Upholstery Classes in Michigan
Upholstery at a Glance
Location: Adrian, Michigan
Formats: One-day, weekend, and five-day workshops
Experience: Beginner-friendly options for hobbyists, artists, and furniture makers
Projects: Side chairs, upholstered footstools, and class-specific projects
Skills: Fabric selection, padding, webbing, upholstery methods, welting, and sewing, depending on the course
Tools and materials: Included as described in each listing
Enrollment: Take a workshop without enrolling in a full-time program
Give a well-loved chair another chapter—or build something new worth keeping. Hands-on upholstery classes at Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute in Adrian, Michigan, teach you how fabric, padding, and careful construction come together to make furniture comfortable and personal.
Start with a beginner chair-reupholstery workshop, build and upholster a mid-century modern footstool, or spend five days exploring furniture upholstery. You’ll practice on real projects with instructor guidance and leave with skills you can bring to your own furniture.
A change of fabric can transform a familiar chair. Learning what sits beneath that fabric gives you more choices: how a seat feels, how a pattern meets an edge, and how a finished piece fits the room around it.
SBWI’s upholstery workshops connect those decisions to practical skills. Short classes introduce approachable projects, while the longer furniture-upholstery course offers time to explore webbing, welting, sewing, and different upholstery methods. Choose the workshop that matches your project and the skills you want to develop.
Make Furniture Your Own
Learn with Carolyn Racine
Carolyn is SBWI’s Vice President of Continuing Education and a 2024 graduate of the Furniture Design program. Her current upholstery classes include side-chair reupholstery, mid-century modern footstools, and a five-day introduction to furniture upholstery.
Upholstery Class FAQs
Choose a question below for details about projects, materials, and planning your visit.
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Yes. SBWI’s current chair-reupholstery and footstool workshops welcome beginners. The five-day furniture-upholstery class is also listed for beginners. Read each description to choose a project and format that suit you.
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Depending on the class, you may reupholster a side chair, build and upholster a mid-century modern footstool, or work through several upholstery projects. Each listing explains the planned project and techniques.
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The current listings provide the tools and materials or materials specified for the project. Some chair-reupholstery classes welcome one yard of your own fabric. Check your selected class for exact requirements before buying supplies.
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Do not assume you need to bring furniture. The current side-chair class provides a practice chair that students can take home. Contact SBWI before bringing a different piece so the instructor can confirm whether it fits the class.
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Yes. Options include one-day chair-reupholstery classes and two-day footstool workshops. SBWI also lists a five-day furniture-upholstery class. See the upcoming listings to compare dates, prices, and projects.
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Sewing is included in the five-day furniture-upholstery course, along with webbing, welting, and other upholstery methods. Shorter workshops focus on their specific projects; check the description if sewing is your main goal.
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Classes take place in person at Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute in Adrian, Michigan. Visit our lodging page if you are traveling, or contact admissions for help planning your visit.
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These are individual continuing-education workshops. You can enroll without joining a full-time SBWI program. Students interested in broader furniture-making training can explore the Furniture Design program separately.