Trade your to-do list for a tool belt in one of the most empowering team building activities for women in the Bay Area. In this women-only woodworking class in Berkeley, your group learns carpentry basics step by step and builds a beautiful, functional hardwood cutting board from start to finish, then takes it home.
The class runs as two sessions of two hours on consecutive days, four hours in total, and is priced at $150 per guest for groups of 2 to 6 guests. No prior experience is required: everything is taught step by step, and guests attend both sessions to finish their board.
What's Included
- Two hands-on sessions of two hours each in a working woodworking studio
- Quality hardwood and all materials for your
Trade your to-do list for a tool belt in one of the most empowering team building activities for women in the Bay Area. In this women-only woodworking class in Berkeley, your group learns carpentry basics step by step and builds a beautiful, functional hardwood cutting board from start to finish, then takes it home.
The class runs as two sessions of two hours on consecutive days, four hours in total, and is priced at $150 per guest for groups of 2 to 6 guests. No prior experience is required: everything is taught step by step, and guests attend both sessions to finish their board.
What's Included
- Two hands-on sessions of two hours each in a working woodworking studio
- Quality hardwood and all materials for your cutting board
- Safe, guided use of the chop saw, table saw, jigsaw, planer and router
- Foundational skills in measuring, cutting, sanding, finishing and simple joinery
- Sanding and a food-grade oil finish for your board
- A finished hardwood cutting board you built yourself to take home
What You Will Build
The project starts at the chop saw, where you cut the pieces of your cutting board. Next you learn the basic skills of the table saw, then finish the piece with the router for a beautiful edge. Your board is sanded smooth and a food-grade oil is applied, so you leave with something that is both beautiful and ready to use in your kitchen.
Along the way you build real confidence with tools that may have felt intimidating before. The studio believes learning should begin with beautiful wood rather than inexpensive substitutes disguised with stain, so you work with hardwoods and professional tools from the very first class.
Why It Works for Groups
There is something special about a group of friends or coworkers cheering each other on through their first clean cut. This is one of the most memorable hands on team building activities for women, and with a maximum of 6 guests it is one of the most focused team building activities for small groups, with close supervision and plenty of time on the tools for everyone.
The class is great for a team building activity, a birthday, a bachelorette party or a date with friends, and a handmade cutting board makes it a natural fit for christmas team building activities and holiday gifting. Few team building workshops end with a keepsake this useful, which is why it stands out among unique team building events for small teams.
About Your Instructor
Your instructor's love of woodworking started young, learning in her grandfather's workshop and following her carpenter father around job sites. She has spent more than 15 years as a product designer, and today she designs and builds custom furniture and home goods from hardwoods like walnut, ash and hickory, blending modern design with traditional craftsmanship. Her classes are welcoming, hands-on and beginner friendly, held in her women-owned home studio in West Berkeley, and past guests describe a warm, low-pressure space that puts safety first.
How the Sessions Run
- Session one: learn shop safety and cut your board pieces on the chop saw
- Work through table saw basics with step-by-step guidance
- Session two: shape a beautiful edge with the router
- Sand the board smooth and apply a food-grade oil finish
- Take home your finished hardwood cutting board
Good to Know
- All skill levels are welcome, and no prior experience is required
- Wear comfortable clothes you do not mind getting a little dusty and closed-toe shoes
- If you have long hair, please tie it back
- Guests attend both sessions on consecutive days
- Sessions run as weekday evening classes from 5 to 7 pm or weekend morning classes from 10 am to noon
- Students learn to use five or more different power tools over the two sessions
- Private groups range from 2 to 6 guests in a women-only setting
Plan Your Woodworking Class
Share your preferred dates and group size to check availability. With per-guest pricing of $150, quality hardwood and professional tools included, and a finished board to take home, this class gives a small group new skills, real confidence and a keepsake they will use every day.
