Create a one of a kind butcher block table for your kitchen! Interested in woodworking and looking for a way to get started? This introductory course is designed to give beginner students the basics in using hand tools and shop machinery to design and make a beautiful one of a kind project. Did you know that the Shelburne Craft School began as a woodshop in the basement of a church rectory over 70 years ago? Today, our woodshop is housed in a warm, historic, natural light-filled building in the heart of Shelburne Village. Our instructors are professional woodworkers who offer expert guidance and begin each session with a demonstration and a run through of how to safely use each machine. Each session includes one on one support to help students gain confidence with creative decision making. This course offers a different project each season designed to further develop the beginner woodworker's skill set.

First Day at Shelburne Farms, Following classes at Craft School

Create a bench and learn about sustainable forestry, wood properties and selection, milling and building in the process.Forest to Furniture is a course that allows students to learn about the northern forest and to create a table or bench using wood sustainably harvested from Shelburne Farms.We will kick off the course by visiting the woodlands at Shelburne Farms. We will explore natural history, discuss management, and learn not only about the importance of forest ecosystems but also their role in carbon sequestration. You will then carefully select your wood, harvested and milled at Shelburne Farms, based on the properties of the wood and your planned use for your finished product. A simple, locally sourced and prepared meal will be shared. The rest of the course takes place at the Craft School where you will build your beautiful bench.

This course is in memory of Marshall Webb who loved the forests of Shelburne Farms and the woodshed of Shelburne Craft School.

The price of this course covers one adult and one child (8+). 

Join your child in our beautiful light-filled woodshop and build a three-legged stool!