Give your chair a professional finish
Pick your chair and follow my professional method step by step, in photo and video. Whether it is your first chair or your hundredth.
Or €99.99 for a full year. Cancel anytime.
For beginners
New to upholstery? Start with one of these
Real pieces, finished with the same method I use in my workshop. If you have never upholstered before, begin with the first one.
For upholsterers
Already an upholsterer? Refine your method
This is not only a beginner’s resource. The advanced tutorials go into the details that separate good work from a professional finish, with the method I learned through four years with the Compagnons du Devoir and use every day in my workshop. Each technique has its own tutorial, so you can rework one gesture without redoing a whole chair.
How does it work?
The same order I follow on every chair in my workshop, broken down so you never have to guess the next step.
1
Pick your chair
Start from the shape of your seat. Its page tells you what it needs and where to begin.
2
Follow the method, stage by stage
Prepare, webbing and springs, padding, covering, finishing. Do the whole chair, or only the stage you need.
3
Finish it like a professional
Clean corners, a taut cover, neat trim: the details that make a chair look done by an upholsterer.
What is inside a tutorial?
Numbered steps, real workbench shots and the exact gesture you need to see, in photo and video.
Numbered steps on the workbench, not a single before and after.
Hand position and tool angle, the details that are hard to guess on your own.
The finished result alongside the technique that got it there.
Membership
Every chair, every step, in photo and video
90+ step-by-step tutorials with the professional method behind each one. New tutorials are added regularly.
- A clear path for each type of chair, in the order of the work
- Photo steps and video for every technique
- Materials and tools listed for every tutorial
- Premium Membership: send me your questions on WhatsApp
€9.99/month or €99.99/year. Cancel anytime.
Before you start
What do you need to start upholstering?
Less than you think. Everything I use in my workshop, explained, and where to find it.
Tools
What tools do I need?
The hammer, the staple gun and the hand tools I use every day.
Materials
Which materials?
Webbing, springs, padding, calico: what each one does.
Fabric
How much fabric?
A free calculator to order the right amount for your chair.
Suppliers
Where to buy?
My list of suppliers for tools, materials and fabric.
Who is The Girl With a Hammer?
Hi, I’m Céline! I’m a French upholsterer, and you may know me as @the_girl_with_a_hammer on Instagram.
I learned my craft the traditional way, through four years of apprenticeship with the Compagnons du Devoir, and opened my own workshop in 2012, on the shores of Lake Annecy. When I started on my own, I had no master at my side to ask, just my books and a lot of questions. This is the resource I wish I’d had back then.
90+
Photo and video tutorials
15+
Years of professional experience
480+
Students taught
136k
Followers on Instagram
As seen in Architectural Digest
“Want inspiration for all those ‘DIY reupholster chair’ searches? Check out Celine Vanier, an upholsterer and fabric dealer based in France who shares her creations on her Instagram account, @the_girl_with_a_hammer, which has more than 100 upholstery chair transformations to make you beeline to the fabric store.”
Architectural Digest, Nov. 11, 2022
Your chair is waiting
Ready to give it a professional finish?
Find your chair, join the Membership and follow the method from the bare frame to the last braid.
Questions before you start
Can I really learn upholstery online?
Yes. Each tutorial breaks the work into numbered steps, in photo and video, with the same method I use on every chair in my workshop. You can pause, rewind and come back to a gesture as often as you need.
Do I need any upholstery experience?
No. If you have never upholstered before, start with piping, a foam pouf or a dining chair seat: a few hours of work, little fabric, and a result you can see straight away.
What tools and materials do I need to start?
Less than you think: a few stripping tools, a staple gun and good scissors are enough for a first seat, and you add the rest as your projects grow. Everything is explained in my guide to tools, materials and suppliers.
How much fabric do I need for my chair?
For a fabric 140 cm (54 in) wide, about 0.7 m (0.8 yd) covers one or two dining chair seats, 1.5 to 1.8 m (about 2 yd) a French armchair, and 5.5 m (6 yd) a club chair. Choose your seat in my free fabric calculator.
What can I reupholster with your tutorials?
Stools, simple chairs, bridge chairs, cabriolet chairs, modern chairs, Voltaire chairs, bergères, club chairs and headboards, with new projects added regularly. Choose yours by its shape above.
Do you teach traditional upholstery or foam?
Both: traditional methods with webbing, springs and natural padding, and modern foam upholstery, so you can choose the right approach for each piece.
Can I do only part of a chair?
Yes. Tutorials are grouped by stage, so you can follow only the covering, for example, if the rest of your chair is in good condition.
I am already an upholsterer. Will I learn something?
The advanced projects, such as the club chair, the bergère and the Voltaire, go into the details of a professional finish. Each technique has its own tutorial, so you can rework one gesture without following a whole project.
How much does the Membership cost?
€9.99 per month, or €99.99 for a full year, and you can cancel anytime. The Premium Membership adds my personal answers to your questions on WhatsApp.