Upholsterer | Selby College
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Upholsterer

Upholsterers pad, cover and re-cover furniture with materials like leather, suede or cotton.

Potential salary

£12,000 to £25,000

Employment by 2024

-5.45%

Working hours

43 to 45 a week

  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
  • design skills and knowledge
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

  • planning work, advising on fabrics and estimating costs
  • preparing patterns and templates
  • cutting fabric to correct measurements
  • fixing webbing and springs
  • covering furniture frames with padding and fabric, using stitching, staples, tacks or glue
  • making soft furnishings like cushions
  • adding trimmings like piping, fringing and buttons
  • removing old upholstery and repairing frames before re-upholstering

You could work at a client's business, at a client's home or in a factory.

Your working environment may be physically demanding.

With experience, you could move into a supervisory or management position.

You could specialise in re-upholstering antique furniture or work in interior design. You could also become self-employed.

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