Upholster a Traditional Footstool

Learn to upholster your own traditionally made footstool in a weekend or over six weeknight evenings.

A perfect course for a beginner. Jump start your knowledge of traditional upholstery skills and method.

Over two full days or six evenings, we will guide you through the wonderful world of upholstery and help you build a fabulous footstool using traditional methods. You can leave your project at the centre in between classes.

Before the advent of foam in the middle of the twentieth century, the only way to make wooden seats more comfortable was to build up layers using available materials. Our small fabric footstool (above) is built from layers of woven webbing, hessian, vegetable fibre, animal hair and calico and is sewn with specialist needles and stitches. Although this method is more labour intensive than the modern method of using foam, it is much longer lasting and preferred in more expensive pieces of furniture. This is the method used in many traditional chair seats, so once learned, you can apply this method to your own projects.

The use of all tools and materials is included. We provide everything for the workshop, from the wood frame to the set of natural beech wood legs that are included for you to paint or stain as you wish.

Choose from our selection of top fabrics, or bring your own. You will need about a metre of fabric and you will not need it until the final class.

We also have a selection of specialist upholstery tools and all the materials that we use in our workshops for sale at the Goodlife Centre for you to continue your new hobby at home.

Jane Kimber-Armstrong or Ian McQueen

General Information

You will receive a courtesy reminder by email 1-2 days before the workshop/course begins.

Refreshments

Coffee, tea and biscuits are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you or visit a nearby venue to purchase food.

Access

If you have any specific access or special needs, please contact us confidentially in advance by email info@thegoodlifecentre.co.uk. There is a small step to the entrance, and the toilet is on the ground floor.

All sewing workshops and occasionally lampshade making, tassel making and bookbinding workshops are located on the second floor. There is no lift access.

Refunds and cancellations

Please refer to our terms & conditions below.

Disclaimer

The information given is accurate at the time of publication. However, The Goodlife Centre reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require.

Terms & Conditions

View our Terms and Conditions here.