11 Places to Take Beginner Woodworking Classes

Learn basic DIY skills with these woodworking classes for beginners! We’ll look at online woodworking classes and where to take classes in your hometown.

Woodworking Classes for Beginners

Do you want to get into woodworking or build some DIY furniture but feel like you don’t have the necessary skills? How will you gain the knowledge and skills needed to tackle these projects?

Taking woodworking classes is a great way to learn basic DIY skills. Today, I’m sharing some ideas for online woodworking classes and where to look for beginner woodworking classes that you can attend locally. 

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Originally published March 28, 2017 updated July 7, 2019

Before we get into where to look for beginner woodworking classes, be sure to click the subscribe button at the bottom of this page to sign up for my FREE weekly newsletter loaded with helpful pocket hole tricks, space-saving workshop ideas, clever DIY tips and more!

Beginner Woodworking Classes at Home Depot

Our local Home Depot offers weekly DIY workshops. These workshops can range from installing tile to plumbing repairs and building a raised garden bed to building simple furniture projects.

Most Home Depot stores have a display board in the entryway announcing the upcoming workshops. The workshops are also posted on their website.

The best part about the Home Depot workshops? They’re FREE!

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Beginner Woodworking Classes at Art Centers

Most communities have an art center. Art centers offer classes where we can learn about jewelry making, photography, making stain glass, woodworking and more. I learned many of my woodworking skills at my local arts center.

I enrolled in woodworking and furniture building classes where I learned traditional furniture building techniques like how to hand cut dovetails, how to make mortise and tenon joints, how to make book-matched panels, steam bending wood, proper clamping techniques, the difference between rough cut vs. dimensional wood and more.

Related: Learn more about my woodworking journey here

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Continuing Education Woodworking Classes

Our local high school or community college sometimes offer woodworking classes as part of their continuing education efforts. Classes are usually taught by a knowledgeable member of the community or even the school’s shop teacher. Check your mailbox or your school’s website for course information.

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Beginner Woodworking Classes at Woodworking Clubs

I took all of the woodworking classes that my local arts center had to offer. I was hooked and wanted to learn more.

Next, I searched for local woodworking clubs. I joined my local club and began taking their classes. I learned about joining techniques, making my own jigs, router techniques and more.

My local woodworking club offers more than just classes. They publish a monthly newsletter, host monthly meetings, an annual woodworking show, and an annual wood/tool auction. Plus, you get to meet people in your area who are into woodworking just like you.

The annual dues for my local club are just $25 a year. Which is a real bargain for all the benefits you get for being a member!

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Beginner Woodworking Classes at Woodworking Shows

Local woodworking clubs and national companies like The Woodworking Shows host regional woodworking events. It’s a great place to watch demonstrations, check out new tools and products. Plus, many shows offer woodworking classes with the price of admission.

Classes can range from setting up saws to stain and finish techniques. Recently, I attended a Table Saw Basics class presented by Chuck Bender at The Woodworking Shows. (The Woodworking Shows is where I first learned about and fell in love with the Kreg Jig!) In this table saw class, I learned How to Buy the Best Table Saw for the Money and Table Saw Safety Rules (every DIYer Needs to Know).

Related: How to use a Kreg Jig (Settings You Need to Know)

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Learn Advanced Skills at a Woodworking School

We can enroll in a woodworking school if we really want to advance our skills. Places like Yestermorrow Design/Build School and Vermont School of Woodworking offer multi-week intensive classes.

I’ve also taken a week-long timber frame class held on the grounds of the Hancock Shaker Village Museum. We learned timber frame techniques and constructed a small timber frame building.

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Bluprint

Bluprint (formerly Craftsy) offers woodworking classes on cabinet case construction, drawer construction, router techniques, table saw techniques and more. Furniture construction classes include benches, a shaker nightstand, coffee table and more.

Check out the Bluprint classes here.

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Instructables

Instructables offers a 9 lesson woodworking class. The focus is on basics like woodworking tools, making straight cuts, glues, wood shaping, miter cuts and more. Each lesson lays the groundwork for our future projects.

Check out the Instructables lessons here.

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Taunton Workshops

Taunton Workshops offers a “getting the most from your router” class, “getting the most from your bandsaw” class, “getting the most from your table saw” class, SketchUp classes and more. Furniture building classes include a workbench, router table, hanging tool cabinet, country pine hutch, pedestal dining table, plus many more.

Check out the Taunton Workshop classes here.

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Popular Woodworking

Popular Woodworking offers more than 400 woodworking videos. Choose from videos like learn a technique, hand tools instruction, how to use power tools, build a project, finishing techniques, SketchUp videos, plus more.

Check out the Popular Woodworking videos here.

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Woodworkers Guild of America

Woodworkers Guild of America offers classes on table saw essentials, bandsaw jigs, table saw joinery, router table joinery, cabinet making, finishing essentials, router techniques, SketchUp classes and more.

Check out the Woodworkers Guild of America classes here.

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Heritage School of Woodworking

Heritage School of Woodworking offers video classes on techniques like basics of joinery, sharpening hand tools and more. Building classes include a dovetailed candle box, an occasional table and more.

Check out the Heritage School of Woodworking videos here.

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Learn Woodworking Skills with Books and Magazines

We can continue to learn woodworking skills with books and magazines. Over the years I’ve had subscriptions to a few woodworking magazines. They’re an amazing resource for learning new skills and techniques.

Wood Magazine features both print and digital versions of their magazine. Topics range from skill-building tips, DIY projects, tool reviews and more.

Popular Woodworking also offers both print and digital versions of their magazine. Each issue is packed with techniques, woodworking projects, tools, supplies and more.

Fine Woodworking, just like Wood and Popular Woodworking offers both print and digital versions of their magazine. Topics range from DIY skills, joinery techniques, finishing techniques, workshop layout ideas, tool reviews, furniture plans and more.

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Final Thoughts

These are just some of the woodworking classes available for beginners. What class is right for you? Will you attend a woodworking class locally, online or both?

Thank you for stopping by. If you found this information helpful, would you please pin it to Pinterest? Other DIYers would appreciate it and I would too! Thank you – Scott