StretchLearn Course

Rebuild a Chair From the Frame Up, the Way Upholsterers Do It

Fabric and yardage, webbing and foam, drum-tight pulls, crisp corners, and button tufting, taught on real projects.

Beginner9 hr 55 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

This course takes you from a tired, sagging chair to a tight, professionally finished seat you rebuilt yourself. You will learn how upholsterers choose and measure fabric, strip a piece without destroying the pattern, re-web and re-foam a seat, pull fabric drum-tight, dress crisp corners, and add a row of buttons. No sewing-machine mastery or software required, just hand tools, a staple gun, foam, webbing, and the muscle-memory habits that make work tight and durable.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Select upholstery-grade fabric by rub count and use, and calculate yardage from a measured cutting list

Strip a chair methodically while documenting layers and saving pieces as patterns

Re-web a seat frame with jute or elastic webbing tensioned to roughly 10 to 15 percent stretch

Cut and shape replacement foam and wrap it with Dacron for a rounded, durable crown

Pull and tack or staple fabric drum-tight with even tension and clean, pleated corners

Lay out and pull a basic diamond button-tufting pattern on an ottoman top

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Materials, Tools, and Fabric Selection

Set up your bench and learn to choose and measure upholstery fabric, foam, and webbing so every project starts with the right materials and enough yardage.

3 lessons

The Upholsterer's Toolkit and FastenersContent · 40 min

Preview Enabled

Reading Upholstery Fabric: Rub Count, Weave, and UseContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Yardage Math: Measuring and Estimating FabricContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Stripping and Rebuilding the Foundation

Take a seat down to the frame without losing your patterns, then rebuild a firm, supportive base with new webbing and tied springs.

3 lessons

Stripping a Chair Without Losing the PatternContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Re-webbing a Seat with Jute or Elastic WebbingContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Springs and Spring Tying BasicsContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Foam, Padding, and Pulling Fabric Tight

Build the comfort layers with the right foam and batting, then pull and fasten the cover drum-tight with clean, professional corners.

3 lessons

Choosing, Cutting, and Shaping FoamContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Pulling and Tacking Fabric Drum-TightContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Clean Corners: Pleats and FoldsContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Tufting and Finishing Projects

Add a row of buttons with a basic tufting pattern, dress the piece with welt and trim, and complete an ottoman and a dining seat start to finish.

3 lessons

Button Tufting: Diamond Pattern BasicsContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Welt, Piping, and TrimContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Project Builds: Drop-In Dining Seat and OttomanContent · 60 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

upholsteryfurniture restorationreupholstering chairsfoam and webbingbutton tuftingfabric selectionDIY upholsteryhand tools