An Online Upholstery Class
Detailed instruction on furniture upholstery, auto and marine upholstery, how to make slipcovers, and canvas work.Read Safety Information At The End Of This Page Before Starting Any Of These Projects.
START LEARNING BY MAKING OR RECOVERING PILLOWS AND CUSHIONS

Learn to cover a zipper so it doesn't show. It's a similiar technique to installing a zipper in a boxed cushion as we show later. Learn to handsew with a curved needle. Use can use this skill to close cushions and pillows, to make repairs anywhere a seam has pulled or rotted out. You can also handsew the sides of outside backs or the front of outside arms insteads of using nail strips. Done right even contrasting thread won't be visible.
Practice By Covering A Dining Chair Slip Seat: Remove seat. Most are screwed on, a cordless driver makes the job much faster. If you are working on a set of antique chairs it's a good idea to number the seats and the chairs so the holes line up when you reinstall them. Mark the front of the seat. click link for more.

Tips For Sewing Large Cushions (Such As Bay Windows And Boat Cushions)
WATCH THE VIDEOS TO LEARN ABOUT THE TOOLS YOU NEED
See the hand tools pro upholsterers use. Or buy at our upholstery TOOL KITS page.
This video can help you decide whether to buy air or electric, 3/8 or 1/2" crown. Buy staple guns here: UPHOLSTERY STAPLER
RUNNING YOUR OWN UPHOLSTERY BUSINESS
What other trade can you learn at home besides upholstery work? Plumber? Electrician? No, you'll have to apprentice for those. No certification or degree required-just do good work! Managing your finances and cash flow. Get a website for your business-they're cheap advertising. Pricing upholstery jobs (more opinions on our Discussion Board).
by Jack Carr "If a sofa or chair is in good shape on the inside and all it needs is a fresh new fabric on the outside, that's recovering. When a piece needs work on the inside, either partially or totally (new webbing, re-tied springs, new fillings, re-cushioning) that's reupholstering. Both are the province of the upholsterer, marine fabricator or auto trimmer."
by Jack Carr. Webbing, coil springs, zig zag springs, filling, fabrics etc.
Furniture yardage estimates-sofas, chairs sectionals and ottomans. See our cutting info diagram under How to Upholster a Chair. Chart courtesy of C.S. Osborne Co.

FURNITURE UPHOLSTERY AND REUPHOLSTERY

"No matter what the fine points of their design are, most chairs and sofas have an inner frame built of similar structural elements."

Learn to strip off the old fabric, take measurements and cut the new fabric.
Use these techniques for most styles of upholstered furniture.
FURNITURE SLIPCOVERS
---You gotta be kidding! - and other recliner info
from Simply Slipcovers by Sunset Books
UPHOLSTER OR SLIPCOVER AN OTTOMAN
Here's a great add on when selling an upholstery job-make several frames at one time and adjust their height to fit your customer's chair with different thicknesses of foam.
Apply This Information To Recovering Boat Seats, Benches, Bar Stools, Boxed Dining Chairs, Etc. Learning one technique will help you cover many things.
Learn to make a self-lined skirt. Takes a little more fabric but saves a lot of time.
from Quick Fabric Decorating.
VARIOUS UPHOLSTER TECHNIQUES EXPLAINED
from W. Lloyd Gheen's book UPHOLSTERY TECHNIQUES ILLUSTRATED. including info on sewing other round cushions. From Simply Pillows by the editors of Sunset Books (makes a great guest bed instead of a sofa bed or futon) from Don Casey's book CANVASWORK & SAIL REPAIR. Waterfall cushions have boxing on the sides but not the front. - And plaids, patterns and other more difficult fabrics to work with.AUTO UPHOLSTERY AND REUPHOLSTERY

BOAT AND CANVAS PROJECTS
by Jim Grant
from Karen Lipe's book THE BIG BOOK OF BOAT CANVAS
from Don Casey's book CANVASWORK & SAIL REPAIR
MAKE BUTTONS EASILY
MORE GOOD STUFF
from Seams To Be.
by Rick Teeters. Here's a skill most upholstery shops don't offer.
from FURNITURE FINISHING by Sunset Books. You'll need to fix some wobbly frames now and then.
By Clay Richmond. Here' another skill to add to your furniture refurbishing knowledge. by Mike. There's a lot of potential work to be had from restaurants, cafes, bars, coffee shops, theaters-leave a business card for the future.