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North Bennet Street School

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Woodworking

Shaker Style Baskets

$300

with Sue Muldoon

Calendar Dec 5, 2026 at 9 am, runs for 1 week

Dates: Saturday, December 5th & Sunday, December 6th (2 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Sue Muldoon

Learn to weave three different Shaker style baskets over a 2-day period:

Shaker Cheese Basket, originally lined with cheesecloth to drain whey from the curds. A useful bread basket, wall hanging or gift. Once you learn the hexagonal pattern, you can weave more variations in the future. 

Shaker Cathead Basket, with it's distinctive curved bottom and 4 "ears" giving it the cathead name. Hand made loops to hold the handle and a wrapped style handle finish the look.

Traditional Gathering Basket, originally used for herbs and flowers. This is also useful for magazines, fiber, or many other items. The wooden handle is wrapped with a weaving technique you can apply to other baskets.  

Tools & Supplies: *There is an additional $85.00 supply cost due to the instructor on the first day of class. This supply cost covers the materials for all three baskets. The instructor accepts cash, checks, credit cards, PayPal, or Venmo. All other tools and supplies will be provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

  • Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
  • No loose clothing
  • Long pants suggested
  • No loose jewelry
  • Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: Some hand strength and precious weaving experience is helpful. If you have any questions about your experience, please contact ce@nbss.edu

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Cherry Cabinet on Stand

$1,650

with Kolin Schmidt CF '21

Calendar Dec 7, 2026 at 9 am, runs for 2 weeks

Dates: Monday, December 7 - Friday, December 18 (10 meetings)

*Monday - Friday schedule / Class does not meet on the weekends

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Kolin Schmidt CF '21

Teaching Assistant: TBA 

Price: $1,650 is the full cost of the class. A $150 deposit is due at the time of registration. Students will have the option to pay in full or pay over time with a weekly payment plan when registering for the class. The payment plan details will be shared during the registration process. 

In this class students will build a beautiful cherry cabinet on a removable stand. This piece includes both hand-cut and housed tapered dovetail joinery. The back of the case is pine shiplap and the interior features 2 shelves. The frame-and-panel door above a simple stand really makes this piece stand out in any home. Students will use a combination of hand and machine tools to achieve the highest quality build with efficiency in mind.

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies will be provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

  • Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
  • No loose clothing
  • Long pants suggested
  • No loose jewelry
  • Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Payment plan available: $150 deposit plus 15 payments of $100.00, paid weekly.

Turning Holiday Ornaments

$375

with Rick Angus

Calendar Dec 12, 2026 at 8:30 am, runs for 1 week

Dates: Saturday, December 12th & Sunday, December 13th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Rick Angus

We’ll begin the class with basic spindle-turning technique exercises before exploring a variety of ornament projects. Your experience level and interests will help determine which projects we can complete over the weekend.

We’ll start with simple designs, such as a snowman and an icicle, then progress to more intricate projects, including hollow orbs with finials and inside-out, twice-turned ornaments. Ornaments can be finished to highlight the natural beauty of the wood or transformed with color and embellishments.

Tools & Supplies: *Students should bring a sketchbook and drawing implement for recording design ideas. All other tools and supplies will be provided for this class. 

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

  • Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
  • No loose clothing
  • Long pants suggested
  • No loose jewelry
  • Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: Intermediate spindle competency recommended. If you have questions about prerequisite requirements, please email ce@nbss.edu

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Woodworking 101

$300

with Stephen Thrasher

Calendar Dec 19, 2026 at 8:30 am, runs for 1 week

Dates: Saturday, December 19th & Sunday,December 20th (2 meetings)

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Stephen Thrasher

Teaching Assistant: TBA

Interested in woodworking and looking for a way to get started? This introductory course is designed to give beginner students an overview of shop safety as well as some of the most common machines and hand tools used in woodworking. We work towards the completion of a small project while building basic skills and getting comfortable with machinery and working at the bench. This class is geared toward beginners looking to get a peek into woodworking. For more in-depth skill-building, check out our Fundamentals of Fine Woodworking and Fundamentals of Machine Woodworking classes. Many students choose to take Woodworking 101 before a Fundamentals class, but it is not required. 

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies will be provided for this class.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

  • Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
  • No loose clothing
  • Long pants suggested
  • No loose jewelry
  • Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ by the class start date to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Three-Month Furniture Making Intensive

$9,725

with Eli Cleveland CF ’09

Calendar Jan 19, 2027 at 8:30 am, runs for 13 weeks

Dates: Tuesday, January 19 - Thursday, April 15, 2027
*Monday - Friday schedule / Class does not meet on holidays, at night, or on weekends
No Class: February 15, March 17, and March 26

Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Eli Cleveland CF '09
*With additional guest instructors

Overview: Build a solid foundation in the most essential woodworking skills with this in-depth, comprehensive furniture-making course designed for both beginners and those looking to build expertise. This intensive class will guide you from basic hand and machine skills to advanced techniques in furniture making. Through a series of demonstrations and exercises, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to build most tables and case pieces. Complete a number of small projects before moving on to building a shaker nightstand and a cabinet on stand. This class is suitable for beginners to lifelong, enthusiastic hobbyists and everyone in between. For those who wish to apply to one of our Career Training programs and who don’t have much prior woodworking experience, this course provides prerequisite skill-building. 

These major topics are covered throughout the course: 

  • ​Tool sharpening (flat-edge tools)
  • Hand tool skills and development
  • Joinery (various mortise and tenon & dovetail joints as well as compound joinery)
  • Machine room safety, machine set-up, and procedures
  • Lumberyard trip (measuring for and selecting the correct lumber for a project)
  • Turning (spindle and faceplate)
  • Veneering
  • Case and table construction
  • Finishing

Tools & Supplies: Please bring the items on this supply list to the first day of class. Need an item? Our NBSS Store/Gallery carries dozens of tools and supplies in addition to NBSS branded items and handmade goods. You may make purchases online, in person (Monday- Thursday 7:30 am - 2:00 pm), or via email at store@nbss.edu. Tool orders must be made via email or over the phone.

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

  • Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
  • No loose clothing
  • Long pants suggested
  • No loose jewelry
  • Long hair must be tied back

Technical Standards: Though this is an introductory course, the nature and length of the instruction require that students meet the Technical Standards shared at the bottom of the Three-Month Furniture Making Intensive webpage. For any questions about your ability to meet these standards, please contact ce@nbss.edu.  

Prerequisite:  None

Veterans: Qualifying veterans may use VA benefits, including the Post 9/11 GI Bill® or Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) benefits, to cover the tuition for this course. Withdrawal from the course may impact VA housing benefits for those receiving them. To express interest in using VA benefits for the Three-Month Furniture Making Intensive, please send an email to ce@nbss.edu including the following information. 

Price: $9,725 is the full cost of the class. A $950 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is due at the time of registration. Students will have the option to pay in full or pay over time with a payment plan when registering for the program. The payment plan available will be listed at the bottom of the class listing. 

Cancellation & Refund Policy

  • Cancellation requests received at least 60 days before the program start date will receive a full refund minus the non-refundable deposit and a 5.5% cancellation fee
  • Cancellation requests received 31-59 days before the program start date will receive a 75% refund minus the non-refundable deposit and a 5.5% cancellation fee
  • Cancellation requests received less than 30 days before the program start date will receive a 50% refund minus the non-refundable deposit and a 5.5% cancellation fee. 
  • Once class is in session, NBSS does not offer refunds or make-up class sessions for missed classes due to student circumstances, including illness, travel, and family or work commitments.
  • NBSS reserves the right to withdraw a student from the class due to attendance or interpersonal issues. 

  • If enrollment does not meet 50% capacity by one month before the class starts, NBSS may choose to cancel the session. In this case, students who are registered will receive full tuition refunds (only), including their deposits. Note: NBSS is not responsible for any charges related to tools, travel, accommodations, or other non-tuition expenses.

Payment plan available: $950 deposit plus 20 payments of $417.85, paid weekly. Final payment of $418.00.




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