1 DAY WORKSHOPS
Make your own upholstered footstool, Bring your own upholstery project or Make your own fabric pinboard - no experience required, all tools, materials & tuition included .. Use your hands!
MAKE & TAKE FOOTSTOOL WORKSHOP : Experience making and doing, and leave with a #putyourfeetup guarantee.
What is it?
A one day workshop making your very own ‘Rounded by’ upholstered birchwood footstool.
No experience required. All tools and materials included. 4 – 6 people per session. Fun, informal, friendly & you get to take home your very own footstool.
Workshops start (promptly) at 10, we break for lunch 1-2 and finish around 4.30/5pm.
How much is it?
£250 per person
All materials & tools provided for use on the day.
Tea, coffee & biscuits are included.
Everyone leaves with their own upholstered birchwood footstool which can be carried or flat packed.
What will we actually do?
Each person will upholster and construct their own Rounded by birchwood footstool, using a mix of modern and traditional upholstery techniques.
You will be able to select a custom upper & piping colour ahead of the course.
Everyone will leave with a completed and beautiful piece.
Sounds good, ...tell me more ...
We will work using pre-cut & treated birchwood legs frames & bases.
We will use natural latex, hair & coconut fillers, which we will cut to form at the Studio.
You will learn how to use traditional tools including magnetic tack hammers, tack lifters, mallets and regulators.
You will shape the filler and apply & fix edge rolls.
You will tension the upper upholstered section with calico and tack.
You will cover the upper in Top Fabric and secure using electric staple guns.
If using buttons and piping – these will be applied.
You will attach the base & legs to the footstool upper and we will all stand back and smile.
Dependent on the interests of the group on the day, I will talk through different ways to upholster, fabric & material selections & share details on suppliers etc.
Some of those materials sound rather odd?
I try to tread lightly with the
pieces I make, and am delighted that all Rounded by footstools use only natural or recycled materials, employing techniques (& materials) which allow for repair, ensuring that these footstools are made for life, not landfill.
Can I use my own top fabric?
Upholstery weight plain wool Top Fabric (made from recycled yarns and with a soft in hand feel) is included in the workshop cost. You will choose from a selection of 20+ colour ways ahead of the session. This fabric is chosen
to get the very best results, allowing for beginners to create a beautiful finish avoiding unnecessary tensioning, laddering and positioning issues that some fabrics can present.
If you wish to bring your own fabric I will need to give the thumbs up/thumbs down or at least a "hmmm well I guess you could... if you really want to..." ahead of the session, and you will need a 1m drop.
What is the workshop space like?
Rounded by workshops take place at Westgate Chapel on Lewes High Street, right in the centre of this historic market town.
The station is a short walk away - and Lewes is easy to reach by train from London and Brighton, and with paid and free parking nearby.
There are a number of cafes and pubs nearby and you are just a few minutes walk from Lewes Castle.
What do I need to bring?
Just yourself, lunch and a water-bottle.
I’ll be talking you through & demonstrating how to use the tools and how to work with the fabric, but will send through print outs after the workshop.
What should I wear?
Wear clothes that you are comfortable in, that you don’t mind getting dirty, catching a thread on & if you have an apron, bring one. Wear closed toe shoes with a good sole as we will be working with metal tacks & hammers, and will be standing most of the day (Good news is we're making a footstool so you are guaranteed to be able to put your feet up when you get home!)
Wear layers, the studio is big and although there is heating we will have some windows open.
OK, let's do it - what now?
Click through on SHOP & select the chosen workshop date & add to cart.
Once booked I will send you fabric colour choices & ask you to provide a 1st and 2nd choice, and let me know of any reasonable accommodations I may need to make ahead of you attending the workshop.

Other than that I look forward to meeting you and guiding you to make a fabulous footstool on the day!
BRING YOUR OWN UPHOLSTERY PROJECT WORKSHOP : Perfect for beginners, returners & improvers alike
What is it?
This is a group session with people working on their own projects, limited to 6 people to ensure that everyone gets attention. I will be guiding people through modern and traditional upholstery techniques, answering questions and sharing information across the projects. The aim is that everyone learns from the collective experience. It is ideal as taster session for anyone keen to try their hand at upholstery, or take on a simple “I’d love to do that” project.
How much is it?
£115 per person
I provide the tuition, the tools and the sundries for use on the day - (calico, tacks, staples, polywadding, threads etc) - if additional materials are required (springs, animal hair, replacement foam, webbing etc) I can provide these at cost, which I will advise ahead of the day
Tea, coffee & biscuits are included
The day suits something simple like a drop in seat, piano stool, footstool or similar, but equally I have had students tackle bigger projects to complete at home, or to return and work on a project over multiple sessions
A few things to note:
- Please send me a photo via the 'message the tutor' button of your project, so I can confirm whether it is suitable prior to booking - and to ensure that we have the right materials on site
- Note not all projects can be completed in a day, each project is different, as are the skills, confidence and pace of the student!
- Avoid velvet & leather, upholstery weight fabric only please
- Dependent on the project you may need to strip your chair down before the workshop
- All activity is entered into at the participants own risk
MAKE & TAKE PINBOARD WORKSHOP : Friendly fun filled session of making - something beautiful & useful
What is it?
A 2.5hr leisure session - working with modern and traditional upholstery tools and techniques - and sustainable and eco-minded materials.
I run two types of Pinboard workshop - one using Linwood Fabric Deadstocks and one using original Hessian Coffee sacks - at each we make a round modern upholstered 60/50 or 40cm diameter pinboard (you choose), for you to take away on the day. We will affix a sawtooth hook to the reverse, so that the pinboard can then be hung on a standard picture hook.
Fabric Cork Pinboard : You will have a choice of colour ways - we work with deadstock Linwood velvets, sustainable cork sheeting & quality french elastic, making a fabric upholstered pinboard with useful deep fabric pockets - there are a number of designs that you can follow or create your own!
Coffee Sack Cork Pinboard :
You will have a choice of original hessian coffee sacks, sustainable cork sheeting & quality french elastic to make your own unique design.
How much is it?
£65 per person
I provide the tuition, the tools and all materials for use on the day.
Tea, coffee & biscuits are included
Everyone goes home with their own ready to hang cork filled, upholstered pinboard.
Customer Reviews
"A highly recommended workshop and experience with the incredibly patient Lucy. She is an amazing teacher and fun to work with. To learn how to make something from scratch and being able to take it home--and enjoy!--was a fantastic experience. On top of this, I left with many tips to work on other projects on my own. A perfect Saturday! "
Alina S.
"An absolutely perfect day, from the teacher and the delicious local food to the end result - the footstool itself which I am SO PROUD of! We didn’t just learn how to make a footstool, we learnt so much about upholstery and furniture in general. I loved that everything was so carefully sourced - beautiful birch ply, coconut and rubber matting, rich coloured recycled wools and genuinely lovely, warm, patient and humorous teaching. I can’t wait to try my hand at another course by the excellent and very talented Lucy. Thank you!!"
Galia P.
"I absolutely loved this day, learning upholstery and better still, making a footstool that actually looked professional! I was convinced I'd end up with something bodged that I'd have to hide in the shed due to my own lack of skills (and lack of patience) but wow, Lucy guided, cajoled, encouraged, didn't let us off the hook until we all had made beautiful stools. Lovely lunch, lovely people, great venue - do it!"
Lizzie H.
"I can't recommend this course highly enough. Learnt so many new skills, all patiently taught by Lucy. Such a great design, recycled high quality materials, a delicious lunch, and a beautiful stool to put your feet on at the end. What's not to like!?"
Abbey G.