillsets, which will be undertaken by different people. These are cutting, sewing and the ‘upholstery’. It’s not until you work for yourself, that you need to master all three of these disciplines and yet people still don’t give them equal respect and attention. To become successful, you need to understand and be able to conquer all three of these areas. That’s why we are not only going to cover each of these in great detail, but also we are going to take it one step further and show you not only how to make the furniture but also how to sell it.
How to use the course
Really this is up to you but here are a few suggested ways you might want to take advantage of this course:
Watch it each week and use it to fill in gaps from previous learning or self-tuition
Pick a project (we will supply suggestions in advance) and use the knowledge gained each week to slowly put the pieces of the jigsaw together until the piece is finished
Follow along and practice each skill in isolation by using a set of ‘skills boards’ – essentially boards on which you will practice the individual skill. You can use off-cuts of fabric with no pressure to get it right first time and keep additional learning costs down.
Carry on running an already established business and use the sessions to give you the confidence to know you are ‘doing it right’, banish imposter syndrome and gain confidence.
Start a completely new chapter in your life without having to compromise on anything else. The accessibility of our course means you can tune in as and when it suits you, building up your skills week by week until you are ready to go for it!
How is it delivered?
The course will consist of 5 Modules and each week we will break each of these modules down into a comprehensive step-by-step guide. Each module will run in 8-week blocks (with one or two weeks off every 6 weeks). It will go live each Thursday at 11.00GMT, with the recording following the next day. You will have unlimited access to these recordings for the duration of the entire course. Each week Anthony Devine will dive into the modules, explaining the how, why, when and what! He will combine easy to understand theory with live demonstrations, giving you the understanding and allowing you to build your confidence slowly each week, so that by the end of the course, you will be able to tackle a whole range or upholstery projects confidently and not only that, but value your skill and your time and make a profitable business.
You will have access to an exclusive Facebook group so you can share your journey and questions as you progress. Upon successful completion you will be awarded our Upholstery Skills certificate.
Why train with Ministry of Upholstery?
Over the last 18 months we have grown our online offering from 15-minute classroom sessions, introduced during lockdown, to a full 25 week foundation certificate. We have seen the success of these students and now have a proven formula of delivering concise, clear and easy to follow online tutorials, which then get sent out as recordings. The benefit of this is that the learning is live and personal and relevant to your needs, but also accessible as and when you need it. Our fully equipped recording studio has state of the art equipment to allow us to show our teaching from up to 5 different angles and we are now ready to use all of our tried and tested methods in order to give you the skills to tackle any upholstery project with confidence.
Module 1 – Frames | Foam | Prepping
- Getting to know your frame, differentiating your inside arm from your spring rail, the inside back from the outside back.
- Understanding foam and the different densities, thicknesses, firmness and when and where to use them – let’s bust that jargon and break it down so it’s easy to understand and most importantly, manageable from a cost and storage point of view.
- Where to source foam and how to buy it, when is it better to buy cut to size versus cutting it yourself?
- How should I attach foam? Should I staple? Should I glue? Or should I do both?
- The different foam stapling techniques and where they apply
- How to troubleshoot foam-related issues such as it popping off
- Rules surrounding re-using old foam
- FAQs
Module 2 – Cutting | Tailoring
- Understanding a fabric roll, what to look out for, discovering and reporting flaws
- Marking out on fabric, what to use and how
- Fabric measuring; working out how much you need for a job
- Which way should fabric run
- Should you pattern match
- Understanding fabric pattern repeats and implications of different sizes of repeats
- What is the Martindale test and how is it relevant to my fabric choice
- Understanding suitability of fabrics
- How do I care for my fabric
- Which fabrics are more environmentally friendly and what are my options
- Fire Regulations
- Talking with fabric reps from fabric companies
- Dye sublimation printing and how you can use this technology to your advantage
- Understanding tailoring
- Making patterns
- Making pattern matching patterns
- Prepping fabric for being sewn, including seam allowances and notch cuts
- Cutting fabric for fluting
- Cutting fabric in the correct direction
- Cutting fabric for pattern matching
- FAQs
Module 3 – Sewing
- Setting up and using your sewing machine
- Setting up your sewing area
- Confidence with your sewing machine
- Choosing the correct thread/ needles/ zip/ piping cord
- Choosing the right feet, what you need and don’t need and where to source them
- Having the correct chair
- Basics of sewing
- Understanding piping
- Understanding a pattern matched border with piping
- Scatter cushion
- Window seat
- Bolster
- Square buttoning
- Invisible square buttoning
- Piping
- Fluting
- Tub chair inside back
Module 4 – Upholstery
This module will take everything you have learnt so far, in order to be in a great place to produce top quality pieces with confidence. You’ve mastered all other disciplines you’re now ready to upholster.
- Choosing the correct tools
- Choosing and sourcing the right fabric
- Staple guns
- Compressors
- Latest products
- Webbing options, what are they and where should they be used
- What other options are there to webbing
- Spring variations and options
- Profile roll, where and which thickness
- Lining cloth options and where to use them
- Working with backtack, where and how to use it
- Working with ply grip, where and how to use it
- Nail strip
- Slip stitching
- Van dyking
- Perfect corners
- How to prep and fill a cushion the right way
- Cuts – Y cut and V cut
- Understanding angles around legs and rails
Module 5 – Business
- Routes to market
- Online platforms versus shops
- Upholstery versus re-upholstery
- Sale or return policy
- Customer complaints
- Putting quotes together
- Job Costing
- Deposits
- Managing both the practical and the business without burning out
- Lead times
- Managing your time effectively
- Managing customers’ expectations
- How much information should I give my customer
- Pros and cons of bespoke service
Course Dates
This course will run as follows
Module 1
8th September 2022 6th October 2022
15th September 2022 13th October 2022
22nd September 2022 20th October 2022
29th September 2022 3rd November 2022
Module 2
10th November 2022 17th November 2022
24th November 2022 1st December 2022
8th December 2022 15th December 2022
12th January 2023 19th January 2023
Module 3
26th January 2023 2nd February 2023
9th February 2023 16th February 2023
2nd March 2023 9th March 2023
16th March 2023 23rd March 2023
Module 4
20th April 2023 27th April 2023
4th May 2023 11th May 2023
18th May 2023 25th May 2023
15th June 2023 22nd June 2023
Module 5
29th June 2023 6th July 2023
13th July 2023 20th July 2023
27th July 2023
WHAT IS THE MINISTRY CERTIFICATE?
Established in 2012, Ministry of Upholstery are now world renowned as the go-to place for learning the craftsmanship of relevant, industry- based upholstery. Upon completion of this course, you will be awarded our Upholstery Skills 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 upholstery school in the UK.
Payment
Each of the five module costs £125 payable in advance. You can sign up for the entire course or pick and choose which modules you feel will benefit you. If you sign up for Module 1, you will automatically be invited to sign up for Module 2 part way through Module 1 and so on.
Booking from inside the UK
You are invited to sign up now by selecting and paying for any or all of the modules.
Booking from outside the UK
This course is open to all and if you wish to sign up from outside the UK, simply email office@ministryofupholstery.co.uk, stating which modules you’d like to sign up for and we will send you an invoice via email.
SPECIAL OFFER
If you sign up to any module before the end of June, you will also receive 3 x FREE 20-minute 1-2-1 coaching sessions. These can be used for advice and motivation, for help on a specific project or to reinforce a specific subject matter.
Add a Review
Be the first to review “Upholstery Techniques Online”
Weekend Deep Buttoned Footstool Course
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Weekend Courses, Courses £195.00Times: 11.00-5.00
Duration: 2 days Sat & Sun
Includes: Everything you need to make the footstool except 1 metre of fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
This is the weekend version of our highly sought after deep buttoned footstool. This is a 2 day deep buttoning masterclass. Starting day one with a brand new frame and choice of legs, you will kick off by painting or waxing your legs to match your chosen fabric. After attaching your foam you will then be introduced to the world of deep buttoning. We will show you how to work out the maths behind the placement of buttons but on this introductory course we will have done all of this for you. Working to a template provided by us (think sewing pattern), you will mark out your fabric for the buttoning process to commence. You will then get to make your very own buttons. Then it’s on with the buttoning, pleating and corners. Finally your bottom cover and legs. You will walk away with your completed stool, a load of transferable skills and a real sense of achievement about what you have achieved in just two days.
The approx. finished upholstered size of the stool will be:
Width: 48cm
Length: 61cm
This course is suitable for complete beginners and those with some basic experience, who want to add deep buttoning their repertoire. 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 ideal if you just want an awesome one-off stool for your home at a fraction of the cost of buying one!
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.
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.
Weekend Footstool
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Weekend Courses, Courses £185.00–£195.00Times: 11.00-5.00
Duration: 2 days Sat & Sun
Includes: Everything you need to make the footstool 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 course is perfect! Designed as an introduction to the craft, you will start with a solid hardwood frame, made by our expert frame-making team. 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 footstool 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!
You have an option of two sizes when making the footstool, the small which is perfect for smaller spaces and perfectly foot sized. Or if you wish to go large, then our large footstool makes that bit more of an impact! Either way you only need one metre of fabric. The approx. finished upholstered size of the stools is as follows:
Small:
Height: 27cm
Depth: 37.5cm
Length: 50.5cm
Large
Height: 28.5cm
Depth: 50cm
Length: 73cm
Business Foundation Certificate
Business Certificate Courses, Courses £1575.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 15 days
Cost: £1575 divided into 3 payments of £525
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 £525. Before you attend your 6th day you are required to pay the next instalment of £525. 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!
Evening Business Foundation Certificate
Business Certificate Courses, Courses £1395.00Times: 6.00-9.00 one evening per week (see dates below)
Duration: 25 evenings
Cost: £1395, deposit of £395 payable upon booking followed by four equal payments of £250
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 evening version of our unique 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 select pieces of upholstery. The skills are transferable so 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, modern style footstool, deep buttoned footstool, headboard and a cocktail chair. 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.
The Practical Side
Evening one will be your induction to the rest of the course and will consist of a health and safety induction and introduction to the pneumatic staple gun. Once you are up to speed and feel confident, you will be provided with a drop-in dining seat pad frame and our expert upholstery teacher 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 a sleek modern bordered headboard with loads of transferable skills. Next up is a 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. Then finally it’s our gorgeous statement cocktail chair, which combines the best of modern and traditional techniques and yet another transferable skill for your arsenal.
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) headboard 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 | Cocktail Chair – frame and materials supplied; you must supply 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.
- Fire Regulations
- Workshop set up at home and introduction to compressors and tools
- Fabric Knowledge
- Job Costing
- Fabric Measuring
- Setting up a business
- Deep buttoning
- Plus more
These theory sessions can be attended live via Zoom or accessed as recordings at a time convenient for yourself.
What’s Included?
All frames 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. The pieces that you make are all yours to keep. If you sell these, you can expect to recoup over £1000! 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.
Availability and Booking
The course is being offered as an evening course and will run between 6.00pm and 9.00pm over 25 evenings are follows:
- 7th September 2022
- 14th September 2022
- 21st September 2022
- 28th September 2022
- 5th October 2022
- 12th October 2022
- 19th October 2022
- 2nd November 2022
- 9th November 2022
- 16th November 2022
- 23rd November 2022
- 30th November 2022
- 7th December 2022
- 14th December 2022
- 11th January 2023
- 18th January 2023
- 25th January 2023
- 1st February 2023
- 8th February 2023
- 15th February 2023
- 1st March 2023
- 8th March 2023
- 15th March 2023
- 22nd March 2023
- 29th March 2023
Places are limited to 8.
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 five smaller, more manageable instalments.
Upon booking, you are required to pay the first instalment of £395. The remaining £1000 will then be split into four payments of £250 and you will be invoiced for these on the 1st of August, 1st of September, 1st October and 1st of November.
When you sign up to this course you commit to attend every week. Any missed weeks cannot be made up on any other evening though additional time can be bought in the daytime, should it be required.
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.
Queen Anne Wingback Chair
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £665.00Times: 9.00-4.00
Duration: 7 days, weekdays only
Includes: Everything you need to make the wingback chair except your fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
If you want to get stuck straight into a meaty project without the hassle and time of having to strip an existing project, then the Queen Anne wingback chair is a large project that covers many techniques. As with all of our courses you will start your first day with a thorough induction, where we will introduce you to the pneumatic staple gun. This chair can be tackled in different ways, depending on the skills you wish to cover or the way you wish your chair to look. Take a look at the pictures above of the various ways past students have tackled the piece for some inspiration! Over 7 days* you will construct the whole piece from bare frame to completion and all you need to bring with you is the fabric. At the end of the 7 days you will walk away with one of these stunning armchairs for your home and a whole raft of upholstery skills.
For this project you will require 7 metres of plain fabric or 8 metres of patterned or striped/ checked.
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 7 days is the average completion time for this project. We do not guarantee that you will complete in this time, as everyone works at different speeds. If you need an extra day this will be chargeable at £85/ day.
Weekend Contemporary Stool
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Weekend Courses, Courses £195.00–£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!
Contemporary Sofa
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £720.00Times: 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 and fire retardant interliner if required
We think this sofa is the perfect sofa for modern day living with its sleek, elegant and stylish lines. Why go out and buy a mass-produced sofa, when you can come to us and make your own for less! You can be assured that the frame is built to last because they are produced by our team of expert frame-makers. This course includes a box seat cushion making masterclass, but 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. Please note that the size of this sofa is a standard 2 seater. If you require a different size please contact us. Different sizes will affect the time, price and metreage.
Deep Buttoned Footstool
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £350.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 3 days
Includes: Everything you need to make the footstool except 3 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 Storage Stool! This is our fancy deep buttoned large footstool with a choice of legs. The footstool measures 100cm x 75cm. You simply need to bring three metres of fabric 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 applying a border.
This course is available to book for any 3 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 3 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 3 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 3 days as everyone works at different speeds. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
Reviews(0)
There are no reviews yet.