Upholstery

Part Time Course code 7130

This hands-on upholstery course is your perfect opportunity to learn how to bring your furniture back to life! Learn how to turn your existing furniture into a brand-new statement piece for your or a loved one.

This course is designed for anyone interested in learning how to upholster pieces and is structured about your individual project. You will be required to bring your own item to class to work on, with teaching tailored specially to the techniques your piece requires. Whether you’re stripping back a footstool or restoring a chair, your gain practical, step-by-step guidance throughout the course.

This course is suitable for all abilities, from total beginners to the experienced.

Available dates

  • 22 April 2026

    • Start date

      22 April 2026

    • Time

      19:00 - 21:00

    • Days

      Wednesday

    • Duration

      10 weeks

    • Campus

      Hemel Hempstead Campus

    • Fees

      £155
    • Book Now
  • 23 April 2026

    • Start date

      23 April 2026

    • Time

      19:00 - 21:00

    • Days

      Thursday

    • Duration

      10 weeks

    • Campus

      Hemel Hempstead Campus

    • Fees

      £155
    • Book Now
  • Entry Criteria

    There are no formal entry criteria for this course.

  • What will I study?

    For this course you will be required to bring your own item to class to work on. Those who are new to upholstery are advised to start off with a small item (e.g. a dining room chair or a footstool). More advanced students can work on a personal project of their choice (follow advice and guidance from the course tutor).

    Students can also learn from each other. As well as focusing on your own project, you’ll be encouraged to observe demonstrations given to other students. This gives you valuable insight into a wide range of upholstery techniques, even those your own piece may not require, helping you build broader knowledge and confidence.

    On this course you will learn the following:
    • How to use basic upholstery tools, such as, a mallet, a ripping chisel, a staple remover, a webbing stretcher, a magnetic hammer and a pneumatic stapler.
    • The safe removal of previous upholstery, before starting the rebuild by applying webbing and hessian.
    • How to measure and cut foam followed by temporary tacking and tighten calico.
    • How to choose top cover fabric, before cutting and fitting it to a high standard.
    • The different types of springing systems
    • How to install traditional stitching techniques
    • How to pattern match
    • How to measure and creating a cutting plan for top cover fabric

    There will be no exams for this course, however, students are encouraged to take notes and photo of their work throughout the course to refer back to in the future.

    Please note: there may be a small additional fee for the materials used during this course.

  • Future Prospects

    This course is ongoing with students opting to sign up to multiple terms. Whether you’re joining for just a term to refresh existing skills or choose to regularly re-enrol, the content is kept fresh and covers new skills and topics every week.

    West Herts College hosts a range of Art, Design & Craft courses throughout the year. For more information on our courses, please visit our website.

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