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Beginners Spoon Carving
18 April @ 9:45 am – 4:00 pm
This course is now fully booked. Contact us at friends@horsenden.org to be added to our mailing list for future dates.
Join experienced green woodworker Russ West for this relaxing carving experience at our woodland workshop.
You will be carving your own spoon from fresh greenwood with traditional tools. We will start with wooden blanks and will use axes, straight and hooked knives during the course of the day.
This course starts at 9:45am and finishes at 4pm – enough time to develop and practise new skills. The focus of the workshop is on process and safe technique, and by the end of the day the aim is for you to carve your first spoon to take home with you.
Tea, coffee, and biscuits will be provided throughout the day. For lunch, attendees are welcome to bring their own meal or purchase something delicious from our very own on-site bakery, The Horsenden Loaf.
No previous experience is required, but you do need to be 18 or over to take part.
What You Will Learn
The workshop will focus on the following areas:
- Wood selection, spoon design and grain orientation
- Roughing out a spoon from a wooden blank
- Safe and effective axe technique
- Rough carving your spoon
- Safe and effective straight and hooked knife use
- Finishing up
- Instructions on drying, burnishing and treating your spoon
Please note. Although no experience is needed, a reasonable level of mobility is ideal to make sure you get the most out of the day.
The venue
All our greenwood workshops take place at our woodland workshop. This is a covered wooden framed outdoor venue in a private area at Horsenden Hill, with more than enough room to keep everyone covered. This is a short walk from the main entrance and car park.
Please note the paths to the workshop and the workshop floor are uneven and woodchipped so unfortunately the space is not currently suitable for people with limited mobility.
If you have any questions, drop us a line at friends@horsenden.org
About the Course Leader, Russ
Russ carved his first spoon over seven years ago and quickly fell in love with the process and traditional techniques of green woodworking. Guided by the principles of Scandinavian Slöjd, he has spent the years since honing his craft – learning through self-practice, carving events, and working alongside some of the most accomplished carvers in the greenwood community.
Using traditional hand tools and locally sourced, sustainable wood, Russ pursues functional beauty in all his work. He is particularly well known for carving creatively shaped treen, often featuring unusual designs like intricate spirals and facets.
A passionate advocate for nature, community craft, and a member of the Association of Pole Lathe Turners and Green Woodworkers, Russ was part of the team that built the beautiful new woodland workshop at Horsenden Hill.
Based locally in Hanwell, in West London, he loves helping others discover the joy of making and is perfectly placed to guide you through your very first steps in spoon carving in a relaxed, encouraging environment.
Cancellation policy
Course Cancellation Policy
Our courses are led by dedicated craftspeople. To ensure they are fairly compensated for the time, preparation, and materials they commit to each course, we have established the following cancellation policy. We believe it is a fair approach that respects both our attendees and our hard-working tutors.
This policy applies to all course bookings.
Cancellation by You
To request a cancellation, you must notify us in writing via email. The refund amount is determined by the date your cancellation notice is received.
- Full Refund: Cancellations received more than 3 weeks (21 days) before the scheduled course start date will receive a 100% refund.
- Partial Refund: Cancellations received between 2 and 3 weeks (14-21 days) before the scheduled course start date will receive a 50% refund.
- No Refund: Cancellations received less than 2 weeks (fewer than 14 days) before the scheduled course start date are not eligible for a refund. This is because at this late stage it is very difficult to fill the vacant spot, and we have already committed costs to our tutors.
Attendee Substitutions
If you are unable to attend the course, you are welcome to find a substitute to take your place at any time before the course begins.
To do this, please inform us of the new attendee’s name and contact details. Once the substitute attendee has completed their booking and payment, we will process a 100% refund of your original course fee.
Cancellation by Us
In the unlikely event that we need to cancel a course due to unforeseen circumstances, we will provide you with as much notice as possible. You will be offered the choice of either:
- A full 100% refund of your course fee.
- A transfer to an alternative course date of your choosing, subject to availability.
Thank you for your understanding and for supporting our craftspeople.
£80.00
