Build a Wooden Jack-O-Lantern!

Skip the pumpkin carving this year and build a wooden jack-o’-lantern you can bring out every Halloween!

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll build your own wooden jack-o’-lantern from repurposed and rescued wood. We’ll provide a variety of face templates ranging from traditional jack-o’-lanterns to something a little more spooky—or you can create your own.

You’ll learn how to measure and lay out your project, cut and shape the individual pieces, transfer your jack-o’-lantern design, drill starter holes, and use a jigsaw to cut out the face. You’ll then assemble your project using wood glue and a brad nailer before sanding and preparing it for finishing.

The jigsaw is an inexpensive and versatile tool that many people already have at home, so this is a great beginner project for learning how to cut curves and shapes—skills you can easily use on future woodworking and DIY projects.

Your jack-o’-lantern can be left natural or painted, stained, or finished at home. Want it to glow? Bring a small battery-operated LED light or candle and we can incorporate it into your design during the workshop.

All wood and basic construction materials are included, and the wood used in the workshop is repurposed or rescued.

No previous woodworking experience is required. We’ll demonstrate the tools and techniques as we go and help you safely complete each step.

Everyone will leave with their own completed wooden jack-o’-lantern—one that won’t rot on the porch and can come back out every Halloween!

Please bring safety glasses and a dust mask if you have one. We have a small supply on hand if you need one. Long hair will need to be tied back and no open toed shoes or loose clothing.

Min Age: 16+

Examples of Wooden Jack-O-Lanterns. Design your own!

Tony Hashem

Instructor

View Tony Hashem's Other Courses

Ever wanted to try woodworking but didn’t have the tools, the experience, or know where to start? That’s exactly what my classes are for. Most of my students arrive with no previous woodworking experience at all. My goal is to provide a relaxed, approachable place to step outside your comfort zone, try something new, and discover skills you may not have realized you could learn.

I especially enjoy working with reclaimed and rescued wood, finding new uses for materials that might otherwise be discarded. I’m also known to stop for a good pallet or piece of discarded furniture—what some people see as trash, I tend to see as lumber that just hasn’t figured out what it wants to be yet. Many of my projects let the wood’s natural colors, grain, weathering, and imperfections become part of the design rather than covering them with stains or colorants.

My students span generations, from children working alongside a parent to older adults trying something new. I encourage everyone to use the tools themselves, make mistakes, ask questions, and experiment with their own ideas.

My goal is for you to leave with a project you’re proud of—and, more importantly, the confidence to say, “I can do this.”