Skills
Upholsterer Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in upholsterers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do upholsterers need?
Upholsterers need technical skills such as stripping, frame repair, and spring tying, plus people skills like patience and eye for detail. They also use tools such as Pneumatic staplers and Industrial sewing machines.
Technical (hard) skills
- Stripping
- Frame repair
- Spring tying
- Pattern cutting
- Sewing
- Fitting
People (soft) skills
- Patience
- Eye for detail
- Customer service
- Creativity
Tools, equipment and technology
- Pneumatic staplers
- Industrial sewing machines
- Tack lifters
- Foam saws
- Webbing stretchers
- Shears
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how upholsterers put their skills to work:
- How to reupholster a dining chair seat
- How to estimate fabric yardage
- How to sew welting for a cushion
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Stripping” and “Frame repair.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “patience,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Upholstery course near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our upholsterer glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Upholsterer training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.