How To Learn Upholstery: Books For Beginners

Want to give upholstery a try but have no idea where to start? The good news is there are many great introductory books on upholstering. In this article we share some of the best instruction books on how to learn upholstery for beginners.

Whether you’re looking to reupholster a car interior, update worn-down furniture, replace your boat seat covers, or create something entirely new from scratch, here are some of the best books for learning how to upholster.

Household Furniture Upholstery

We deal with household furniture every single day, yet most of us have no idea how to properly upholster the chairs, stools, and sofas around us. Household upholstery does not have to be a difficult process, but it can be overwhelming for some DIYers. With a little bit of know-how, anyone can turn a simple space into something amazing simply by reupholstering a few pieces of furniture.

Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design

Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design – View on GoodReads

Furniture plays an important part in our daily lives. After a long day of work, you come home and sit down in your favorite chair. But eventually, that chair begins to wear out, the fabric fades, stretches, and tears. Bring life into your favorite furniture with just a few of the essential tools, and a knack for choosing great color combinations. With a little bit of effort, know-how, and the help of this comprehensive guide, you can turn any home into something truly amazing. With more than 900 images and 5 different projects, you will learn how to reupholster anything in your home from sofas to ottomans, and even your favorite La-Z-Boy.

The Upholstery Bible: Complete Step-by-Step Techniques for Professional Results

The Upholstery Bible – View on GoodReads

Regardless of how much experience you have with restoring furniture, you will find that The Upholstery Bible is filled with easy-to-follow instructions that will help you complete just about any major or minor project. You’ll find all of the essential techniques you need to successfully reupholster just about anything in your home from the initial stripping down to the final touches of covering buttons. Start simple with a few small projects in your home and around your yard, then move on to more complex jobs. With the help of The Upholstery Bible, you will learn how to choose the right materials, tools, and sewing techniques to complete just about any job like a professional.

Complete Step-by-Step Upholstery

Complete Step-by-Step Upholstery – View on GoodReads

If you are looking for a truly in-depth Complete Step-By-Step Upholstery guide, then this is the perfect book for you. Follow along with 15 amazing step-by-step projects, that will help you to fine-tune your skills as a household upholstery specialist. You will learn how to reupholster a drop-in bottom chair, an overstuffed seat, and even work with a box cushion. From there, the book will show you in amazing detail how to create a beautiful Art Deco chair, a classy leather chesterfield, or even a lazy chaise lounge. As you go from project to project, you’ll slowly build up your collection of tools, which will make mastering upholstery an easier process.

Singer Upholstery Basics Plus: Complete Step-by-Step Photo Guide

Singer Upholstery Basics Plus – View on GoodReads

Singer is one of the most well-known manufacturers of sewing machines and equipment in the industry. As such, it is only natural that they would put all of that knowledge and experience into the creation of a comprehensive and user-friendly book for upholstery projects. There are a number of excellent projects in the book, which are complete with step-by-step instructions and finally detailed images that will help you along the way. Whether you want to build a simple stool, a bench, a headboard for your bed, a new couch, or even an ottoman, you will find everything that you need to design and complete your project like a professional. With more than 300 excellent photos, the Singer Upholstery Basics Plus is one of the most comprehensive upholstery books on the market.

The Upholsterer’s Step-by-Step Handbook: A practical reference

The Upholsterer’s Step-by-Step Handbook – View on GoodReads

If you are looking for a fully illustrated upholstery book, that will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to complete just about any type of project, then look no further than The Upholsterer’s Step-By-Step Handbook. This wonderfully illustrated handbook provides you with a wide range of techniques, tips, and tricks used within the upholstery industry. In no time, you will learn all of the skills and techniques needed to complete a project from start to finish. This amazing book will help you learn how to estimate materials, plan your entire project, and end up with professional results regardless of the size or scale of your next project.

Automotive & Marine Upholstery

Working with automotive interiors can be a difficult process for even a seasoned professional. Every piece of fabric, leather, or vinyl, needs to be painstakingly shaped to fit just right around some of the most complex curves in a car. Most restorers send their work out to another professional, which adds to the overall cost of a restoration project.

Automotive Upholstery Handbook

Automotive Upholstery Handbook – View on GoodReads

The Automotive Upholstery Handbook is a very popular book that explains how to design, fabricate, as well as install amazing car interiors. Regardless of whether you are looking to upholster a truck, car, van, RV, or even boat, this book comes with a complete step-by-step guide to help you master the right techniques for your upcoming project. Learn to sew like an expert, regardless of whether you are working with leather, vinyl, or even fabric. Even if you are planning on rebuilding or restoring old bench seats or bucket seats, this book will help you master every technique needed to complete the project.

Custom Auto Interiors

Custom Auto Interiors – View on GoodReads

When it comes to Custom Auto Interiors, Don Taylor and Ron Mangus are some of the most well-known names in the industry. This great book is filled with more than 800 photographs in vivid detail, providing you with everything you need to design and build some of the finest interiors in the world. A careful perusal of the book will show that it provides accurate step-by-step instructions on how to complete any project like an experienced professional.

Automotive Upholstery & Interior Restoration

Automotive Upholstery & Interior Restoration – View on GoodReads

The first part of restoring a car is to disassemble and completely gut it. The disassembly process is the easiest part of any custom restoration, while, some insist that upholstery work is the hardest. This is why even professionals outsource their upholstery to other shops. In this excellent book on Automotive Upholstery & Interior Restoration, you will find all of the information you need to work on just about every aspect of the interior of your project car. Whether you need to redo the carpets, seats, headliner, convertible top, dashboard, or even the door card, you will find precise, step-by-step instructions that will make the entire process easier to learn and follow.

Final Thoughts on How to Learn Upholstery

While upholstery is a traditional craft with many businesses offering upholstery services, unfortunately there is a much greater lack in classes or teachers willing to pass on the craft. While in-person tuition is always the preferred method for learning any hands-on craft, depending on where you live, this may not be a possibility for you. Unlike sewing or painting, upholstery is not so common as a hobby that you’ll find a short course running, unless you’re lucky.

If you’re stuck in this situation, then ‘how to learn upholstery’ books and videos are a good compromise. Sure, you may not learn the technique as perfectly as being shown by a real-life teacher, but at least it is a way to get started. Books are also a low-pressure and low-investment way to test out whether learning how to upholster is something you are really interested in doing, or not. Likewise, if you just want to learn how to upholster or reupholster a couple of simple items without much commitment, books are also a great resource you can keep on your shelf until needed.

Now that you have your books, have a look at what essential upholstery tools you need to get started on your journey, or try upholstering a simple stool. Afterall, the best way to learn is to simply jump in and give it a try!