Classes at The Warren
Check out the wide range of DIY and woodworking classes we offer - there really is something for everyone!
We have the best teachers around, read all about them here.
Woodworking is an excellent team building activity: we run custom classes for work groups, or any group at all. Find out more about teambuilding classes.
Upcoming classes
This four-week course will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Learn to select wood, mill wood to square, and gain confidence on major woodworking machines, including the mitre saw, jointer, thickness planer, disc sander, and router.
Join fine woodworker Josephine Jelicich on a six-week series, learning how to make a finely detailed pencil box with a sliding lid. This project has a degree of customisation, including the final finishing techniques and the choice of the wood for the lid, meaning you will leave with a unique piece.
A great, low commitment class to learn some basic workshop skills. This four-hour class will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Along with workshop health and safety, you will learn to use the band saw, disc, belt and orbital sander, and the table router.
In this six-week beginners’ course you will learn the basics of three-dimensional wood carving, as you carve your choice of native bird: tūī or rūrū.
Learn to carve your own wooden spoon from the brilliant Courtney Petley.
You’ll be introduced to Courtney’s carving practice, learn the basics of carving and properties of wood, learn how to use a hook knife and blade, and then get into carving your own spoon, which you will finish with sandpaper.
This four-week course will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Learn to select wood, mill wood to square, and gain confidence on major woodworking machines, including the mitre saw, jointer, thickness planer, disc sander, and router.
Understanding the technical side of wood as a material is critical to creating work that functions as intended and lasts. You’ll learn about the growth structure of trees and how this dictates the appearance and strength of the wood we use; the difference between hard and soft woods; about shrinkage; durability; wood grain and woodworking best practice.
The design process can be challenging, but it is also fundamentally exciting, as you generate original ideas. Spend a half day with John learning how to apply simple design techniques and open-minded thinking to expand and develop concepts into solutions.
This class offers a balance of explanation, demonstration, and practice, with the emphasis on practice. John will discuss the types and purposes of chisel and plane blades, sharpening stones, hones and grindstones.
A great, low commitment class to learn some basic workshop skills. This four-hour class will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Along with workshop health and safety, you will learn to use the band saw, disc, belt and orbital sander, and the table router.
Learn to carve your own wooden spoon from the brilliant Courtney Petley.
You’ll be introduced to Courtney’s carving practice, learn the basics of carving and properties of wood, learn how to use a hook knife and blade, and then get into carving your own spoon, which you will finish with sandpaper.
Join fine woodworker Josephine Jelicich on a six-week series, learning how to make a finely detailed pencil box with a sliding lid. This project has a degree of customisation, including the final finishing techniques and the choice of the wood for the lid, meaning you will leave with a unique piece.
This four-week course will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Learn to select wood, mill wood to square, and gain confidence on major woodworking machines, including the mitre saw, jointer, thickness planer, disc sander, and router.
Build your own flexible compact workbench as you learn to use machinery safely and accurately, over three days.
A great, low commitment class to learn some basic workshop skills. This four-hour class will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Along with workshop health and safety, you will learn to use the band saw, disc, belt and orbital sander, and the table router.
In this six-week beginners’ course you will learn the basics of three-dimensional wood carving, as you carve your choice of native bird: tūī or rūrū.
Learn to carve your own wooden spoon from the brilliant Courtney Petley.
You’ll be introduced to Courtney’s carving practice, learn the basics of carving and properties of wood, learn how to use a hook knife and blade, and then get into carving your own spoon, which you will finish with sandpaper.
Getting used to the table saw by trial and error can be a disconcerting experience. Learn how to correctly set guards, rip and crosscut, groove and cut angles, all safely and efficiently.
Learn how to use these hand-held machines safely. You’ll learn how to select cutters and more simple ways to use these super useful machines with control and accuracy.
This half-day workshop will help you get much more out of the bandsaw. Find out how to improve the performance of your saw and use it safely. Blades guides and maintenance will all be covered.
Flat surfaces and straight edges are made quickly and accurately by the jointer (aka planer). The thicknesser then works with these surfaces and makes the timber even in thickness. Find out what makes these machines tick, how to use them correctly and safely and how to keep them running sweetly.
Enjoy a few days discovering this beautiful part of the craft and expect to make at least two planes, and learn to get the best out of them.
Learn to carve your own wooden spoon with teacher Courtney Petley.
You’ll be introduced to Courtney’s carving practice, learn the basics of carving and properties of wood, learn how to use a hook knife and blade, and then get into carving your own spoon, which you will finish with sandpaper.
This four-week course will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Learn to select wood, mill wood to square, and gain confidence on major woodworking machines, including the mitre saw, jointer, thickness planer, disc sander, and router.
A great, low commitment class to learn some basic workshop skills. This four-hour class will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Along with workshop health and safety, you will learn to use the band saw, disc, belt and orbital sander, and the table router.
Join fine woodworker Josephine Jelicich on a six-week series, learning how to make a finely detailed pencil box with a sliding lid. This project has a degree of customisation, including the final finishing techniques and the choice of the wood for the lid, meaning you will leave with a unique piece.
Learn to carve your own wooden spoon with teacher Courtney Petley.
You’ll be introduced to Courtney’s carving practice, learn the basics of carving and properties of wood, learn how to use a hook knife and blade, and then get into carving your own spoon, which you will finish with sandpaper.
In this six-week beginners’ course you will learn the basics of two-dimensional wood carving through an ornamental design project.
Learn how to make four different mortise and tenon joints over three days: by hand, by router, by domino and with a chisel mortiser.
This four-week course will teach you how to safely operate the essential machinery in a wood workshop. Learn to select wood, mill wood to square, and gain confidence on major woodworking machines, including the mitre saw, jointer, thickness planer, disc sander, and router.
Our teachers
Josephine Jelicich
Josephine Jelicich is an artist, gallery technician and fine woodworker. After she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Massey in Wellington, she spent a year studying at the Centre for Fine Woodworking in Nelson. Since then she has been working on projects in very small basement workshop. See some of Josephine’s work from her 2019 exhibition at Precinct 35.
Josephine teaches fine woodworking classes.
Courtney Petley
Courtney Petley is a self-taught woodworker who, in 2014, began buying old wooden furniture and spending the weekends restoring it. Due to her love of cooking, the restoration quickly evolved into spoon carving and spatula making. She started her business, Petley, in 2017, making cooking utensils out of reclaimed native timbers. Her practice has evolved to include sculptural candle holders and objects for the home.
See more of Courtney Petley’s work on her website.
Courtney teaches regular spoon carving classes.
Wanda Gillespie
Wanda Gillespie is an award-winning contemporary artist working primarily in figurative wood carving and wood sculpture. Her passion for wood carving grew after artist residencies in Java, Indonesia between 2007-09. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at the Victoria College of the Arts, Melbourne, 2009, she went on to take night courses in woodcarving at the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking under master carver, Ronnie Sexton. Wanda returned to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2015 and has an active artistic practice with regular exhibitions both in Aotearoa and Australia. To see more of her work, visit her website here.
Wanda teaches regular woodcarving classes.
John Shaw
John Shaw has been teaching fine woodworking for thirty years.
He studied in the UK at Rycotewood College and at the invitation of James Krenov in California at the College of the Redwoods. He taught craft design and visual arts at Nelson Polytechnic before setting up the Centre for Fine Woodworking in Nelson in 2006 and teaching the full-time programme until 2016.
He now teaches and mentors from his own workshop at Kanuka Rise, Wakapuaka, Nelson. Find out more about John here.
John teaches a wide range of fine woodworking classes.
Tim Boyd
Tim Boyd is the founder of The Warren. Besides being a knowledgeable woodworker and workshop operator, he is a registered plumber and gasfitter. Tim teaches Woodworking with Machines, Make a cheese board, our occasional DIY series, workshop inductions and can often be found helping out on other courses.