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We welcome you to read through this page for a whole-picture perspective on our Beginner Woodworking Classes for Adults. If you’re looking for specific information, you can use the following links to skip around:
Satisfy your inner carpenter in our woodworking classes for adults.
In a culture that’s zooming toward virtual reality and digitizing the day-to-day, not everyone grows up learning how to use tools and work with their hands. Our carpentry and woodworking classes for adults are here to change that.
Surrounded by nature in our beautiful, sheltered outdoor classroom, they’re perfect for total beginners and folks who have used tools, but don’t feel totally comfortable with them yet.
Our classes are set up to foster community, and during your time here, whether you camp onsite or stay in a hotel or airbnb, you can experience the sweet nostalgia of summer camp as you make new friends and learn useful skills in this adult version of a woodworking camp.
Learning carpentry can be rewarding and satisfying whether you want to feel confident fixing things around the house, plan woodworking projects for yourself, or interact with folks you hire in a confident way.
Studies have shown that working with our hands actually increases “happy hormones” in our brains like serotonin. Our adult woodworking classes are here to welcome everyone to the world of carpentry and a more hands-on lifestyle.
We also offer Women’s Woodworking Classes for women and non-binary folks who feel more comfortable in that gender dynamic.
“The Adult Beginner Woodworking Class was a profound experience for me. Having two female instructors in the mix allowed me to let go of the junk that women can’t use power tools; that this is men’s work. They were also great at breaking things down, keeping our group moving and engaged, and were sensitive to people with different learning styles or when people were struggling. I heard several people say, ‘I feel so empowered!.’ I just wish I could go back and relive those four days!” —Amanda, Rhode Island, Filmmaker
These Asheville, NC adult woodworking classes are for both total beginners and those with a little bit of experience.
You’ll learn to use tools and grow confident with them by working on various projects. You don’t need any experience to join our woodworking classes for beginners. However, if you’ve used the chop saw, circular saw, and other hand tools, but don’t feel like you have a mastery over them, this is also the woodworking class for you.
If you’re interested in bigger projects and structural building, we offer a 5-day Women’s Advanced Carpentry Course for graduates of the basic class who are women and non-binary, and a 10-day Tiny House Workshop, which is open to everyone. After you’ve completed one of our carpentry and woodworking classes for beginners, you are qualified for the advanced classes.
We set the stage by creating a comfortable, relaxed, and fun “woodworking camp” environment. No pressure to “get things done.” Instead we focus on learning.
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What to Expect: A Four Day Woodworking Class for Adults
During our four-day woodworking classes for adults, we cover basic carpentry skills through lectures, demonstrations, and lots of hands-on practice.
Topics covered in our beginner woodworking courses include:
- Learning which tool should be used for which purpose
- How to measure and cut accurately
- How to use power saws and hand tools safely and effectively
- The basics of wood: strengths, weaknesses, and how to choose the right board
- Designing and creating your own project to take home
This wealth of information will be shared in a way that meets everyone where they’re at and welcomes engagement. We firmly believe that there are no “wrong questions.”
Adult Beginner Woodworking Class: Schedule and Timing
We take an hour-long lunch break each day with the following schedule:
- Day 1: 9:00am – 5:30 pm
- Day 2: 9:00am – 5:30 pm
- Day 3: 9:00am – 5:30 pm
- Day 4: 9:00am – 4:30 pm
Class ends by 4:30pm on the last day, and students may leave whenever they finish their personal projects on this day. This can be as early as 3:00pm if they have time constraints and choose a very simple project. During our lunch break on Sunday we hold a closing circle, which we encourage everyone to stay for, if they’re able.
Please note: Some classes will have slight changes in the schedule due to weather, the needs of the projects, and the desires of the group.
Day 1: Get A Handle on Woodworking and Carpentry Tools
To begin, we’ll have an orientation and overview of the wood shop and class flow and details. Then, we’ll move into tools that we may use in this woodworking class for adults. We’ll address which tools to use when, safety, and ergonomic use. You will get a chance to see each tool demonstrated, and then you’ll practice using it yourself, with lots of guidance and support, of course!
In order to promote a sense of safety and mastery, when we get into the circular saw, table saw, and sliding mitre saw (the more intimidating tools), we break the class into three groups, to make sure everyone gets the focus that they need.
Tools we’ll cover on day one include:
- Safety equipment
- Carpenter’s pencil
- Measuring tape
- Utility knife
- Speed square
- Chop Saw (also called miter saw and sliding miter saw – you’ll learn exactly what the differences are while here)
- Circular saw
Day 2: More Tools, Project Design, and a Field Trip
Explore more tools, plan out your personal woodworking project, and learn to navigate a lumber yard.
On day two, we’ll get our hands on more tools, learning safe and proper use of:
- Levels
- Chalk lines
- Hammers
- Catspaws
- Clamps
- Handsaws
Your Personal Project: The Capstone of Your ADULT WOODWORKING Class
On day two, you’ll also choose your own small personal project (to be built on day four) and will begin to design and plan for it. Of course, you’ll get plenty of support and guidance from the instructors.
In order to ensure optimal learning of various techniques and every student’s success within the timeframe of class, we limit personal project options. We offer a selection of simple objects to build, which we call “learning projects.” You can choose to build a tool caddy, a small shelf, or a birdhouse.
We’ll discuss what kinds of wood are appropriate for different projects and help you create your own materials list—essential tasks for a beginner woodworking class! After lunch, we’ll head to the lumber yard to pick out materials for everyone’s personal projects. While we’re there, we’ll explore lumber selection. Equipped with this knowledge, everyone will buy what they need for their personal projects, which we’ll tackle on day four.
Day 3: Final Tools and Group Project
We’ll have our last tool class, covering:
- Drills for making holes in wood
- Impact drivers for driving screws
- Bits for the above-mentioned tools, each of which are quite different
- Types of fasteners (screws, nails, etc)
Next, we’ll work in small groups on simple, real-world projects. Many students tell us that this is the most valuable part of class. Indeed, it’s a way to get tool use into your muscle memory. That way, when you go home you’ll have a feeling of familiarity with the tools; you’ll know them, rather than just know about them.
No matter what the specific projects are, they’re always something real; you won’t just be cutting and screwing scrap wood; you’ll be contributing to building something useful. We choose group projects appropriate for the skill level of the class so that students get an opportunity to practice the techniques that are foundational to carpentry and woodworking for adults.
Here are some examples of projects we’ve worked on in the past:
- Siding or sheathing on a building
- Deck building
- Small bridge construction
- Picnic tables
- Outdoor benches or lawn furniture
- Saw horses
- Fences
- Bedframes
During group project work, students will practice measuring, making cuts, using levels and speed squares, and fastening boards. Beyond the basic use of tools, we’ll also practice working together and getting our hands, minds, and bodies in the groove of doing serious carpentry.
These projects are invaluable for getting the basics of carpentry deep into your bones. It’s one thing to learn about tools, it’s something quite different to become proficient with them, and that’s just what students will do during these group projects.
Oftentimes we make these finished projects available to students for just the cost of materials. So if you live locally and are excited to purchase an at-cost picnic table, outdoor bench, or set of saw horses that you yourself have helped make, please do let us know!
Day 4: Your Own Woodworking Project
You’ll get all the support you need to complete your project and learn while doing so. We try to equip our students with the skills and confidence to be able to design and create projects on your own, once you leave class.
On day two you made a cut list and a materials list, and you purchased the boards for your personal project. Now is when you will use your design to cut your boards, assemble your creation, and fasten its pieces together to finish your woodworking camp experience. Instructors will be guiding you through the process.
Ending Time for this Woodworking Class:
On day four we’ll close up the wood shop at 4:30pm (earlier than days 1-3). Individuals will be done with the class when they complete their personal projects (usually between 3:30 and 4:30). If you have time constraints, we advise you to choose a simple project like a small shelf.
Enjoy our beautiful outdoor beginner woodworking classes near Asheville, NC.
Our woodshop for this class is located at the lovely Wild Abundance Paint Fork Campus. During the class, we’ll work in several covered areas amidst mountain views and native plants. There, students can use tools and work on projects with fresh air and a gorgeous backdrop.
As a result, many folks who come to learn carpentry also get excited about the other things we do here, like organic gardening and permaculture courses. Additionally, getting to learn and work in this simple, outdoor wood shop can be very inspiring. Please note: class happens mostly outdoors (under cover), rain or shine, whatever the temperature.
Build your ideas into being in our adult woodworking classes for beginners
You might be asking yourself, can I really learn carpentry in a weekend woodworking class for beginners? And we’re here to tell you that, yes, it’s absolutely possible! In one long weekend, you can understand how to work with wood, get comfortable with tools, and learn how to plan out and design your own simple carpentry projects. We’ve seen it happen time and again, with hundreds of satisfied students.
Of course, people spend lifetimes perfecting their woodworking skills, especially those who build houses or do fine finish work like cabinetry or furniture making. It’s not realistic to learn to do these high-level kinds of projects in a long weekend workshop. However, you can take the first steps that every carpenter and fine woodworker once took. And you’ll leave with the ability to turn your basic ideas into reality, right away.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Beginner Woodworking Classes for Adults
In this woodworking class for beginners, you’ll learn how to properly and safely use the following tools:
- Carpenter’s pencil
- Measuring tape
- Speed square
- Utility knife
- Chop saw/miter saw
- Circular saw
- Impact driver
- Drill
- Hammer
- Cat’s-paw
- Level
- Hand saw
- Chalk line
Yes, you will need to bring some tools, but not all of them! All the tools and materials we ask you to get a hold of for this class will continue to be useful afterwards as you practice and hone your carpentry and woodworking skills. This does not mean that you have to spend hundreds of dollars on the required tools. You could spend only $30-50 if you just get the bare bones. Or, you could choose to borrow tools from friends or family members. If you get all the required and optional tools, and choose the very best brands, then you could be talking big bucks — and an awesome toolkit.
You’ll learn how to use most of the tools that are used in structural building, and some of the basic techniques, but this is not a structural building class. If you’re excited to build buildings, check out our Advanced Women’s Carpentry Class (in combination with the basics class) or our Tiny House Workshop.
This is a woodworking class for beginners, but it also covers more advanced power tools, as well as the proper ways to measure and design. If you have some basic skills, but don’t feel totally confident in your technique or comfortable using bigger power tools, you’ll still get a lot out of this class. If you feel totally confident building small to medium projects on your own, this class may be too basic for you. Consider taking our Women’s Advanced Carpentry or Tiny House Workshop if you want to really strengthen your structural building skills.
We used to let folks who thought they had enough experience take our Advanced Carpentry Class without taking the beginner’s class first. Time after time, we found that these students did not have the foundational safety and ergonomic tool-use skills that graduates of the beginner class did. This boosted our confidence in the power of the basics class!
It’s clear that in four days so much more can be taught in this concentrated class than one might learn in years on their own. Because of this, we are now strict about only letting graduates of the beginner’s class into the advanced class.
This class is accessible to students with at least a moderate level of physical strength and energy. Part of the purpose of a woodworking class for beginners is that people of different physical abilities are welcomed and accommodated. Throughout the days, there are opportunities to drink water, eat snacks, and take breaks. We’ve had students from a wide range of ages and physical abilities thrive in the class. It is worth considering that our campuses are hilly and rustic, there is a lot of walking on uneven ground, and the woodshop is not accessible to folks with certain disabilities. Read more about our campuses here.
You will have three project options to choose from: a birdhouse, a simple shelf, or a tool caddy. During the design and building phases, you’ll have the opportunity to customize the dimensions and add artful details. In the process of personalizing your design, you will learn the skills for reverse engineering an object that already exists, creating a cut list and plan to recreate it, and the process for picturing a project in your head and creating a cut list based on that.
If you prefer to work with a done-for-you design, that’s an option, too. In that case, you could choose a project design that is identical to the example projects presented during class. Doing this means all the math will be done for you.
Most community colleges offer a basic woodshop class, and some of them are awesome. What makes this class unique is that it is intensive; you will likely leave this four-day experience different than when you came. We have taught well over 70 basic carpentry classes, and our staff and teachers are obsessed with continuous improvement. We take feedback and make changes, resulting in the best possible class that we can offer. These are reasons, along with the community experience and the beautiful outdoor classroom, why traveling to Wild Abundance may be the right choice for you.
You’ll gain the skills to design and build custom furniture in this class, but it won’t be fancy. This is not a fine woodworking class that covers super-tight joinery or wood finishing. However, we do address project design, including how to look at an object and reverse engineer it into its pieces, so that you can copy things that you like the look of. We also show you how to make variations and customize projects. Additionally, you’ll learn how to take a concept in your head, design it, and then build it.
The nature of this class is very inclusive and supportive, regardless of age or other differences that students might have. We’ve had a wide range of students take this class. The average age of students has been around 45. That being said, our oldest student was 74 and our youngest student was a teenager. We usually get about 35% of students who are over 50, 40% between 35-50, and 25% under 35.
In short, no. Most of our carpentry students are women, and while we once offered an all-genders advanced woodworking class, it didn’t fill. If you’d like to take your carpentry skills to the next level and already have an introductory class under your belt, we recommend joining our Tiny House Class or our 4-Month Carpentry Training Program.
Instructors
Madison Moore
Nadi Udros
Alex Kilgore
Erica Doud
Alexandra Miller
Our Woodworking Classes for Adults are held near Asheville, NC at the Wild Abundance Paint Fork Campus
Our Paint Fork campus is a bustling creekside landscape with gorgeous mountain views, a breathtaking timber-framed pavilion classroom, and covered open-air wood shops for learning in all weather, plus other lovely features like a beautiful outdoor kitchen and newly completed bath house.
Our campus is both a peaceful place and a site for community learning. At times, two or more classes may overlap. This means you’ll have more opportunities to connect with a wider community of students and teachers and you may also notice some additional background noise and activity.
Many of our classes utilize power tools, so please keep this in mind. On occasion, we may need to bring in maintenance folks to keep our structures and systems operating smoothly. We’ll always do our best to make sure your class time is as focused and limited in distractions as possible. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Please note: our campuses are all unconventional, with rustic amenities and uneven ground. Read more about planning your trip and about our campuses for additional information.
The Paint Fork campus is 30 minutes north of Asheville. You’ll receive detailed directions on how to get here upon registration.
There are many options for staying both on or off campus, click here to learn more!
There are many affordable on and off campus accommodation options, starting at just $35 per night. We also offer free on-site camping to all students. Click here to learn more!
You won’t need a car during your class. There’s a chance you may want to run an errand or go out to dinner with fellow students, and if this happens, it’s highly likely that another student with a car will be happy to give you a lift.
We’ve also got a list of folks who will do airport and grocery shuttle runs for $50-$80 each way. We share this information in the student handbook when you register. If you’d rather rent a car, those run anywhere from $45-$200/day. Just like with lodging, teaming up with a group of fellow students to share a car rental can help build connections and reduce costs.
Pricing for our Adult Beginner Woodworking Class
Regular Pricing: $850 – $1,700
*Please pay what you can within this range. The median price helps cover the class costs. Choose the low end if you’re low income, or the maximum fee if your household earns over $115,000/year. Place yourself within this range based on your income.