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.

View The Warren cancellation policy here. 

Hand tools class

Upcoming classes


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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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