Woodworking Program

San Diego Craft Collective offers a robust Woodworking Program, giving learners of all ages an accessible entry point into this timeless craft. Our program is guided by dedicated woodworkers who bring deep skill, creativity, and care to their teaching. They share traditional and modern techniques using safe, sustainable, and grounded studio practices to support you and your family.

Explore our woodworking classes and discover the satisfaction of creating with wood.

Craft Collective offers a variety of learning opportunities for children, including Monthly Classes for Ages 6-12 years, Monthly Classes for Teens, Workshops, and Seasonal Camps. Woodworking classes focus on age-appropriate methods in a safe learning environment, providing a rich foundation in the basics of hands-on woodworking. Woodworking classes begin with children as young as six years old. Younger children (ages 3 years and up) are exposed to basic woodworking principles and technique through an ever-rotating set of craft experiences in seasonal craft camps.

Craft Collective’s Teen Program introduces students to woodworking as a simple yet deeply rewarding traditional craft. Teens learn about wood as a creative medium—its properties, joinery, and a range of hands‑on techniques. Projects increase in difficulty as skills grow, with instructors encouraging design practice, craftsmanship, and self‑expression. Enjoyment of the making process is always emphasized. Many classes include take‑home projects students can use and proudly share. At times, teens also work on community projects, giving them experience in collaboration, cooperation, and creating work that lives beyond the studio—offering a meaningful way to share their craftsmanship with family, friends, and the wider community. Visit our current Teen Woodworking Class and other Workshops and sign up today!

The Craft Collective offers a wide range of woodworking classes in our Adult Program. Classes range from beginner level all the way up to professional works of museum-quality furniture. What sets our program apart is the level of quality: professional instructors who are highly qualified; a clean, organized, well-maintained workshop and tools; and well-designed class projects.

Where to begin your woodworking journey? While Intro to the Woodshop is a fantastic starting point, it’s also our most in‑demand class and often sells out within minutes. The good news is that most of our woodworking classes welcome beginners, except for the intermediate‑level options. Sign up for any beginner‑friendly workshop to start learning right away, and eventually you’ll snag a spot in Intro to the Woodshop—it’s worth it!

Scroll down for more details on a selection of our woodworking classes. As new classes and projects are added each season, check out our calendar for more upcoming classes.

NOTE | If a class is full or you would like to be notified of future offerings, join our Interest List.

Intro to the Woodshop is the perfect starting place for someone who wants to learn woodworking. This is an 8-hr intro-level workshop that teaches various beginner skills and machine safety while crafting a handmade cutting board. Join us for this comprehensive introduction to the woodshop. Spaces go quickly in this workshop, so be sure to add your name to our Interest List to be notified. Beginners welcome!

7-Week Introduction to Woodworking is another starting place for someone who’d prefer a slower-paced introduction to woodworking. This is a 17.5-hr intro-level course that teaches various beginner skills and machine safety while crafting a handmade cutting board and push stick for the table saw. Spaces go quickly in this workshop as well, so be sure to add your name to our Interest List to be notified. Beginners welcome!

Bandsaw Box offers students an opportunity to create a bandsaw box with a pivoting lid. Students will leave with a bandsaw box of their own and the skills to begin creating their own designs. We cover shop safety and use of the bandsaw, spindle sander, edge sander, drill press, as well as various hand tools. Students will also learn sanding best practices and how to achieve a perfect finish. Beginners welcome!

In Build Your Own Charcuterie Board, students learn to design, mill, and shape a board into your own custom piece. Students use a bandsaw, jigsaw, drill press and sander. All the tools and materials will be provided. You will learn how to choose interesting pieces of wood, mill them down, cut your shape, and put a finish on it so it’s ready to serve. Beginners welcome!

In Wooden Brush Making, students learn shop safety and how to use various machines such as the bandsaw, spindle sander, edge sander, and drill press. Students hone carving skills by adding curves and texture to their own wooden brush. We will build upon machine knowledge and cover wood shaping using various hand tools such as rasps, files, spoke shaves, hand planes, chisels, and gouges. We will also discuss design principles, functional applications, the properties of wood, and brush materials such as Tampico fibers. Beginners welcome!

In Build Your Own Custom Flag Display Case, students build their own flag display case, ideal for storing your own military flag. This fits a standard 5 x 9.5′ folded flag. In this class, you will mill the wood and cut the angles necessary to build the display case. You will learn to use some power tools such as a band saw, router, and track saw. Beginners welcome!

Build Your Own Cajon Box Drum is a 3-hour woodworking workshop where students create their own Cajon Box Drums! Learn the art of crafting your own unique cajon drum from scratch. No prior woodworking experience is needed! This hands-on workshop is perfect for music enthusiasts, DIY lovers, and anyone interested in learning a new skill. Students will be guided through the step-by-step process of building, from cutting and shaping the wood to assembling and finishing. You’ll gain valuable woodworking skills while creating a beautiful musical instrument. Students will use a drill, bandsaw and sander in this workshop.

Scroll Saw Skills & Intarsia is a woodworking technique that involves the use of varied shapes of wood to create an image or pattern. In this class, students cover shop safety and how to use a scroll saw, as well as best practices for sanding and finishing. Students choose from a template to transfer to their wood, creating a mosaic-like decorative wall piece. Template options will be provided, and may be altered and edited based on skill level. Beginners welcome!

Intro to Scroll Saw Skills is a 3-hour workshop that introduces beginners to the scroll saw. Students learn about cutting techniques and tips for success at home while learning with 4 hands-on exercises to help build skill sets and become comfortable using a scroll saw. Students will practice cutting curves, sharp turns and straight lines and progress through a variety of steps while learning new techniques. Beginners welcome!

Beginner Lathe | Woodturning is a 3-hour woodworking workshop where students will get acquainted with a woodturning lathe, its parts, the tools needed, safety tips, tool sharpening techniques and how to shape wood on a lathe. The class will consist of students learning to round a piece of square stock, learning the four basic cuts and turning a honey dipper as their take home project. Beginners welcome!

Beginner Lathe | Pen Turning is a 3-hour woodworking workshop where students will learn basic woodturning techniques, including tool and lathe safety, tool sharpening, how to set up and use a pen mandrel, sizing wood blanks and drilling of the wood blanks for brass tubes to be inserted. Woodturning techniques with woodturning gouges will be covered and the use of a finish will be applied to the finished product. Beginners welcome!

Intro to Power Carving: Sculptural Art is a 2.5-hour introductory workshop where students learn the fundamentals of power carving, from safety to the appropriate tools used to create a project. The instructor will introduce the rotary tool and the specific burrs to create sculptural pieces and artistic panels that can be displayed on a wall. The project for this workshop is a freeform method to get comfortable with the tools and learn their capabilities. Students will make either a bud vase or an artistic panel or sculptural piece in this beginner-level workshop. Beginners and experienced woodworkers welcome!

Intro to Power Carving: Carving a Spoon is a 2.5-hour introductory workshop where students are provided with a wooden spoon blank to power carve. The instructor will cover safety, basic carving techniques, and spoon design fundamentals. Functional and decorative spoons are fun to use and display! The instructor will share her tips on achieving beautiful curves within a design. This workshop is designed to teach you how to safely craft your own spoon through power carving. Beginners and experienced woodworkers welcome!

Intermediate Power Carving: Carving a Bowl is a 2.5-hour workshop that will advance student’s skills as each person learns to carve a small bowl. Each student will be provided a wooden blank ready to power carve. The instructor will show how to form a bowl with power carving tools, as well as creating a unique and personal design to implement into each project. Students must have completed either the Intro to Power Carving | Sculptural Art &/or Intro to Power Carving | Carving a Spoon before enrolling in this workshop.

Kumiko Woodworking is a 3-hour workshop covering the ancient Japanese woodworking technique of assembling individual pieces of wood, without the use of nails, into geometric patterns. Kumiko has been used in constructing shoji screens, latticework, and other decorative elements in traditional Japanese architecture. In this workshop, students will learn the basics of kumiko, including the use of a hand tools to cut the pieces and assemble the frame. Each student will work on a small project to finish and take home. Beginners welcome!Hand Tool Joinery | 3-Legged Stool is a 15-hour woodworking class where students explore woodworking in our immersive Handmade Stool Workshop. Learn time-honored techniques with hand tools like the block plane, chisels, and more. Guided by experts, you will learn to shape, cut, and assemble wood using traditional methods. Leave with your own stool and a newfound appreciation for woodworking. Beginner to intermediate and more experienced woodworkers welcome!

Beginner Spoon Carving is a 5-hour introductory workshop to an ancient style of green wood hand carving with simple but very precise hand tools–a small carving axe, straight blade carving knife and a curved hook knife. With proper techniques, green wood can be intricately sculpted into extremely beautiful, functional and unique pieces of art. This Scandinavian style is still being crafted around the world. In this workshop, students create a straight tea spoon or straight cooking spoon. Beginners and more experienced carvers welcome!

Intermediate Scandinavian Spoon Carving is a 5-hour workshop for students looking to grow their carving skills. This intermediate class is for students who have taken Beginner Spoon Carving or have done some prior intricate wood carving with carving knives. Students will learn and use specific Scandinavian-style tools to create beautiful yet functional spoons for eating or serving food. Students will learn to carve from a green log of wood to a finished, elegant spoon, while also learning safe tool practices, proper body mechanics, and how to sharpen your carving tools. Intermediate and more experienced carvers welcome!

Woodshop Open Studio is a program that allows students who’ve successfully completed the Intro to the Woodshop course to purchase blocks of time in the woodshop to work on their own projects. Open Studio is offered a variety of times per month. It is not intended for students who need direction or instruction. There will be a knowledgeable person onsite to answer questions regarding machine safety, but students should come prepared with their project and design all ready to go. Note that construction-grade lumber, extremely hard woods such as ipe, and reclaimed lumber are not allowed. We work to keep a well-maintained shop, and those materials can cause machine disrepair. Requirement: Intro to the WoodshopJoin our Interest List to be the first to hear about new dates for each class or program!

This workshop focuses on skills and safety for the home shop. No specific project will be built, as students learn safe practices on tools that you’d normally find in a home woodshop. Specific tools covered will be jigsaw, router and circular saw. Bring your questions to class. We’re happy to answer questions as we work. If time allows, we show other tools in the woodshop as well.

More new projects and classes to be announced.

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INTEREST LIST | If a class is full or you would like to be notified of future offerings, join our Interest List.

404’s | Many of our classes are monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly and seasonal. If a class is not currently offered it may lead to a 404 error at this time. Please check back, or add your name to our Interest List and we will contact you when a class is scheduled.

SUBSCRIBE | New projects and workshops are announced each month. Subscribe to SDCC to hear about what’s coming up!

QUESTIONS? | Email us at make@sandiegocraft.org with any questions.