Weekend Footstool
£155.00–£175.00
£155.00–£175.00
Times: 11.00-5.00
Duration: 2 days Sat & Sun
Includes: Everything you need to make the footstool except 1 metre of fabric
Times: 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
Times: 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
Additional Information
| Size | Small (48cm x 36cm), Large (70cm x 48cm) |
|---|
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Fabric Design Basics
Courses £95.00Times: 9.00-4.00 (weekdays), 10.00-5.00 (weekends)
Duration: 1 day
Includes: Ink pour, crash course in Photoshop Elements plus your designs to take away on a USB
Does not include: Fabric
Cost: £95
You’re reading this because you want to try something different and at Ministry of Upholstery we love to challenge you to think outside the box. This course has been designed as a prelude to some of our other courses or as a course in its own right. If you’re undertaking one of the following courses, then you can add on this one day design course in order to create your own unique fabric design. Alternatively you can just come along for this one day and see where it leads you!
- Upholstery Sewing Techniques Day
- Weekend Deep Buttoned Footstool Course
- Weekend Footstool
- #stofa Course
- Weekend Dressing Table Stool
- Weekend Contemporary Stool
During this one day design crash-course we are going to show you how to create a pattern called ‘Reflect and Repeat’, which will hopefully inspire you to believe that you don’t have to be a great illustrator or painter to design; you just have to have imagination, vision and a love to experiment.
The first part of the workshop will be all about getting messy and creating an ink pour. It’s a fool proof way of creating a stunning piece of art, from which you can then start your first design.
The second part of the workshop will be computer based. Here we will introduce you to Photoshop Elements. Photoshop is the world’s best imaging and graphic design software and is the go-to tool for every creative project, from photo editing and compositing to digital painting, animation, and graphic design. Our tutor will introduce you to the basics and how to create a canvas. As a starting point you will use your ink pour and, working as a group, will use Photoshop Elements to experiment with this to create your unique fabric; opening your mind to the world of pattern design.
You’ll then be encouraged to incorporate elements from your own photos, which you will send ahead of the course. These can be photos of your child, your pet, landscapes, your own sketches, doodles or artwork. You’ll be shown how to import, manipulate and layer your images. The rest of your time will be spent freestyling your way to a finished design; experimenting and developing your Photoshop skills at the same time as honing your finished designs.
You will conclude the day by formatting your finished design to the size of your chosen project or a one metre by 130cm panel, if you don’t have a project in mind.
The fabric
You can choose from three different fabric types, onto which we can print your finished design:
- ‘Surface Velvet – a matt velvet – £31
- ‘Rise Velvet’ – a shimmer velvet – £35
- ‘Touch’ – a linen feel fabric – £31
All of our fabrics are upholstery grade, superior quality and comply with UK fire regulations. You will be invoiced for your fabric choice separately.
The small print
IMPORANT – If you are designing a fabric for one of our upholstery courses, then You MUST ensure that your design day is at least one week before your scheduled upholstery course, to enable us to print your fabric.
All artwork and rights are owned by you; the maker and will be available to take away on a USB.
A word about our design tutor
For this course we have teamed up with the mighty design powerhouse that is Beth Travers from Bobo1325. Beth’s designs have seen her reap praise from the industry. She is distinctive, eye-catching and not to be missed. You can view Beth’s work via her website www.bobo1325.com.
Surface pattern encompasses so many design disciplines from graphic illustration, fine art and photography to textile design. We believe in pushing the boundaries and utilising these concepts to create unique designs, because…why not? There are so many types of pattern and aspects of design.
All of Bobo1325’s designs are constructed from illustrations, textures, mixed media and photography. It takes the designs to the next level, they become a journey of discovery rather than a flat pretty design. It’s a story. After all anything is possible in this digital age!
Upholstery Sewing Techniques Day
Courses £70.00Times: 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
Courses £70.00Times: 10.00-4.00
Duration: 1 day
Includes: All basic sewing materials, such as thread, zips and piping. Does not include seat cushions, cushion inners or fabric.
At Ministry of Upholstery we are equipped with a large range of state-of-the-art industrial sewing machines and a dedicated full-time sewing tutor with over 40 years’ experience! You can now benefit from this by attending one of our sewing days. They are available to take on almost all weekdays of the year and allow you to tackle whatever suits your needs. These sessions are aimed at those with a particular sewing project in mind, such as sewing new covers for your Ercol cushions. If you want to master a certain skill such as making scatter cushions or perfecting your box cushions, then you could choose to attend one of our Sewing Techniques Days.
These sewing days are ideal if:
- your sofa cushions need new covers
- you have a campervan and the cushions could do with a new lease of life
- you want to improve your upholstery sewing ability
- you own an Ercol and want to re-cover the cushions
Our Bring Your Own sewing days are perfect for those wanting to breathe new life into old furniture at the drop of a hat and at little cost! You bring the old piece, whether that be cushions, seat pads, campervan cushions etc and we will guide you step-by-step through the process of making new covers! You can book one day or multiple days and sewing days are available to take on any weekday you choose!
Booking
Simply choose the week from the dropdown menu and when you book, use the ’notes’ section to advise which day or days you would like to book. We may have availability on other days, which are not listed here and to check this please email us on office@ministryofupholstery.co.uk or if you prefer to speak to us, then please call our office on 0161 222 4243 and we’ll be happy to help.
A note about our workshop and facilities
The sewing area is part of a larger upholstery workshop. We have 9 industrial sewing machines in total: 3 lockstitch sewing machines, 4 walking feet, an overlocker and a twin needle. The sewing area is manned by a dedicated sewing teacher and the teacher’s time is split equally between all students. The number of students will vary from day-to-day but will never exceed the amount of machines. The tutoring is given on an individual basis and not in groups.
Sidecar
Courses £450.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 4 days on any weekdays, subject to availability
Includes: Everything you need to make the chair except 4 metres of fabric and fire retardant interliner if required
Cost: £450
If you love the classic design of a cocktail chair but need to fill a slightly bigger space, then you need the Sidecar in your life! Designed by our Creative Director Anthony Devine, this piece is bound to be a talking point in your home. Keep the fabric plain and the piece classic or be bold and make it a statement, either way you will receive a masterclass in modern upholstery tuition. You will start day one with full staple gun induction, ensuring you feel comfortable and ready to tackle your project. You will then be furnished with a brand-new frame, made by our team of expert frame-makers. Our teachers will then guide you step-by-step through each element until your Sidecar is ready to take home and enjoy. Throughout the course you will learn how to web, hessian and foam your project. You will be introduced to a variety of modern upholstery methods including making piping, potential buttoning, applying backtack and plygrip. You will also be able to use our large range of paints and waxes to finish your legs to match your chosen fabric.
This course is available to book on any 4 weekdays and runs from 9.00-4.00. Please select the week you would like to commence the course from the dropdown box and we will be in touch to finalise which 4 day suit you best.
Availability
All of our daytime courses are flexible, which means that they can be taken on any weekdays to suit you and spread over one or even several weeks. If you wish to take all your dates in one week, then please select that week from the dropdown box. If, however, you wish to spread the course over more than one week, then please do contact us via phone or email to discuss availability. If dates do not appear in the dropdown box, it does not necessarily mean that we do not have those dates available, it is always worth giving us a shout.
Please note that 4 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 4 days as everyone works at different speeds. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
Access Course in Modern Upholstery
Courses £1425.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 15 days
Cost: £1425 divided into 3 payments of £475
Are you completely new to upholstery, thinking about our Business Course in Modern Upholstery but want to ease yourself in with some smaller projects, whilst developing a core set of transferable skills?
Or
Are you considering entering the world of upholstery but want to focus your efforts on smaller upholstered items?
Or
Do you already do some upholstery and want to take it to the next level and convert your hobby into a business?
Designed as a precursor to the Business Course, or as a course in its own right, we have developed this course after witnessing many Ministry of Upholstery students make very successful businesses by focusing on a smaller core set of products; such as footstools, dining chairs and headboards. The beauty of this is:
- They are small, so a kitchen table can provide sufficient working space
- They all focus around a core set of skills, which will be mastered during this course and refined very 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.
- By taking this course before the full Business Course in Modern Upholstery, you can already be establishing a business, taking a wage and learning and developing your core set of skills, at the same time as developing new ones and expanding on your offering
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 is vast.
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 and an opportunity to tackle your choice of project at the end!
On your first day you will be eased in with a thorough induction and introduction to the pneumatic staple gun and tools of the trade. Once you are up to speed and feel confident, we will provide you with a drop-in dining seat pad 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 modern upholstery materials such as backtack strip. 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’ve 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 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 incorporated a fluted back; yet another transferable skill for your arsenal. Finally you get to work on something that you choose. 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 up and running 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 |
All frames are all 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! 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!
Classroom Sessions Covered
In addition to the practical side of the course we have also selected some core classroom sessions, designed to give you the knowledge to maximise your new business. These are:
- Fire Regulations
- Fabric Knowledge
- Job Costing and pricing
Practical Techniques and skills covered
- Full health & safety induction and introduction to tools and materials
- Sewing machine induction
- Shallow buttoning
- Deep buttoning
- Borders
- Cutting and applying foam
- Fluting
- Costing jobs
- Pleating
- Tool selection
- Piping
- Applying ply grip
- Applying backtack strip
- Fabric knowledge
- Fire regulations
- Close nail studding
- Sewing
- Webbing
- Prepping
- Cutting
- Measuring fabric and fabric guide
- Use of machinery
- Workshop set up advice
- Information about setting up in business
- Fabric design and printing
If you are looking for a course which is more in depth and covers larger projects, then why not consider our Business Course in Modern Upholstery
Availability
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 even do this course on a day/ week basis if this suits you so 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 15 day course as it is entirely flexible.
Booking is simple, to book a place you can pay your first instalment of £475 using the Buy button on this page and selecting the first week of attendance. You can then call or email us to book the rest of your time.* If you wish to book odd days or discuss availability, then please email us on enquiries@ministryofupholstery.co.uk or call us on 0161 222 4243.
*Please note that we have a maximum class size of 16 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 £475. Before you attend your 6th day you are required to pay the next instalment of £475. 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!
Chaise Longue
Courses £585.00Times: 9.00-4.00 weekdays only
Duration: 5 days on any weekdays, subject to availability
Includes: Everything you need to make the chaise except 5 metres of fabric
Sometimes only a chaise will do! When that’s the case, then this is the course. This is our modern take on a traditional chaise. It’s elegant and sleek but also contemporary, basically it will suit any interior.
The frame is made by our team of expert frame-makers, so you rest assured that it’s the best quality wood and built to last.
This course will cover all the basics of upholstery; an expert induction and introduction to all the tools of the trade, plus how to master the all-important compressed air staple gun. You’ll learn how to web up your frame, the materials used to build the shape and structure of the chaise, you’ll master the sewing machine, creating that beautiful tailored look using our twin needle sewing machine for that professional finish. Don’t worry if you’ve never used a sewing machine before, our top of the range Tysew machines do all the hard work for you and you can even set the speed at which you feel comfortable working. This course is suitable for beginners or people with some experience.
This course is available to book on any 5 weekdays and runs from 9.00-4.00. You can either book a full week using the dropdown box above or contact us to discuss days if you wish to attend on 5 chosen weekdays.
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 5 days is the average completion time for this course but we do not guarantee that you will finish in 5 days as everyone works at different speeds. If you do need an extra day these are chargeable at £85/ day.
Find a Ministry of Upholstery Course Near You
CoursesThe classic footstool course is a one-day extravaganza combining painting techniques with upholstery, perfect for beginners. You will start the day with a solid hardwood frame and throughout the day you will follow the step by step guidance of the workshop leader, learning all about the tools and materials used, as well as covering lots of techniques from webbing, applying Hessian and wadding, cutting fabric and corners. You will also be introduced basic painting techniques and have an opportunity to choose from a wide range of colours to paint your legs to match your fabric choice! At the end of the day’s course you will be able to take your footstool home to show off your new-found skills!
The course includes everything you need to make your stool, you just need to supply one metre of fabric. All our course providers keep class sizes small so that you benefit from greater one on one teaching and if you then fancy making another footstool for your friend or family member (and trust us, you will be asked!) then kits, containing everything you need to make the stools, will be available to purchase on the day.
To find a course near you, you can select from the map or you can search via postcode or city. To book simply follow the instructions on the shop page or contact the shop directly.
Deep Buttoned Wingback Armchair
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
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
Courses £175.00–£195.00Times: 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
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.
Classic Sofa
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.
Loved this course, learnt techniques in a fun and relaxed environment. Anthony and Susie have a great teaching style. Came away with a very professional footstool. Would recommend to anyone wanting to learn upholstery to get yourself booked on this course. 5 star 🙂
I had the best time on this course!
Fantastic expertise and tuition.
Have recommended over and over again to friends .
Looking forward to going back to the Ministry really soon .
So glad I did this, learned lots of skills to take away and put into practice in my own little projects at home. Such a friendly family at the Ministry that you’ll find yourself looking at more courses or supplies you can buy just so you can pay them a visit again! And to top it all off you come home with a unique footstool that you can show off to everyone!!
Excellent course, cannot recommend enough!
As a complete beginner to upholstery, I found this course amazing!
I felt totally supported throughout to ensure I created a truly special piece of furniture.
Massive thanks to Anthony and Susie, for all of your time and patience and for sharing your talents!
Looking forward to the next course!
Had a fabulous time learning new skills on this course and came out with a brilliant footstool that I couldn’t believe I had made! Looking forward to doing more courses. Wish I had done it sooner.
Just spent the best weekend making a large footstool! Anthony and Susie are great teachers (lots of humour, encouraging teaching style…AND cups of coffee).
As someone who had never done anything like this before, I would highly recommend this course. Now I just want to do more/bigger/better!
Pity there are only 5 stars to give…
I had a fantastic 2 days with 2 of the most inspirational people ever. Their passion for their work is contagious… I have already booked on for a further course (3 days) and am in the process of booking for the 2 day Annie Sloan painting experience and then some…. I am retiring shortly and was looking for a hobby, I am now considering starting a small business…. In the words of john Lennon, “You won’t get anything unless you have the vision to imagine it.” thank you Anthony and Susie for giving me the vision….
Spent a fantastic two days in a relaxed but enthusiastic environment making a footstool I can be justly proud of. Anthony and Susie are the perfect teachers who enjoy passing on their skills and expertise to others and I would love to take another course with them but can’t decide which one. Choices, choices! I thoroughly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in upholstery.
Brilliant weekend course making a unique, professional footstool. Expert tuition with plenty of encouragement and patience. Very relaxed environment, I would recommend to anyone thinking about it. But, be careful, it’s addictive! Came away with a kit to make another one!
My teenage daughter had an amazing experience on the footstool course. Anthony and Susie were so patient and instilled confidence and skills assisting her to produce a peice of upoholstery that was professional and on trend. If she had done this as a project in DT at school, it would have taken 2 or 3 terms! She has been inspired to continue making her own furtniture and to start upcycling. She will take the memory of the workshop away with her for life. I simply can’t thank Ministry of Uphostery enough for allowing my daughter such a wonderful opportunity!
This was my first encounter with Ministry of Upholstery and after a wonderful weekend I came away with a lovely footstool. I’ve since reupholstered a footstool and three cushions to go with a Chesterfield and Queen Anne wing back chair. I’m sure I must have tested Anthony, Paul and Dennis’ patience on several occasions but I am delighted with the results. I’ll be back and be bringing biscuits with me!
If you’re looking for a new skill which you can learn in a light, bright and tidy environment then the MoU is exactly what you need! Susie and Anthony are a credit to what they’ve achieved and have developed a friendly, relaxed arena for all things upholstery which results in an incredibly enjoyable, all round creative experience. All elements of the weekend footstool course were delivered in such a manner that allowed you to understand each part of the process literally step by step… can’t recommend enough this very professional set up! Well done MoU… already planning when I can fit in another course around my own work commitments!
Every time I look our footstools, I can’t quite believe we made them, they’re fab! My hubbie and I made one each during this weekend course. Anthony and Susie are such brilliant and knowledgeable teachers. Would highly recommend, the enjoyment and sense of achievement is immense. Don’t hesitate to do it too, you’ll not regret it!