Discover the Best Woodworking Classes in Chicago
Woodworking is a skill that focuses heavily on crafting usable items from wood by using tools like saws, planes, levels, and drills. For example, a woodworker may build things like toys, furniture, bookshelves, desks, or picture frames. Chicago woodworkers can make up to $36,710 annually or nearly $18 per hour, though some may make more. Learning woodworking skills in this city can include in-person or virtual courses that cover many in-depth subjects.
Why You Should Learn Woodworking in Chicago
Mastering woodworking can help Chicago residents in many unique ways. For example, you can create attractive wood-based art and sell it online or at one of Chicago’s many art fairs. You can also start a side hustle or full-time woodworking career in this city to make extra money. This step may include becoming a carpenter for the area’s many building projects.
Furthermore, woodworking can help you save money by building inexpensive furniture and decorations for your apartment. For instance, you could craft extensive wall shelving to hold books and other items in your home. Doing so can not only help you save money but space in a smaller studio apartment. Woodworking may also provide many mental health benefits.
In-Person Woodworking Classes & Schools in Chicago
Learning woodworking with in-person classes is a great option with many advantages. For example, most programs provide materials for you, which cuts down on your expenses. Furthermore, in-person courses include hands-on training with a live professor. You’ll also get the chance to interact with other people who are interested in woodworking.
If you’d like to attend in-person woodworking classes in Chicago, there are many options available for you. These include beginner-level courses, as well as intermediate programs. Each covers slightly different subjects, so make sure that you research your options carefully to ensure that you find a woodworking lesson plan that feels right for you.
Basic Woodworking for Adults
Basic Woodworking for Adults is an Evanston Art Center class on Central Street that helps up to 10 people learn beginner-level woodworking skills. You’ll cover power tools, joinery techniques, finishes, and fabrication. All students are encouraged to craft at least one woodworking project by the end of the course to show off their skills.
Intermediate Woodworking for Adults
Intermediate Woodworking for Adults is the second Evanston Art Center woodworking program. It expands on the lessons learned in the basic woodworking class, including more advanced tool usage, finishing techniques, and joinery methods. Students who completed the basic class can continue working on any projects they started in that course.
Intro to Woodturning for Adults
Intro to Woodturning for Adults is another Evanston Art Center program on Central Street that focuses on using a lathe to produce attractive projects. This 10-person, beginner-level course covers basic lathe operation and includes guided practice using gouges and other woodturning tools. Each student is allowed to work at a pace that feels comfortable for their skills.
Intermediate Woodturning for Adults
Intermediate Woodturning for Adults is the second Evanston Art Center class focused on lathe woodworking. It helps students develop more advanced lathing skills, including crafting more detailed and attractive items. Like in the introduction course, students can learn at whatever speed feels comfortable for them.
Laser Cutting for Woodworking
Laser Cutting for Woodworking is a beginner-level Evanston Art Center lesson plan that teaches students how to cut detailed and attractive wooden projects using Adobe Illustrator and advanced laser cutters. Students not only learn how to upload unique designs into Illustrator but master basic techniques that make laser woodcutting easier.
Virtual Woodworking Classes & Schools
If you can’t find an in-person woodworking program that appeals to you, online courses are a great alternative. They provide many advantages that make them useful for Chicago-based learners. First, you can attend them wherever you want, including your apartment or a hotel while on a business trip. This helps you avoid Chicago’s busy and frustrating traffic.
While virtual lessons have many advantages, they do have downsides. First, you may have limited space to practice in your Chicago apartment, meaning you may need to rent a work space where you can practice. Furthermore, you’ll have to buy all your materials yourself. That offsets some of the cost benefits that online classes often provide over in-person programs.
The many benefits of online woodworking classes make them a smart investment for Chicago residents, in spite of their downsides. When choosing among the courses listed below, make sure you read each description carefully to find a program that suits your needs. Each covers slightly different subjects and may require varying skill levels to complete.
Moss Wall Art
Moss Wall Art is a Food Craft woodworking program that teaches you how to produce interesting art using moss and wood. This 10-person program accepts all skill levels and includes a kit that’s sent directly to you after booking your course.
Each kit includes multiple types of colored moss, decorative items, a glue gun, glue sticks, gloves, snacks, and instructions. When completed, you’ll finish several framed art decorations that you can easily hang on your wall or sell online to others.
Wood Burn a Charcuterie Board
Wood Burn a Charcuterie Board is a Coastal Design Workshops program that teaches up to 20 people how to craft an attractive charcuterie board. Each student receives a custom DIY wood burning kit, including practice wood and a board for your final product.
The class’ professor will guide you through the crafting process, including how to select a design and basic wood burning skills. When you’re done, you can use the techniques you’ve learned to produce attractive charcuterie boards to sell or give away.
Private Group Woodworking Classes in Chicago
Are you interested in teamwork-building events for your employees in Chicago and want something more unique than another trip to the city’s many breweries? Try woodworking classes for private groups in Chicago. These courses can teach your team usable skills and bring them closer together as people in a fun and interesting environment.
CourseHorse programs typically include large class sizes (often up to 500 people) that use video-based platforms to teach hands-on carpentry. A skilled professor will guide your team through basic woodworking skills, including selecting wood, preparing it for cuts, and properly cutting, planing, and attaching pieces to create attractive products.
Available classes include courses like Virtual Serving Board + Sign Making Workshop. This one-hour program supports up to 200 people and teaches your team how to create attractive decorative items for their home or office. Similarly, Virtual Beer Caddy Making Workshop helps up to 200 people create wooden beer caddies to hold their favorite drinks.
What makes CourseHorse a great option for your woodworking training? First, they never charge any booking fees, meaning you only pay for the class itself. Furthermore, their programs are adaptable to multiple booking platforms and they always send confirmation within 24 hours. Even better, attendance can be adjusted up to the day of the class at no extra cost to you.
Even if you don’t find a woodworking program that works for your team, you can contact CourseHorse online to set up a private class for your needs. They’ll do what they can to identify a lesson plan that fits into your company’s unique teamwork-building requirements. In this way, they provide the support that your business deserves.