Learn to make - Jan Hendzel Studio

Make a set of cutting boards

1 day course, Saturday 10am-5pm

Make a set of beautiful cutting boards and a wooden mount to hang them on. Designed for learners of all levels. Read more, check availability, and book a place.

Make the Cable Shop Stool

2 day course, Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm

Make a beautiful original Jan Hendzel designed stool that will last a lifetime. Designed for learners of all levels. Read more, check availability, and book a place.

Bespoke courses

We have a vast range of experience delivering courses in different aspects of design and making. Get in touch and help us design and deliver a unique workshop for you. Ideal for team away days and private courses. Read more.

Our courses introduce the processes involved in designing and creating an object out of wood. They are hands-on, informal, and structured by the step by step process of making a piece using a combination of hand-tools, workshop machinery and jigs. These methods introduce the means by which one can personalise objects as well as batch-produce them.

Our ethos

Sustainability is at the core of the methods we teach and the materials we use. In a time where whimsical trends push for desperately wasteful consumption, our designs are guided by the principle of ‘buy once and buy right’. And we hope more than anything that you will experience the satisfaction of having created something that will last for generations.

Experience needed:

No previous experience is needed for our 1 and 2 day courses.

What to bring:

An enthusiasm to learn, any questions you have regarding the world of wood and furniture, and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty!

What to take away:

You’ll leave with an understanding of the processes involved in making furniture, the properties of wood and some of the tools with which to shape it. And of course the pieces you’ve just made!

We are keen to convey the life and feel of a furniture-making workshop. We are surrounded by timber, an eclectic array of machinery, maquettes and current projects in the making. We’d love you to explore and ask questions.

The care and attention needed when making things by hand can fundamentally change the relationship we have with those every-day objects we often take for granted. We hope our courses excite a broader appreciation of craft and respect for the work of makers in all fields.

Transferrable skills:

The course introduces many of the skills needed to make more complicated pieces. And more generally, successful woodworking requires codes of practice that we aspire to carry with us into other aspects of life. Even the simplest tasks require a high degree of planning, patience, and accuracy. These are skills that we hope to convey in our course, ones that would be prudent to bring to any DIY job in the home.

Lunch:

Woodwork makes us hungry and we like to eat well! We provide tea, coffee and fruit during the day and a hearty vegetarian meal for lunch. Meal times are an important part of the day at the workshop. Eating, talking, appreciating good food! Feel free to enquire as to what’s on the menu, but we may not be able to cater for every taste, so if you have any specific dietary requirements it would be wise to bring your own back-up sustenance.

Venue:

All courses are held at our Woolwich workshop (except for those by specific arrangement). It is a wonderful, light-filled, spacious place that we love introducing people to. You’ll see great slabs of timber, an eclectic array of machinery and many different projects, ideas and experiments in the making. We still find it an inspiring place to work. We hope you do too. Feel free to explore and enquire when you’re here.

Location:

Our workshop is in the heart of Thames-Side Studios, an incredible hub of creativity in South-East London. There are 500 other studios here, making the site the largest single-site studio provider in the UK. See below for directions.

We are right next to the Thames Barrier which is well worth visiting.

Our tutors:

Our tutors are all trained furniture-makers, with years of making and workshop experience. All have worked in Jan Hendzel Studio and are familiar with the workshop facilities and processes.

Health & Safety:

Working with wood means the use of an array of tools. Some of them are necessarily kept extremely sharp and can be dangerous if not used correctly. We take the utmost care in our instruction and will never push you to use something if you feel uncomfortable doing so. We oversee the use of machinery and provide PPE where required.

Feedback:

We want to provide the best courses we can. If there is anything you would like to comment on during or after our courses, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Directions & Transport:

View our contact page for a map and postcode. We will also email specific directions when you confirm your attendance.

Bus & Tube
The studio is easily accessible by bus, with the nearest Tube connections a short ride away at North Greenwich (Jubilee Line) and Woolwich Arsenal (DLR, Thameslink). Woolwich will also be on the Crossrail Queen Elizabeth Line.

Train
Overground trains from London bridge stop at Woolwich Dockyard (a 5 minute walk to our workshop) or if you fancy a little river stroll, get off at Charlton and meet the Thames river-side path described below.

Walking & Cycling
From Greenwich, the Thames river-side path brings you right up to the back door of our workshop on Bowater Road. It’s a lovely walk or ride of you have a bit of extra time. There are secure places to leave your bike in the workshop.

Driving
We are just off the A206, the main road from Greenwich to Woolwich. There is a free and secure onsite carpark, please use the business post code and address for carpark access.

Cancellation and refunds:

At the time of enrolment, we require payment of the course in full. You can cancel up to 14 days prior to the start date of the course and a full refund will be given minus a 20% administration fee. Within 14 days, due to the preparation that goes into the course, we will not be able to refund you the cost of the course unless we find a replacement.

We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule this course. In this unlikely event a full refund of course fees will be given.