I tried a bit of woodworking back in school and really enjoyed it. Even though I had the support of a teacher, you can now learn a huge amount of skills independently, particularly with the help of the internet. But I often wondered whether you could truly learn woodworking on your own, so I looked into it, reflected on my findings, and put together this helpful article to share what I discovered.
Learning woodworking independently by reading books and watching tutorial videos is something many woodworkers have done, and it can be more effective. However, working alongside an experienced woodworker who can evaluate your projects and point out ways you can improve will also support your progress.
When you learn from books and instructional courses, you can do it at your own pace, and study any time you want. That means you don’t have to rely on the schedule of a woodworking teacher.
Some courses and books, however, aren’t the best. Below, I will explain what to look for in reliable instructional materials about woodworking so that you learn the right things and don’t get steered in the wrong direction.
📘 Popular Ways People Learn Woodworking
Although many people choose to learn by themselves, it’s useful to be aware of the various options for learning woodworking so you can make a well-informed decision about whether self-teaching is ideal for you.
Some people learn woodworking by doing a carpentry apprenticeship, where they work with a qualified carpenter and develop fundamental skills such as:
- Sawing
- Hammering
- Measuring
- Drilling
- Leveling
- Gluing
- Planing
- Ripping apart wood joints
- Sanding
- Varnishing
They get exposed to a wide range of projects, problems, and their solutions. Over about three years of full-time experience, they acquire the skills needed to be a professional carpenter. All these techniques are also transferable to creating woodworking products like tables and desks.
Others might work with a woodworker who owns a woodworking business. These companies are often on the lookout for someone to help with various woodworking tasks.
For example, a quick search on Indeed.com — one of the biggest online job boards — shows that there are more than five pages of companies seeking entry-level woodworkers/carpenters to learn skills on the job. Carpentry, though not exactly the same as woodworking, involves very similar abilities, such as drilling, sanding, and sawing. These positions typically involve moving pieces of wood around, doing minor tasks, and keeping the wood shop tidy.
Over time, you pick up one skill, then another, until you have a broad range of abilities to tackle almost any woodworking project.
However, a wood shop owner’s main focus isn’t necessarily on turning you into an excellent woodworker, and in some places, they can be few and far between, making it tough to find someone willing to take you on.
So, many individuals who want to learn woodworking decide it’s simpler and faster to dive in on their own. They read books, enroll in courses, and practice at home or with a friend. This way, they can pick exactly what they want to learn.
That said, you typically need some guidance about which skills to tackle first and in what order, especially when everything is new to you. For instance, how to saw something seems so easy to a seasoned woodworker, but for an absolute beginner, you need someone to show you a straightforward approach. Once you grasp how to do it safely, you can experiment a bit to confirm why it’s the best way.
To illustrate my point: when you saw with the blade positioned more vertically (straight up and down), rather than horizontally (flat), you generate more power while sawing. This means you can cut through wood faster.
Also, many of the machines and power tools used in woodworking are extremely hazardous. You need expert supervision or should thoroughly read through the instructions (or watch plenty of videos) before you feel comfortable using them.
When you have to bother your teacher every five minutes, unless they are standing by specifically to instruct you, it starts to annoy them. Then you might feel shy about asking, as though you should just figure it out alone. But much of this depends on the teacher’s approach, not yours. This means you should do a bit of research to find the courses and teachers whose teaching style resonates with you.
Some people like a teacher who yells and gets irritated, while others prefer someone more patient and supportive. Either way, finding a good teacher or course is critical to learning woodworking on your own.
You can learn woodworking on your own. But you will need to sift through numerous courses without knowing which ones are truly worthwhile. Based on my research, I found the courses below to be the most beneficial.
Additionally, some courses are overpriced and won’t teach you everything you need to know.
🛠️ Woodworking vs. Carpentry vs. Joinery: Should You Master All Three?
Woodworking is generally seen as making items out of wood from start to finish. This includes tables, chairs, desks, and smaller, more intricate pieces like cigar boxes or jewelry boxes — the kinds of things you’d keep around the home.
Carpentry, on the other hand, usually refers to building houses, such as framing a building or constructing a staircase. But the way you build and the techniques you use are essentially the same as in woodworking. Therefore, a carpenter can be an outstanding woodworker, and vice versa.
Joinery is all about joining wood pieces together, which happens in both woodworking and carpentry. However, it’s considered its own specialty. The designation can be a bit confusing because there are aspects of joinery that require unique skills, especially in certain types of carpentry where no nails are used.
The highest level of expertise in joinery involves making buildings without nails that stay intact for hundreds of years, such as famous works by Masaharu Takasaki and centuries-old churches in Russia. There’s an interesting video about these ancient churches, showing how they were built without nails. However, there’s a lot of overlap between these trades, and almost all the skills you learn in one can be transferred to the others. In my opinion, you should pick the one that appeals to you the most and pursue it.
🛠️ Defining Your Ultimate Goals in Woodworking
I would say most people struggle with TIME—finding enough time to learn while they juggle a job or go to school.
Some folks take up woodworking as either:
- A side hobby
- Making a career or business out of it by selling their work
1) Woodworking as a Rewarding Side Hobby
If this is your aim, it makes sense to learn woodworking on your own. It’s not life-or-death if your creations meet market standards or not. You can be more relaxed about it. You’re probably fine with reading a book at a leisurely pace and doing a bit of woodworking here and there to clear your mind and recharge. Plus, hammering on wood is a solid way to relieve stress and aggression, while also producing something awesome.
You can still sell what you make and start a small side business if you like. Even though you’re only doing it for your own enjoyment, there’s no reason you can’t sell your creations. Many handmade wood items are in high demand, especially among friends, acquaintances, and family.
Handcrafted wooden products add character to a home and often carry sentimental or emotional value. You can also give them as gifts. Not only do you get to practice your craft, but you also save money on pricey holiday or birthday presents.
🤝 Enhance Your Skills by Joining a Local Woodworkers Guild
Whether you’re doing woodworking as a hobby or a side business or turning it into a career, it’s a great idea to join a woodworkers guild. These are perfect for learning woodworking because you can connect with experienced woodworkers—perhaps over a few craft beers! Their seasoned mindset rubs off on you, and you naturally improve. Plus, it’s a lot of fun.
Even if you aren’t physically building anything yet, you can still bounce ideas around and get feedback or suggestions on how to approach certain projects. You might also learn which areas of your technique could use a boost.
To locate a woodworkers guild, simply type “woodworkers guild [your city]” into Google. I did a quick search and discovered Woodwest.com, which lists guilds in:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Northern and Southern California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
You can use that list as a starting point and then do a Google search if your state isn’t included on their site. If you’re still having trouble, you can always reach out to one of the listed guilds in a different state and ask for information about your own state—they’ll point you in the right direction.
This way, you can combine what you learn independently with any tips they give you. If you do everything entirely alone, you might miss out on additional perspectives that can significantly expand your skill set.
While woodworking is mostly a mechanical skill—more science than art—there is still a creative aspect. You can gain a lot of insights from others who have experience, such as design tips or aesthetic flourishes.
📖 Affordable and Free Resources to Learn Woodworking
In my research, I found that some people recommend starting with courses at Home Depot or your local Art Center. Home Depot and other stores that cater to the trades (plumbing, carpentry, tiling) sometimes offer DIY-style workshops, like basic plumbing or building your own raised bed. While constructing a raised bed technically involves woodworking, it doesn’t give you the full range of skills.
If you start this way, you’ll progress very slowly, and you won’t learn enough to build much beyond the specific projects they teach. You’ll also be confined to their schedule, potentially waiting for months to enroll in the woodworking class you want. For these reasons, I generally wouldn’t endorse them, although it could be a decent option for some folks.
The situation is pretty similar at Art Centers. You might learn a few woodworking techniques here and there, but most Art Centers mix in other classes like pottery and painting. As with Home Depot, it’ll take quite a while to refine your woodworking.
🌲 Why Your Approach to Learning Woodworking Matters More Than Going Solo
Lee Grindiger, a retired professional studio furniture maker from Montana, suggests that new woodworkers should see learning woodworking as learning individual skills, rather than following a step-by-step process. I tend to agree because every woodworking project is unique.
For example, crafting a small table is very different from building a set of drawers. While the basic acts of cutting and measuring wood are somewhat similar, putting everything together in the correct sequence requires project-specific knowledge.
For instance, you need to put the table base on the workbench and attach the legs to the underside. But with a set of drawers, you build the frame and sides first, then craft the drawers separately.
You’ll notice that high-quality courses will focus on the specifics of different kinds of woodworking. For instance, making cabinets might be taught in one course, and making tables in another.
You can check out Lee Grindiger’s Twitter profile by clicking here and some of his articles on woodworking by clicking here.
In my opinion, learning woodworking as a side hobby or to start a small side business is more suited to self-teaching. You can learn specific techniques and projects that interest you and that you think could sell well—or be great as gifts.
📚 Recommended Woodworking Courses and Books
1. The Complete Illustrated Guide Series: A Must-Have for Woodworkers
Videos and images are the best ways to learn woodworking independently because you can see exactly what’s being explained. You might get some sense of it from words alone, but it can be tricky to visualize. That’s why I highly recommend the ‘Complete Illustrated Guide To…’ series.
There are several different books in this series. The best for beginners who want a thorough introduction—and a handy reference they can go back to—is:
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking: Joinery / Shaping Wood / Furniture & Cabinet Construction (Complete Illustrated Guides)
This is a hardcover box set. It has over ten positive reviews on Amazon, and each review gives it a 5 out of 5 star rating. A carpenter with over 20 years of experience mentioned that he absolutely loves this set of books. If you click the link above, you’ll go to Amazon to check out the reviews or purchase the set. It’s only $39 new for the entire collection.
The other book in this series is the Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery, which also comes highly recommended.
If you’re on a budget, you might find comparable books at your local library. The principles of woodworking are timeless and don’t change much, so any detailed resource demonstrating the basics will help when learning woodworking.
There’s also a comprehensive Woodworking 101 video series consisting of eight parts. It covers the core tools you’ll use as a woodworker, and the final video offers some essential safety tips.
You can watch the introduction completely free, and it covers the tools and their functions in great detail. When it comes to building items like tables and desks, it’s wise to use existing plans.
Sprucecraft.com created an excellent summary of the best woodworking courses. They concluded that Udemy.com was the best overall. However, you should be a bit cautious and pick courses with the most reviews. You can filter courses for woodworking by popularity—the ones with the most enrollments and highest ratings. Definitely do that before buying anything.
Another outstanding website for learning woodworking on your own is Taunton Workshops. They provide clear, easy-to-follow, and thorough books that cover everything from the basics up to an expert level. Most are reasonably priced at under $20 each.
Although these books are excellent, you’ll still want to pair the knowledge with particular plans, and Taunton Workshops only offers one or two specific plans. The best woodworking plans I’ve encountered are on Woodsmithplans.com, which are free. They have numerous plans for practical items, not just things that you’ll only use in your workshop.
2) Turning Woodworking Into a Fulfilling Career
If you’re more inclined to go the career route and you’re really passionate about it, you might consider quitting your current job and taking a full-time course. In my opinion, you shouldn’t rely solely on self-teaching if you want to do this professionally. You’ll need guidance from an expert. Thus, doing woodworking as a career typically involves learning from someone else.
You should first see what options are available in your city and state (and maybe beyond) that appeal to you. Many schools have two-week intensive courses, allowing you to master fundamental skills in a short time.
Then it’s up to you to practice those techniques until you become proficient. However, if you take this route, you may need to leave your job and lose a steady income. Some might find it more suitable to look for an entry-level position that offers on-the-job training.
According to Study.com, the best woodworking schools in the USA include:
- Long Beach City College in California
- Red Rocks Community College in Colorado
- Palomar College in California
(By the way, a post on the top woodworking schools would be an excellent topic for a future article—add it to your list!)
Often, employers are open to training you on the job and don’t require prior experience. However, if you do this, you might not have as much freedom to learn exactly what you want, as you would if you were launching your own woodworking business. For example, you might not get to focus solely on handcrafting unique benches or tables.
Instead, you might begin with basic tasks, like removing nails from old wood taken out during demolition and discarding them in the skip, or measuring and cutting boards.
If you’re truly interested in woodworking, I believe it’s best to jump in wholeheartedly so you can learn everything you need. Then you can spend some of your free time creating distinctive pieces and perhaps start a business to sell your creations on the side until it replaces your main income.
Of course, running a successful woodworking business requires more than woodworking know-how; you also need marketing, business operations, and payment skills. You might already have some of these from working in a retail shop, restaurant, or elsewhere. It’s outside the scope of this article to cover how to launch a thriving woodworking business.
But, in short, you’d want to pick a product that seems to be in demand and sell it on an online marketplace like Ebay.com, among others. The courses and books I listed will definitely help if you’re learning woodworking for career purposes. But if you study at a school, they’ll usually provide a core textbook or list of recommended books—some schools even base their curriculum on a specific resource.
💡 Final Thoughts
You can learn woodworking on your own. However, whether you choose to learn solo or in a classroom setting will often depend on your goals. If you’re learning woodworking as a hobby or to earn some extra money on the side, it’s typically a great idea to learn from books and courses online.
That’s because most school-taught courses occur during the day, and your schedule might not allow you to attend if you already have other responsibilities. Also, if it’s just a hobby, you’re probably more laid-back about it and will enjoy taking your time to learn. Ultimately, do whatever best fits your schedule, budget, and passion!