One Week Dovetail Box Making Course

Unlock the timeless skill of hand-cut dovetails in our intensive Dovetail Box Making Course at Furniture Craft School.

Overview

Over five immersive days, you'll create a stunning keepsake box in beautiful brown oak, using only hand tools and traditional joinery techniques. Perfectly suited to those with some prior woodworking experience – or those who have already taken our beginner’s one week marquetry course – this course is designed to deepen your skills and give you a true insight into the craftsmanship we teach here at the School.

What You’ll Learn

  • Precision marking and cutting for hand-cut dovetails

  • Accurate chiselling, sawing and fine-fitting techniques

  • Traditional methods for box making without machine shortcuts

  • Finishing methods for a professional result

By the end, you’ll have made a handcrafted dovetailed box — an heirloom-quality piece you’ll be proud to keep or give as a gift.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is ideal for you if:

  • You've already completed a beginner woodworking course (with us or elsewhere)

  • You want to improve your use of hand tools like saws and chisels

  • You're serious about refining your joinery skills

If you’re completely new to woodworking, we recommend starting with our Beginners Woodworking Course first.

Meet Your Tutors

  • Peter Quin

    Founder & Principal
    Master Furnituremaker, The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers

  • Andrew Lapthorn

    Designer-Maker, Fellow of the Society of Designer Craftsmen & Owner of Lapthorn Furniture

  • Mark Thomas

    Bespoke Guild Mark holder, Multi-Award Nominee Designer-Maker. Owner of MakerMark

  • Paul Iaquaniello

    Designer-Maker & Owner of Kent Furniture Design

Course Fees

The tuition fee for a one week Box-Making short course is £595. This includes the use of school tools and materials; the final piece is yours to take home.

Practical Information

This course is for very small groups of up to 4 people.

The school is set on the grounds of Scotney Castle. The course runs from 9AM until 5PM from Monday to Friday, with an hour lunch break and two tea breaks. Please do bring a lunchbox. You are welcome to visit the school during term by appointment. Make your appointment by contacting us below.

How to Book

This Dovetail Box Making Course is scheduled on an ad-hoc basis and places are limited.

To book, head to our One Week Course product page. On the dropdown menu, select the dates that say 'Box-Making Course' — only those dates are available for this course.

Once booked, your place is confirmed. If no suitable dates appear, it means the course is currently full — please contact us below to join the waiting list.

Have Questions About Our Short Course?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a message using the form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

As a small school, our teaching staff are always hands-on in the workshop, so our office hours are limited. Email responses will take a little longer. We appreciate your patience.