The National Design Academy is the only institution to offer truly flexible, online interior design courses that are nationally and internationally recognised. All NDA Professional Diploma courses are accredited and awarded by AIM Qualifications, an Ofqual approved National Awarding Organisation providing Level 3 accreditation.
NDA is the only interior design school to be able to offer funding & student loans because our Diplomas are fully accredited.
Choose from flexible online learning, online fast-track (zoom lectures) or in-studio fast-track classes
10 – 12 Months (Flexible)
The online flexible Professional Diploma course is designed to be flexible to allow you to study around your career, family, and other commitments. Choose your own start date and study from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection.
The online diploma is a 10 – 12 month course however, many students who have more time to study complete earlier. All assignments consist of design projects which are assessed by your Personal Tutor – there are no examinations.
17 weeks home study and weekly online lectures (via zoom)
For students who want all the benefits of remote online learning, but are also looking for more structure and live interaction with tutors and peers, the ‘Online Fast-Track’ course offers an ideal mix.
The course consists of a 10-week study period that covers each of the 10 subject units in the Diploma course, one unit per week. 2.5hr live zoom lectures and demonstarations are organised two days per week. Up to 6 ‘Independent Study’ weeks within the duration let students complete any unfinished assignments.
10 days In-Studio 10 weeks home study (12 weeks total)
If you prefer a classroom-based study environment then our In-Studio blended learning course could be for you. It is particularly useful if you are looking to fast-track your qualification, either for a new career or for progression to degree level study.
You spend 5 days in-studio followed by 5 weeks home study projects, then a further 5 days in-studio with up to an additional 5 weeks to complete any project work for submission. Throughout home study, you have full online access to our resources and your Personal Tutor.
This is the ideal course if you want to design and make beautiful hand finished curtain projects for your home, or if you would like to set up your own lucrative soft furnishings business and workroom. These specialist curtain making skills are highly sought after by interior designers and discerning clients. If you have an existing business but don’t have the advanced skills required to offer a hand finished design service, then you can enhance your business by studying flexibly around your existing projects. You can even go on to study a degree.
You will study ten dedicated units during this professional diploma
This unit introduces you to the essential tools, terminology and techniques that form the foundation of professional curtain making and soft furnishings. You’ll learn how to measure windows, carry out site surveys, and understand how different treatments transform a room. Through hands-on activities, you’ll build core construction skills such as cutting, stitching and creating trims, giving you the confidence to approach a variety of projects with precision and creativity. This unit also includes:
This unit explores the fascinating world of fabrics and colour, helping you choose the right materials for any curtain or soft furnishing project. You’ll discover how different fabrics perform, when and why fire-retardant treatments are essential, and how colour can transform a space both visually and emotionally. By applying colour theory and exploring trends, you’ll gain the confidence to create inspiring schemes that enhance mood, style and proportion. This unit also includes:
This unit builds your skills in making beautifully finished, professional-quality curtains. You’ll learn how to select the right fabrics, linings, interlinings, fixtures and fittings, while developing the precision needed to calculate fabric quantities for both plain and patterned designs. Through hands-on practice, you’ll refine techniques such as mitred corners, weights, trims and heading tapes, ensuring every curtain you create achieves an accurate fit and a flawless finish. This unit also includes:
This unit introduces you to the art of creating handmade headers, a traditional technique that gives curtains and valances a truly bespoke finish. You’ll explore a variety of styles, from triple and double pleats to goblet and cartridge designs, learning how different combinations transform the look of a window treatment. Through practical activities, you’ll master the skills of calculating pleats, preparing fabrics, inserting buckram and adding trims, achieving professional results every time. This unit also includes:
This unit focuses on the skills needed to design and make beautifully tailored Roman blinds. You’ll learn how to select the right fabrics for both function and style, while understanding the safety standards and devices that must be applied for legal compliance. Through accurate measuring, precise cutting and professional construction techniques, you’ll create a fully functioning Roman blind, complete with panels or trims, ready for installation. This unit also includes:
This unit introduces you to the design and construction of cushions, combining style with functionality. You’ll explore a variety of cushion types, fillings, fabrics, trims and fastenings, learning how to select the right materials for different purposes. Through hands-on practice, you’ll refine skills in accurate measuring, preparing fabrics, and applying professional hand and machine stitching, enabling you to create beautifully finished cushions to a professional standard. This unit also includes:
This unit explores the design and construction of pelmets and tiebacks, essential finishing touches that enhance both the style and proportions of a window treatment. You’ll discover how different shapes, materials and trims create looks suited to traditional or contemporary interiors. Through practical activities, you’ll learn how to prepare templates, cut and stiffen fabrics, add decorative details and apply stitching techniques, before completing each piece with professional fixtures and fittings. This unit also includes:
This unit prepares you to develop the skills and knowledge needed to plan and run a curtain making and soft furnishing business. You’ll learn how to set up an efficient workroom, manage costs and price your services accurately to help ensure profitability. You’ll also explore how to attract clients, build a professional brand and establish strong supplier relationships, giving you the confidence to launch and grow your own soft furnishing enterprise. This unit also includes:
In this unit you will learn how to design swags and tails in proportion to window sizes. You will construct a sample sized, lined swag and tail, and learn the formula for producing swag templates. This unit also includes:
The final unit of the course looks specifically at setting up a professional work room and includes everything you need to know when starting a curtain making & soft furnishings business.This unit also includes:
This unit introduces you to the essential tools, terminology and techniques that form the foundation of professional curtain making and soft furnishings. You’ll learn how to measure windows, carry out site surveys, and understand how different treatments transform a room. Through hands-on activities, you’ll build core construction skills such as cutting, stitching and creating trims, giving you the confidence to approach a variety of projects with precision and creativity. This unit also includes:
This unit explores the fascinating world of fabrics and colour, helping you choose the right materials for any curtain or soft furnishing project. You’ll discover how different fabrics perform, when and why fire-retardant treatments are essential, and how colour can transform a space both visually and emotionally. By applying colour theory and exploring trends, you’ll gain the confidence to create inspiring schemes that enhance mood, style and proportion. This unit also includes:
This unit builds your skills in making beautifully finished, professional-quality curtains. You’ll learn how to select the right fabrics, linings, interlinings, fixtures and fittings, while developing the precision needed to calculate fabric quantities for both plain and patterned designs. Through hands-on practice, you’ll refine techniques such as mitred corners, weights, trims and heading tapes, ensuring every curtain you create achieves an accurate fit and a flawless finish. This unit also includes:
This unit introduces you to the art of creating handmade headers, a traditional technique that gives curtains and valances a truly bespoke finish. You’ll explore a variety of styles, from triple and double pleats to goblet and cartridge designs, learning how different combinations transform the look of a window treatment. Through practical activities, you’ll master the skills of calculating pleats, preparing fabrics, inserting buckram and adding trims, achieving professional results every time. This unit also includes:
This unit focuses on the skills needed to design and make beautifully tailored Roman blinds. You’ll learn how to select the right fabrics for both function and style, while understanding the safety standards and devices that must be applied for legal compliance. Through accurate measuring, precise cutting and professional construction techniques, you’ll create a fully functioning Roman blind, complete with panels or trims, ready for installation. This unit also includes:
This unit introduces you to the design and construction of cushions, combining style with functionality. You’ll explore a variety of cushion types, fillings, fabrics, trims and fastenings, learning how to select the right materials for different purposes. Through hands-on practice, you’ll refine skills in accurate measuring, preparing fabrics, and applying professional hand and machine stitching, enabling you to create beautifully finished cushions to a professional standard. This unit also includes:
This unit explores the design and construction of pelmets and tiebacks, essential finishing touches that enhance both the style and proportions of a window treatment. You’ll discover how different shapes, materials and trims create looks suited to traditional or contemporary interiors. Through practical activities, you’ll learn how to prepare templates, cut and stiffen fabrics, add decorative details and apply stitching techniques, before completing each piece with professional fixtures and fittings. This unit also includes:
This unit prepares you to develop the skills and knowledge needed to plan and run a curtain making and soft furnishing business. You’ll learn how to set up an efficient workroom, manage costs and price your services accurately to help ensure profitability. You’ll also explore how to attract clients, build a professional brand and establish strong supplier relationships, giving you the confidence to launch and grow your own soft furnishing enterprise. This unit also includes:
In this unit you will learn how to design swags and tails in proportion to window sizes. You will construct a sample sized, lined swag and tail, and learn the formula for producing swag templates. This unit also includes:
The final unit of the course looks specifically at setting up a professional work room and includes everything you need to know when starting a curtain making & soft furnishings business.This unit also includes:
If the answer is yes… then this is the course you are looking for!
The NDA Diploma in Professional Soft Furnishings and Curtain Making will put you on the path to starting the business you have always wanted. It will also give you the opportunity to study one of our degree courses if you decide you want to push your skills further.
A sample of work completed by our talented interior design students
UK residents pay approximately 50% course fees and funding from the UK government will pay the rest.
All NDA Professional Diplomas are accredited by AIM Awards. NDA is the only design school to be able to offer funding & student loans because our Diplomas are fully accredited.
There are two ways for UK students to pay for their Online Diploma:
Alongside a computer and an internet connection, there is also essential and recommended soft furnishings equipment required to complete your NDA Course, all available through the NDA Art Shop at student prices!
The Diploma in Professional Soft Furnishings & Curtain Making is designed to help you start your own Soft Furnishings Workroom and Design Service. Like the Diploma course itself, you can work flexibly for your clients around your family commitments and gradually expand your business. You could also study the Professional Interior Design Diploma to offer additional design services to your clients.
Students who have completed the NDA Diploma are offered a guaranteed place on one of our BA (Hons) degrees with a generous Progression Scholarship.
Degrees are awarded by our academic partner, De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), and they are studied online in the same way as your Diploma.
Hear what past and present students have to say about studying at the NDA
UK students pay approximately 50% of the full course fee – the balance is funded by the UK Government’s Adult education budget (AEB).
The National Design Academy is the only design school to be able to offer this funding as our Diplomas are all fully accredited by AIM Qualifications.
