woodworking is a journey
The recess grove woodshop is designed around your journey as a woodworker — from absolute beginners to experienced craftspeople, this is a supportive space for learning, practicing, and building.
We offer a mix of classes, projects, and an open woodshop to make woodworking accessible to everyone.
woodworking pathways
Woodworking is like a language — let’s start with the basics, then learn how to apply those skills, and finally allow practice to grow your abilities, taking your craft to new and unexpected places
1. learn to woodwork
Get a taste, build a foundation of skills, or expand your learning
2. projects
Make cool stuff, gain fresh ideas, and access a guided practice
3. membership
Design and build almost anything, bring your ideas to life, and hone your craft
learn to woodwork
a range of pathways into the craft
Beginner Woodshop
A friendly, one night intro to hand tool woodworking.
Get a taste of magic of the craft and its core tools as you saw, chisel, plane, and carve wood on our classic workbenches.
Woodworking Foundations
Foundations I is about learning how to woodwork: teaching you about the materials, tools, techniques, and mindset as we make a beautiful shelf over 5 sessions.
Foundations II is about learning how to build: expand on FI skills to learn how to make a storage bench with project design & planning, stock prep with basic power tools, glue-ups, and fastener- and dowel-based joinery over 5 sessions.
Foundations of Power Tools
Learn core power tools — table saw, miter saw, and drill — as we cut and prep stock to build a seasonal from scratch: seeing it through from design, to preparation, to assembly over this 3 session course.
other pathways & projects
Carving & Sculpting
Carving is the meditative process of shaping, sculpting, or adding texture, engravings, and patterns to wood. It’s a means of slowing down to connect with the material through a celebration of grain and form.
Learn tools and carving techniques in our 2-part Beginner Wood Carving class.
‘Do It’ Skills Classes
Learn the skills to be more self-sufficient in your home with our ‘do it’ classes:
Light it! — learn to wire, solder and build a wooden lamp using basic electrical circuitry
Hang it! — learn how to use a drill and mounting hardware to hang things on the wall (studs or drywall)
Project Classes
Learn to woodwork by making beautiful objects.
While many project classes span 4-6 weeks and require Foundations I as a prerequisite, we offer some beginner-friendly 1-night smaller project classes, too.
what people are saying
“Such a great experience. The learning environment was supportive and by the end I felt confident in all the skills we learned.”
“The team made the entire process feel so approachable… guiding us every step of the way but giving us enough room to play and try to discover.”
“Would definitely do again! The instructors were so nice and helpful. I had a lot of fun and learned some new skills.”
“The instructors and staff are so friendly and the space feels supportive and inspiring. We always leave feeling fulfilled and excited about the new skills we’ve learned.”
“I came out feeling more connected to my community, learning a new skill, and feeling really proud of myself for creating something with my own two hands.
“you really do walk away appreciating the craft and the connection to nature.”
“Great place to learn! I was a total beginner and they helped me go from zero to building my own wood projects!”
membership
Join as a Woodshop Member to use Open Woodshop, to practice your craft in our hand-crafted woodshop environment alongside a community of woodworkers.
For anyone looking to make something out of left field — or just a beautiful set of custom shelves. Access the space, tools, wood stock, and support you need to step up to the workbench and create something.
Our Woodshop is open to members daytime and evenings, 7 days a week.
Access to Woodshop Membership starts by taking Foundations I.
about our woodshop
The Recess Grove woodshop is built around the art of hand tools, and places the craftsperson at the center of the process. It’s not about production, it’s about tactile judgment, studied technique, and human workmanship — the maker and the tool in harmony.
While we do have a nice mix of power tools in our shop, the machines are designed to complement the process rather than lead the dance.
