Education · 1 of 4

The path

Nobody is going to test or license you. You are judged on the last chair you finished.

1. 1

   Finish high school

   Grade 12

   Sewing, woodshop and art classes all count here. So does anything that teaches patience with detail.

2. 2

   Learn the basics

   3 months to 1 year

   Either a community college certificate, like the two and three quarter upholstery certificates at Clover Park Technical College in Washington state, or a job as a shop helper.

3. 3

   Work under someone good

   1 to 3 years

   Stripping, frame repair, springs, foam, patterning, sewing, finishing. Each stage takes months to get clean.

4. 4

   Build a portfolio

   Ongoing

   Photograph every piece before and after. This is your whole reputation, and it is how designers find you.

5. 5

   Go out on your own

   Optional

   Most upholsterers eventually run a workroom. That means quoting, buying fabric, and handling customers as much as sewing.