Build a Pair of Wooden Lanterns!

Create a pair of decorative wooden lanterns while learning basic woodworking skills in this fun, hands-on workshop. They’re great for a porch, deck, patio, table, or centerpiece and are designed for use with battery-operated LED candles.

We’ll have several designs to choose from using similar materials and construction techniques. You can make a matching pair, two different sizes, or mix up the designs. You can also give yours a seasonal look, including a Christmas or holiday theme. Have another design in mind? Within reason, we can probably build that too—just check with us ahead of time.

You’ll cut and fit the individual pieces, assemble them using wood glue and a brad nailer, sand your projects, and add the finishing details that make them your own.

Along the way, you’ll get hands-on experience measuring and laying out a project, making accurate cuts with a miter saw, safely using a brad nailer, assembling and squaring a project, and preparing wood for finishing.

The candle holders will be built primarily from pine, and all of the wood used in the workshop is repurposed or rescued. All materials, including decorative handles, are included. You’re also welcome to bring your own handles or hardware if you have a particular look in mind.

They can be left natural or painted, stained, or finished with polyurethane at home to create the look you want.

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 a pair of handcrafted wooden candle holders, ready for battery-operated LED candles.

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+

Example of Wooden 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.”