Make a Shaker Side Table with Drawer
Fine Furniture Course
Refine your hand-cut joinery to make a classic Cherry Shaker side table
on this focused and flexible course.
Overview
Designed for those with some prior experience – whether you've done a course before, can cut some simple joints by hand or have done woodworking – this course is for you.
You’ll build a side table in the classic Shaker style, with a dovetail drawer, in Cherry.
Throughout the course you'll have the chance to discover traditional methods of furniture construction; as well as the refinements that elevate woodworking to a fine level. You'll leave with a refined and functional piece of furniture.
Course Dates
Week 1: 27th – 31st July 2026
Weeks 2 & 3: Either join us on 10th – 21th August 2026; or drop-in flexibly over the next 12 months at your convenience
Monday–Friday, 9:00–17:00 Level: Improvers, Advanced
If you need more information, drop us a note.
What You’ll Learn
Marking and precision shaping of table components using hand tools
Hand-cutting and fitting joints, frame and panel carcass construction
Traditional drawer construction and fitting techniques
Turning a small drawer pull on the lathe
By the end of the third week you’ll leave with a heirloom-quality side table and a refined ability to take your furnituremaking to the next level.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is ideal if:
You’re 18 years old or older
You’ve completed a beginners woodworking course or a dovetail box course (with us or elsewhere); or
You’re a hobbyist with some woodworking practice but keen to learn the skills to make fine furniture; or
You have done a bit of woodworking before and have cut some simple joints by hand
You’re ready to make a refined piece of furniture
If you’re completely new to woodworking, we recommend starting with our Beginners Woodworking Course.
The furniture-making sector has long been male-dominated and we would like to see that change. Women and gender-diverse individuals in particular sometimes hold back from courses like this. If you have some woodworking skills, you belong here as much as the next person. We are trying to do our part to address the gender inbalance, so if there is anything holding you back from signing up, please reach out. We'd like to help.
Making the Shaker Table
Hand Joinery & Shaping
Legs are carefully planed and tapered by hand, developing sensitivity to line, balance and proportion. Front and back rails are joined using hand-cut dovetails, while the side frames introduce mortise and tenon joinery — a calm but demanding combination that rewards precision and patience.
Table Carcass Construction
Solid side panels and a frame-and-panel back form the table. These elements are carefully prepared and brought together in a considered glue-up, where alignment, sequence and calm decision-making are as important as the joints themselves.
Making and Fitting the Drawer
A Shaker table is defined by its drawer. You’ll cut half-blind dovetails at the front, dovetails at the back, and fit a cedar drawer bottom using traditional grooves and drawer slips. Time is spent on fitting — learning how small adjustments transform movement and feel.
Turning the Drawer Pull
The drawer is finished with a turned wooden knob, made on the lathe using a simple template. This introduces controlled turning and reinforces the Shaker idea that even the smallest detail deserves care.
The Tabletop
The final stages bring everything together. Boards are selected and arranged with attention to grain and colour, then glued and shaped by hand. Edges are softened, surfaces refined, and the table assembled into a quiet, complete whole — ready for finishing and life beyond the workshop.
Course Fees
The tuition fee for a three week Shaker Table course is £590 per week. This includes the use of school tools and materials; the final piece is yours to take home. You may pay for your full course £1770 in full, in installments or spread your fees as you plan to attend, per week.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and apply.
-
If you’re able to do the following:
Mark and cut simple joint by hand, such as a half-lapped joint or a mortise-and-tenon
Set up, adjust and use a bench plane
Sharpen chisels
Your level and ability is not important. If you have practiced these before, you will be able to make the Shaker table.
-
If you’re able to attend the first week of the course, that’s all you need to start.
We can host you for the remaining 10 days flexibly, for example one day a week for 10 weeks; or another full week in three months’ time, etc. If you’d like to join us and you are unsure about timings, do reach out! We will answer all your questions and work out a way to accommodate.
-
We can accept students who are 18 years old or over.
-
No, we supply all tools and materials for the duration of the course – but if you have your own tools, you are welcome to bring them.
-
Furniture Craft School is a very small operation. Our short courses run with a small group of students, a booked tutor, and materials ordered specifically for your project. When a place is cancelled, that has a real and immediate impact on us – so we ask that you read this carefully before booking.
If you need to cancel or change your dates, please get in touch as soon as you know. The sooner you tell us, the more we can do to help.
We're happy to transfer your booking to another available date if you give us at least four weeks' notice before your course begins. Because we run a limited number of short courses each year, there may not always be a suitable date in the same year – but we'll always look at the following year's schedule too, and do our best to find something that works for you.
If you cancel with less than four weeks' notice, we'll still do everything we can – please do contact us – but we can't guarantee a transfer and unfortunately we're unable to offer a refund. By this point, your materials have been ordered and your tutor has been booked. The only exception is if we're able to fill your place from our waiting list.
We don't offer refunds for non-attendance.
We strongly recommend taking out personal travel or course insurance to protect your booking, particularly for multi-week courses.
-
We try to be as flexible as possilbe as we would not want finances to be a deterrent for accessing craft. Whilst we don't have funding for short courses, you can pay for this course flexibly:
Pay one week at a time, for example, pay the first week in full and then decide when you would like to do your second and third weeks, paying those as you go.
Pay in installments. You can select this option at check out.
Ready to Book?
Build a traditional Shaker side table with a dovetail drawer in Cherry. Designed for those with some prior experience.
This course takes place flexibly over three weeks:
Week 1: 27th – 31st July 2026 – you must be able to attend this first week
Weeks 2 and 3: 10th – 21th August 2026
or you can complete weeks 2 and 3 by dropping in flexibly, which we can arrange with you.
You may purchase week 1 only or the complete course. You can also pay in installments.
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.