- You cannot add "Deep Buttoned Wingback Armchair" to the basket because the product is out of stock.
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.
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Upholstery Sewing Techniques Day
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Sewing Courses, Courses £85.00Times: 10.00-4.00
Duration: 1 day
Includes: Everything except 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 wanting to master a certain skill and we offer a choice of three sewing techniques days. They include everything except your chosen fabric. If you have your own sewing project, such as sofa cushions or campervan cushions, then you could choose to attend one of our Bring Your Own Sewing Days.
Scatter Cushion & Bolster
You will learn to make a 16” x 16” square zipped scatter cushion and a 45cm x 20cm bolster. We include all materials and the scatter and bolster inners so that you can walk away with a completed product. You just need to bring 1 metre of your chosen fabric for your scatter and 1 metre for your bolster.
Box Cushion
If you want to learn how to make a box cushion to develop your skills, then this is the perfect one day course for you. We will provide all materials except 1.5 metres of your chosen fabric. The box cushion can be made to a size to suit you but we need to know in advance. If we don’t receive a set size we will provide a standard 21” x 21” seat pad for this course.
T Cushion*
Take your box cushion skills to the next level by mastering this more advanced T shape. The T cushion can be made to a size to suit you but we need to know in advance. If we don’t receive a size, we will provide a standard size T cushion. * This course will assume that you have some basic sewing skills and if you do not, then it could take longer than one day. Any additional time will be chargeable.
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 amount 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.
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.
Bring Your Own Upholstery Sewing Day
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Sewing Courses, Courses £75.00Times: 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.
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.
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.
Business Certificate in Modern Upholstery
Business Certificate Courses, Courses £3360.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 40 days
Cost: £3360 divided into 4 payments of £840
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 £840. Before you attend your 6th day you are required to pay the next instalment of £840. 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!
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.
Cocktail Chair
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £430.00Times: 9.00-4.00
Duration: 4 days on any weekdays, subject to availability
Includes: Everything you need to make the cocktail chair except 2-3 metres of fabric (fabric guide will be sent upon booking)
These chairs are a design icon and very sought after so you can be the envy of your friends with your unique version, which you’ll be able to say you created yourself. This 4 day* course offers the complete package so all you need is your fabric and away you go! In this course you will start with a brand new frame, which are constructed from solid hardwood by our expert frame-making team. It’s suitable for beginners to upholstery and those of you that may have tried your hand at some basic skills. The cocktail chair is constructed using a mix of traditional and modern upholstery techniques so this course serves as an excellent introduction to the craft and you will see immediate results as there is no need to strip the chair before you can crack on.
For this project you will require 3 metres of fabric. A fabric guide will be sent to you upon booking but if you have any fabric queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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 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.
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.
Deep Buttoned Storage Stool
Leisure & Hobbyist Courses, Courses £445.00Times: 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.
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