Having a woodworking skill is enjoyable and may also help you land a career. You can make beautiful and useful things like furniture, tools, and cabinets out of wood. Woodworking makes something new from wood by cutting, trimming, drilling, hammering, chiseling, shaping, and sanding.
Students can learn these skills in local woodworking classes, trade schools, or the best online woodworking classes. Online learning might only be suitable for some students, but those who want to learn independently can get a lot out of online woodworking classes.
Beginners, intermediate, and advanced woodworkers can learn how to do different projects with the help of text, pictures, and videos in these classes. Check out the list of the best online woodworking classes below to learn more about them and what to think about before signing up. Also, read Best Memory Foam Mattresses.
How to Choose the Best Online Woodworking Class
Students taking online woodworking classes will find various classes, class formats, projects, and skill levels. They need to do research on their options before starting. Students need to know the following things to figure out precisely what they want from an online woodworking class.
Format and Cost of Classes
There are different kinds of online woodworking classes, from simple text lessons to step-by-step video project guides. Students can learn many basic, first-level woodworking skills from articles with text and photos. Still, this is not the best way to help a student with a complex project. Video-based classes are more like being in a classroom because they have audio lessons and pictures on the screen that can help students understand the material better.
Most of the time, these classes cost more, and some online classes can cost hundreds of dollars. Beginners should start with free online woodworking classes to learn the basics before paying for individual courses or subscription platforms to get to more advanced material.
Student’s Skill Level
One of the main reasons people take online woodworking classes is to learn something new. Online classes teach people how to cut, measure, drill, hammer, saw sand, and do many other things. Complete tutorials break skills into easy-to-understand modules, so even people who have never worked with wood can learn how to do it and enjoy a new hobby.
But the best online woodworking classes aren’t just for beginners. They are also great for intermediate and advanced woodworkers who want to try new things and improve their skills. No matter how much a student knows about Woodworking, they need to find a class that fits their level of knowledge and teaches the skills they want to learn.
What kind of projects and materials do you need?
Students of all skill levels can do woodworking projects ranging from small decorations to large pieces of furniture. But the size of a project doesn’t always tell you how skilled you need to be to finish it. Before signing up for an online class, students should consider the kinds of projects they want to make and how skilled they are. Then, they can find a class that meets their needs. Students will want their projects to be fun and hard but not so hard that they can’t finish them.
Students should also remember that online woodworking classes do not give them the tools, parts, and materials they need to finish these lessons. For different projects, students need to buy or rent essential woodworking tools and the parts and materials for each lesson. Getting these supplies from a local home improvement store or a reputable online woodworking store is best.
Get to the content
There are a few different ways to get to online woodworking classes. Some online woodworking classes are free, so students don’t have to worry about costs as they look through a content library. But these lessons may only be helpful for some, depending on their skill level or the project’s difficulty.
Students who want to learn Woodworking can buy online classes from some sites, but this can get expensive quickly. On the other hand, you can sign up for a monthly or yearly membership to many classes. With these subscriptions, students can access an extensive library of lessons, information, and projects that range from easy to hard. But students can only see the content if they have an active membership.
Best Online Woodworking Classes
The criteria used to compile this list of the best online woodworking classes include: class structure, price, number of projects, ease of access to content, recommended skill level, and overall value. It is meant to help people find the best online woodworking classes.
1) Woodworkers Guild of America
Through the Woodworkers Guild of America, people can join for $6 per month or $65 per year for a Premium membership and learn a wide range of woodworking skills, from the basics to the most advanced. Students can get more benefits if they pay $139 per year for a Gold membership.
For example, they can send questions directly to an expert for one-on-one help. Classes on the site are taught by people who know much about Woodworking. Projects can be watched as videos or downloaded as plans, so students can work on them at their own pace and review the material if they get stuck.
The Woodworkers Guild of America has more than 100 hours of content in its online library of woodworking classes, despite the site’s restricted search options. These classes include lessons on making cabinets, finishing, furniture, and joinery. Students can even watch live demos and ask questions right then and there.
Specs
- Style of class: video
- Cost: Premium membership costs $6 per month or $65 per year. Gold membership costs $139 per year.
- Skill level: All levels
- Types of projects: Work in the fields of cabinetry, finishing, furniture, and joinery
- Content access: With an active membership
Pros
- More than 100 hours of videos with narration
- An extensive collection of plans for woodworking projects can be downloaded
- Live mini-classes taught by experts
- With a Gold membership, you can get advice from experts.
Cons
- Few search options in the library
2) The Weekend Woodworker
The Weekend Woodworker’s classes are for people starting in Woodworking who need more room for long-term projects. The information is easy to understand, and the projects are meant to be finished on the weekend, as the name suggests.
You can buy these classes separately for anywhere from $97 to $197. Once students buy the classes, they can access the life content. They don’t have to keep up with a subscription. But the content library is designed for students with limited woodworking experience, so skilled woodworkers may want to look elsewhere.
The classes are taught through videos that show students how to use the tools they need for a project. Also, these classes have color-coded diagrams and plans for beginners that help students see what the projects will look like as they watch the video tutorials. Students get detailed lists of what they’ll need for each week of class, broken down by week, so they know exactly what they’ll need. Also, read Best Water Storage Containers.
Specs
- Class format: Video
- Cost: $97 to $197
- Skill level: Beginner
- Types of projects: Furniture making
- Content access: Lifetime access
Pros
- In-depth tool demonstrations and skill lessons for beginners
- Diagrams and plans for beginners are included in the program.
- Lists of things to buy that are easy to use
Cons
- Somewhat limited library of content
3) Woodworking Masterclasses
Tool and woodworking basics are essential for finishing woodworking projects, but intermediate and advanced students can review them in some classes. Woodworking Masterclasses are made for more experienced students, so they can use video tutorials to help them with more challenging projects. Some classes are free; you can access the whole content library for $16 per month. Students will always have projects because new video tutorials come every week.
Woodworking Masterclasses has a sister site called Common Woodworking. If a student wants to review the basics, they can go there. Students should be aware that they may not cast the site’s content from their mobile device or computer to a larger display. But the site says students should be able to cast without problems if they use a Google Chromecast device.
Specs
- Style of class: video
- Cost: Free, but a Premium membership costs $16 a month
- Level of skill: intermediate to advanced; Common Woodworking has classes for beginners
- Types of projects: Making furniture
- Access to content: All content is available to members.
Pros
- Every week, new videos show how to do a project.
- There are many free tutorials on projects and techniques.
- Common Woodworking lets you watch videos of basic skills.
Cons
- Inconsistent ability to throw
4) Woodworking Class by Instructables
Many online woodworking classes are only for intermediate and advanced woodworkers because beginners need to reach a certain skill level before taking on more difficult lessons. The Woodworking Class by Instructables offers a variety of free online woodworking lessons for beginners. This makes it easy for new students to learn the basics quickly without spending a lot of money on the hobby immediately.
This series of articles uses detailed text steps and high-quality pictures from different angles to teach students how to use tools, make cuts, glue, drill, sand, shape, angle, and finish a project. Some woodworking ideas or techniques, like making cuts, might be easier to learn with a video than text, but this format is good for beginners who want to take their time and learn by reading.
Specs
- Class format: Text and photos
- Cost: Free
- Skill level: Beginner
- Types of projects: Skill fundamentals
- Content access: Free access
Pros
- An in-depth look at the basics of Woodworking
- Pictures and instructions that are easy to understand
Cons
- No video demonstrations
Conclusion
The Woodworkers Guild of America is our top pick because it has affordable and flexible pricing options and a wide range of content for students. If you’re new to Woodworking and looking for a quick project to teach you the fundamentals and boost your confidence in the workshop, The Weekend Woodworker is a fantastic option.
