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Best Online Woodworking Classes—Beginner to Advanced 2023

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Written by, Martina Georgievska

Updated December, 12, 2022

Are you a recent homeowner? Do you want to improve your craftsmanship? Or maybe you just want to lean into a new woodworking hobby?

Whatever the reason behind your desire to get into carpentry, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best online woodworking classes where you can develop the skills you’ll need.

Best Woodworking Courses on Online Learning Platforms

  • Best Overall: Skillshare | Enrol Now
  • Best for Diversity: Udemy | Enrol Now
  • Best Woodworking Courses for Experts: Woodworking Masterclasses | Enrol Now 
  • Best Value for Money: Domestika | Enrol Now
  • Best Carpentry Classes for Beginners: Woodworking for Mere Mortals | Enrol Now
  • Best Woodworking Courses for Crafters: Craftsy | Enrol Now
  • Best Text-Based Woodworking Courses: Instructables | Enrol Now

Best Woodworking Courses on Online Learning Platforms

Skillshare -Best Overall

Starting at - £90 annually (£7.50/mo)
Pros
  • Regularly updated content 
  • Easy-to-follow lectures  
  • Engaging community
Cons
  • Some users might find classes too short
  • Rating: 10 / 10
  • Free trial: 7 days 
  • Number of woodworking lessons: 40+
  • Price: £90 (£7.50/mo)

Skillshare is one the best eLearning platforms for creative arts and home to some of the top-rated and most varied woodworking lessons. 

The platform hosts over 40 courses in woodworking, taught by designers, architects and DIY experts. Topics explore several techniques and tools and cover anything from furniture making to crafting wooden kitchen utensils—ideal for anyone wishing to incorporate wood into their DIY projects. 

Some of the best woodworking courses on Skillshare include: 

If you are unsure which class to choose, you can always see a preview of the course and read up on the most essential details, such as the curriculum and users’ reviews. 

Skillshare does not issue certificates, but most courses include a hands-on class project that will showcase your newly-acquired skills and demonstrate that you successfully completed the workshop.

Udemy -Best for Diversity

Starting at - £19.99
Pros
  • Certificate of completion 
  • Courses for all experience levels
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
  • You have to pay for each course individually
  • Rating: 9.9 / 10
  • Free trial: 7 days 
  • Number of woodworking lessons: 40+
  • Price: from £19.99 

Udemy has a variety of woodworking courses ranging in complexity and subject matter. 

So whether you want to explore design tools and illustrate in 3D or you are interested in learning how to add finishing touches to your final product, the platform has the courses to meet your needs. 

Some of the most popular woodworking lessons on Udemy include: 

Best of all, you can watch these on-demand videos whenever and wherever you wish as the platform provides offline and lifetime access to course content and materials.

The one downside is that you cannot access the site’s entire catalogue with a monthly subscription. However, you can still try out a course thanks to Udemy’s free trial and generous refund policy.

Woodworking Masterclasses -Best Woodworking Courses for Experts

Starting at - £12 a month
Pros
  • High-quality videos
  • New video for Premium Users every week
  • 30+ free projects
Cons
  • No review feature
  • Rating: 9.7/10
  • Free sign up: Yes
  • Number of woodworking lessons: 250+ 
  • Price: £12 a month

Woodworking Masterclasses is brought to you by hand-tool enthusiast and master woodworker Paul Sellers

The platform, started by Sellers in 2012, lets you sign up for free and explore hundreds of videos, both as standalone courses or as episodes forming part of a bigger project.

That said, these furniture building classes tend to focus on more challenging woodworking tasks, such as making a router plane, a home TV unit and bookshelves. They also have small projects for coasters and wall clocks which makers can consider selling on Etsy.

More specifically, some of the courses you can find here are:

At £12 for a Premium Membership, you can unlock all courses and get a list of tools, hand-drawn layout diagrams and a cutting list with each project. The subscription fee is a bit high, but it’s well worth it, considering you’re getting lessons from one of the best artisans out there.

Domestika -Best Value for Money

Starting at - £82.80 annual subscription
Pros
  • Suitable for all levels
  • Unlimited access to purchased content
  • Expert instructors
Cons
  • English-speaking users would have to follow with subtitles
  • Rating: 9.6/10
  • Free trial: N/A
  • Number of woodworking lessons: 20+
  • Price: £82.80 annual subscription 

Domestika is a relative newcomer on the eLearning scene, but that hasn’t stopped the platform from delivering high-quality courses from some of the best creatives in their respective fields

Here is a selection of the platform’s best-rated carpentry tutorials:

The video lessons are broken up into bite-sized lectures, and all feature a class project giving you the chance to put your training into practice. 

Courses are available for individual purchase, or you could opt for a monthly/annual subscription. It is costlier than Skillshare, but with Domestika, you get lifetime access to all courses you buy, the ability to view classes offline and on the app, plenty of downloadable resources, as well as a certificate of completion

Most tutorials are in Spanish and Portuguese, although English subtitles are available.

Woodworking for Mere Mortals -Best Carpentry Classes for Beginners

Starting at - $147
Pros
  • Complete “what you need” lists for each project
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Lifetime access to course materials
Cons
  • The subscription is a bit pricey
  • Rating: 9.5/10
  • Free trial: NA
  • Number of woodworking lessons: 3 courses & 700+ YouTube videos
  • Price: $147

If you’ve ever tried your hand at learning woodworking online and seen a YouTube carpentry video, you are probably familiar with Steve Ramsey—master furniture builder and instructor. Now thanks to his in-depth course, Weekend Woodworker for Beginners, you can take full advantage of Steve’s expertise and get started with carpentry

Crafted especially for beginners to woodworking, this course provides six incredibly elaborate weekend woodworking projects that will teach how to create professional-looking wood pieces. The projects come with step-by-step video demos, printable schematics, detailed material lists, as well as a complete introduction to every skill and tool introduced. 

If you are a more advanced woodworker, you can take a look at other courses on the platform, including: 

  • The Weekend Workshop—A complete guide to setting up your shop, plus 14 shop projects to boost your DIY skills. 
  • Powered Up—Geared towards intermediate and advanced students; in this course, Steve shares tips and tricks of the trade to help you create projects faster and better. 

The subscription is a little on the pricey side, but you do get a 30-day refund policy in case the courses are not what you signed up for. Plus, you will continue to access all the course materials long after completing the tutorials.

Craftsy -Best Woodworking Courses for Crafters

Starting at - Free
Pros
  • Free courses available 
  • Bonus downloadable material 
  • Free weekly newsletters
Cons
  • Sessions can run up to 30+ min.
  • Rating: 9.3 / 10
  • Free trial: N/A
  • Number of woodworking lessons: 20+
  • Price: starting with Free courses 

As one of the best platforms for arts & crafts, Craftsy has a wide selection of in-depth woodworking training classes that are bound to take your weekend hobby to the next level. 

These are just some of the 28 woodworking courses on offer: 

You can purchase a course individually or unlock them collectively with a Premium Membership. The monthly fee starts at around $8 and comes with great parks, such as accessing on-demand courses on any device, including your fire TV or AppleTV, and membership sharing options.  

Taught by expert woodworkers and furniture makers, Craftsy’s courses can run up to 3+ hours. While this will give you detailed insight into each skill, it might make the material a bit hard to follow.

Instructables -Best Text-Based Woodworking Courses

Starting at - Free
Pros
  • Free membership
  • Simple UI 
  • Detailed learning materials
Cons
  • There aren’t any video instructions
  • Rating: 9.3/10
  • Free trial: 100% free
  • Number of woodworking lessons: 9
  • Price: Free

This Instructables class is an excellent place to start if you simply want to learn more about the most common tools and techniques in woodworking. The lack of videos might be a problem if you’re a visual learner, but the text-based, nine-part courses cover all of the equipment and supplies you’ll need. For example:

  • Drilling Perfect Holes—Goes through the essentials behind using a power drill, as well as drilling strategies for small and big holes.
  • Sanding—Here, you’ll discover the importance of sanding and how to use different materials to achieve an even wood surface.
  • Wood Shaping —A step-by-step guide on carving anything out of wood.

All courses can be downloaded as PDFs, so you can browse them in your own time or any device you want. There is also an option to share your finished project with other users and show off your craftsmanship skills. 

Should you get stuck along the way, you can always contact the course creator during virtual office hours by signing up for the service in the Questions section.

Bottom Line

Whether you’re a pro, a beginner, on a budget or just looking for ideas to improve your craftsmanship, you are sure to find a course to help you develop your carpentry skills in our selection of the best online learning platforms. 

Happy crafting!

FAQ

What can I expect to learn in an online woodworking class?

You can learn practically anything you want in online woodworking classes, depending on your level of competence. For example, you can take a look at Instructables, where you can learn how to make clean cuts or try Woodworking Masterclasses that covers more advanced skills like making complex furniture pieces.

Will I need to buy materials for an online woodworking class?

It depends on the project, but the short answer is yes. You definitely need hand tools and power tools as well as actual lumber to bring your idea to life. 

How much do online woodworking classes cost?

You don’t have to pay a lot to get the best online woodworking classes. They come in all price ranges—from entirely free to £55 a month. Or you could just purchase an individual course and see how it works out for you.