Upholstery
Camp.
Step away from everyday life and spend several focused days learning upholstery by actually doing it. Bring a real piece of furniture. Work with real tools. Ask questions while the problem is sitting right in front of you.
The Whole Thing
Upholstery is difficult to learn in tiny disconnected lessons. Camp gives you long stretches of studio time to get far enough into the work for the pieces to start connecting.
You see what is underneath old furniture, learn what matters structurally, practice the sequence, watch other projects unfold around you, and solve problems while an instructor is still in the room.
You are not just learning how to complete one piece. You are learning how to look at furniture, understand what it needs, and make better decisions on the next project too.
Strip It Before You Come.
You do not have to strip your project ahead of time—but doing it before camp gives you more of your in-studio hours for rebuilding, padding, patterning, sewing, fitting, and finishing.
Stripping furniture is absolutely part of learning upholstery. If you want to learn that process with us, bring the piece intact. If you already understand the basics or simply want to maximize your camp time, doing the teardown at home can give you a valuable head start.
Either way is completely fine. The goal is to use your camp time in the way that gives you the most value for where you are in the process.
Want Help Stripping It at Home?
Campers can join our virtual Zoom classes free for the month leading up to camp.
Use the live sessions to strip your furniture from home, ask questions as you uncover the piece, and arrive at camp ready for the next stage.
We’ll send you a coupon code for your first month free so you can join as often as you want before camp.
One Piece.
A Whole Lot of Learning.
Your furniture becomes the curriculum. The exact path depends on the piece, but most upholstery projects move through the same larger sequence.
Understand the Piece
Look past the fabric and evaluate the furniture itself: how it was built, what condition it is in, what materials are already there, what has been repaired before, and what the piece actually needs.
Take It Apart
If your project still needs to be stripped, learn how to remove fabric and old materials carefully, document what you find, preserve useful patterns, and understand how the original piece was assembled.
Rebuild What Matters
Work through whatever the piece needs structurally: repairs, support systems, springs, webbing, foam, padding, batting, or other foundational materials.
Pattern + Fit
Learn how fabric direction, pattern placement, cutting, sewing, tension, fitting, and sequence affect both the look of the finished piece and how well the upholstery performs over time.
Finish the Details
Work through closures, trim, hardware, decorative details, finishing techniques, and the small decisions that make a piece feel complete.
Learn From Everybody
Your project is only one lesson. Watching other campers work through different furniture, construction methods, fabrics, problems, and solutions exposes you to much more than one piece can teach on its own.
Never Done This Before?
Good. You do not need to arrive already knowing how to upholster. That's what you're here to learn.
Campers arrive with very different levels of experience. Some have never taken furniture apart. Some have completed a few DIY projects. Others are developing skills for professional work.
You do not need to know the terminology, understand every tool, or have sewing experience before you come. We work through the process as it appears in front of you.
The goal is not to prove what you already know. It is to leave knowing a whole lot more.
What Should You Bring?
Your project does not need to be approved—but running it by me ahead of time is one of the smartest things you can do.
Chairs, stools, ottomans, benches, and other appropriately sized upholstered pieces can all make great camp projects. What matters most is not the size of the furniture, but the complexity of the work.
Tufting, major structural repairs, complicated curves, matching patterns, unusual spring systems, extensive sewing, or detailed finishing can all add significant time.
Send me a few photos before camp and I can help you understand the likely difficulty, materials, sewing requirements, and how realistic your goals are for the time you have.
Run Your Project By Me →Spend Your Energy Learning.
Most camp formats include the materials and studio support you need for the learning experience, so you can spend less time chasing supplies and more time working on the furniture in front of you.
You are always welcome to bring your own preferred materials, fabric, tools, or supplies if there is something specific you want to use.
Exact inclusions vary by camp format, so the individual camp page is always the final word on what comes with that experience.
Studio + Tools
Access to the LullCo studio, shared upholstery tools, work surfaces, sewing equipment, and the specialty tools you do not need to buy just to learn.
Hands-On Instruction
Demonstrations, troubleshooting, project guidance, technique coaching, and plenty of opportunities to ask why something works—not just how to do it.
Upholstery Materials
Materials are usually included with camp. Depending on the experience and project, that may include foam, batting, support materials, and other common upholstery supplies.
Bring Your Own Materials If You Want
Have a particular fabric, foam, trim, or material you already love? Bring it. Camp does not require you to use only what is provided.
Meals + Lodging When Included
Full retreat-style camps may include meals and shared lodging. Lighter camp formats may include meals without lodging. Check the individual camp for exact details.
A Heated + Cooled Studio
You will be working indoors in a climate-controlled studio, so you can focus on the project instead of whatever Michigan has decided to do outside.
Finishing Is Great.
Understanding Is Better.
The more consecutive time you can spend working on a piece, the better your chances of getting all the way through it.
On average, LullCo students spend about 40 working hours completing one upholstery project. Some projects take much less. Complicated furniture can take considerably more.
That is one reason upholstery can feel difficult when you are trying to learn it a few hours at a time. Every session includes some amount of getting set up, remembering where you left off, solving the next problem, and putting everything away again.
Longer stretches of studio time give you a chance to stay inside the process. That is where Upholstery Camp—and options like Project Pass—can make a big difference.
You may or may not leave Camp with a completely finished piece. The more important goal is to leave understanding what you did, why you did it, and how to continue working when the next piece presents a different problem.
Enough Time to
Actually Get Into It.
Specific schedules vary, but Camp is built around long blocks of studio time instead of tiny lessons chopped into pieces. The goal is to give you enough consecutive working time to stay inside the process and keep moving forward.
Land
Meet the group, get settled, unpack your project, look at what everyone brought, and figure out what each piece needs.
Open It Up
Strip what still needs stripping, inspect the structure, identify repairs, learn the sequence, and get comfortable with the tools and materials.
Go Deep
Work through repairs, support systems, padding, foam, fabric, sewing, fitting, and the problems that only appear once you are actually doing the work.
Keep Going
Long work blocks, demonstrations, meals, troubleshooting, shared problem-solving, and the part where things finally start looking like furniture again.
Go Home Smarter
Finish what is realistic, document what remains, understand your next steps, and leave knowing how to keep going instead of staring at the project wondering what happens next.
Some Camp Experiences
Are Better With Friends.
Who you can bring depends on the camp format. Some experiences are designed to make it easy to learn alongside friends, while others have tighter limits because of workspace, lodging, instruction, or the structure of the event.
5-Day Upholstery Camp
Add the current friend or guest allowance for the full 5-Day Camp here.
Explore 5-Day Camp →Camp LITE
Bring two friends free. Your group gets three full studio days to work, learn, troubleshoot, and make progress together.
Explore Camp LITE →Chair Off
Add the current teammate, helper, or guest allowance for Chair Off here.
Explore Chair Off →Yes, Upholstery Is Physical.
Expect to stand, sit, pull, staple, cut, bend, move furniture, and use your hands repeatedly. Upholstery can be especially hard on your hands, wrists, and forearms.
We provide tools and teach techniques that help reduce unnecessary strain and impact on your body. That includes better leverage, positioning, tool choice, work height, and ways to break difficult tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
If you have mobility, lifting, dexterity, fatigue, chronic pain, or other access concerns, talk with us before camp. We can work with you on the setup, workflow, furniture position, and project strategy instead of assuming there is only one correct way to do the work.
You Don't Have to Learn in English Alone.
We can work with non-English-speaking students using translation apps during instruction, and you are welcome to bring a translator or support person if that makes learning easier.
Let us know ahead of time when possible so we can think through the smoothest setup for instruction, demonstrations, written materials, and communication during camp.
Dress for a Workshop.
Pack for a Retreat.
The LullCo studio is heated and cooled, so you will be working indoors in a climate-controlled space.
Your specific camp confirmation will include the exact packing details for that experience, but in general you should plan for:
Upholstery involves dust, thread, old fabric, glue, hardware, mystery staples, and furniture that has lived an entire life before it reached your work table. Dress accordingly.
More Time Usually Means
More Progress.
You do not have to choose the biggest or most expensive experience to learn upholstery at LullCo. These options are arranged from the largest investment to the smallest so you can match the amount of time, support, and access to your budget, schedule, and project.
Remember that LullCo students average about 40 working hours to complete one upholstery project. More concentrated studio time can make it easier to stay inside the process, while lower-cost options let you build those hours over time.
5-Day Upholstery Camp
The most immersive way to learn at LullCo. Extended studio time, hands-on instruction, materials, meals, lodging when included, and several consecutive days focused almost entirely on upholstery.
Most immersive Explore 5-Day Camp →Camp LITE
Three full 8-hour studio days with meals and materials included. The current format lets you bring two friends free, giving your group 24 hours of concentrated project time together.
24 studio hours Explore Camp LITE →Chair Off
A hands-on upholstery competition and learning experience designed for people actively pursuing professional skills in the trade.
Competition format Explore Chair Off →Project Pass
Pay one flat fee for one project and keep using the studio until that specific project is complete. A strong option when you need more time but do not need a retreat-style experience.
Best for finishing Explore Project Pass →BYOP
Bring Your Own Project gives you a four-hour block of studio time, tools, hands-on support, and a $75 materials credit toward qualifying in-stock supplies.
Smallest commitment Explore BYOP →Looking for the Quick Answer?
Jump straight to the thing you're wondering about, or browse the full Upholstery Camp FAQ for more detailed answers about projects, travel, lodging, materials, accessibility, schedules, and what to expect.
Choose the Experience
That Fits You.
Each camp format gives you a different mix of studio time, support, lodging, meals, guests, and overall immersion. Choose the one that fits your budget, schedule, project, and how deeply you want to dive in.
5-Day Upholstery Camp
The most immersive Camp experience, with multiple full studio days and the most time to stay focused on your project, your skills, and the entire upholstery process.
Explore 5-Day Camp →Camp LITE
Three full 8-hour studio days with meals and materials included. Bring two friends free and spend 24 concentrated hours making serious progress together.
Explore Camp LITE →Chair Off
A competitive upholstery experience for people pursuing professional skills, built around making, problem-solving, creativity, and a little friendly pressure.
Explore Chair Off →
Stop Watching Upholstery.
Start Doing Upholstery.
Bring a project, ask every question you have, learn what is underneath the fabric, and spend enough time with the process for the pieces to finally start making sense.
Whether you finish the furniture at Camp or leave knowing exactly how to finish it afterward, the goal is the same: go home more confident, more capable, and ready to tackle the next piece.
See What Happens
When People Get to Work.
Every camp looks a little different because every project, camper, fabric choice, problem, and finished piece is different. This gallery is a growing look at the furniture, people, process, and community that come out of Upholstery Camp.