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Lee Valley often has books on various furniture etc. I know they usually concentrate on wood, but maybe in all of their books, they'd have something to help you.
Hi reno:
One of my "hobbies" is making furniture (although hubby thinks it's more a demonic possession than a hobby LOL.. he tends to stay clear of me when I start a project.. something about me holding a saw that scares him...)
Couple of things to consider about making your own furniture:
How simple do you want the design?
The straighter the lines of the piece the easier it is to make the frame and upholster it (or slipcover).
Do you want it "springy" or a platform design?
Adding springs is a little more work and requires a bit more design and engineering for weight loads. A platform design will afford you to add just a foam cushion for seating and backing.
Do you want the piece to be able to be disassembled when you move?
This will dictate how you construct the piece...butt joints and screws and/or bolts versus doweled/glued or dove-tailed joins.
How much does ergonomics play into the piece?
What are you using the piece for? Do you need it designed for comfort and fit. Height and width of a piece will mean whether "aunt Mary at 4'9" will be able to get up from the piece without help and not get lost in the padding and cushions.
Getting the right density of foam comes into this part as too hard makes the piece fail the butt test/long trilogy movie watching night.
How good a sewer are you? The skill level will dictate just how intricate the upholstery will be. (tufting, piping, double seaming, corners, zippers etc)
When I start a piece after I've played with the measurements and overall design, I usually make a mock up of the piece (in whole or in part - depending on the size) out of cardboard. I grab those big boxes that fridges and stoves come in from the stores.
Once I'm happy with the model, I take the measurements I've settled on and cut out a pattern using craft paper. (think of furniture making as the same as making a dress from a pattern - you have to cut out all the parts and put it together) Then I trace the pattern on the wood or material I'm using and make my cuts. (this is the part where hubby runs and hides.. lol)
So I guess what I'm saying is, it's not that hard (difficult but not impossible) if you do your homework and designing first.
One of my all time fav books that my dad gave me years ago from his library is: How to make furniture without tools
By: Clement Meadmore
The book was published in the mid 70s, but it includes plans and ideas and I find I always use it in some way. I'm pretty sure you could get it from a library if your did a search and inter-library loan or tried amazon.
If you have any more q's just ask.. I'll try and give you a hand.