Stick & Staff Workshop
Introduction to Stick & Staff Making
Course Overview
By the end of the day, each participant will have made a stick or staff of their choosing and have the basic skills to continue making sticks/staffs on their own and develop their skills. During the session, participants will have learned the basic skills required for making sticks and staffs.
This will include:
– Safe use and care of sharp tools and other equipment needed.
– Foraging for suitable sticks and other pieces for making a walking stick and/or staff.
– Methods to straighten a foraged stick for making a walking stick if this is needed or desired.
– Removing bark if required or preparing a bark surface if being left on.
– Mounting a handle or other topper/decoration.
– Fitting a collar to a joint where required for aesthetics, and trimming the joint to size.
– Tapering the end of a shaft and fitting a ferrule.
– Smoothing the stick and applying decoration by carving, pyrography, painting, etc.
– Understanding the need for ongoing care and maintenance of a finished stick.
Participants are invited to bring a stick of their own if they have one they would like to work on.
This should be a sound stick, between 1m and 2m long, depending on whether you want to make a walking stick or a staff. It should be strong enough to support you, but not too heavy to walk with!
Also, if you have a favourite item that you would like to include in your stick as a handle, or as a topper / decoration for a staff, please bring it along and the tutor will advise on how it can be used”.
Times or dates don’t suit? Let us know, and join a waiting list.
Good To Know
This hands-on course will guide you through the entire process of making a stick or staff, from selecting and preparing materials to shaping, decorating, and finishing your piece. By the end of the session, you’ll have the skills and confidence to continue crafting sticks and staffs on your own.
Who is this course for?
This course is perfect for beginners and enthusiasts alike, whether you’re interested in traditional craft skills, enjoy working with natural materials, or simply want to create a unique, personalised walking stick or staff. No prior experience is needed – just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn!
I absolutely loved this course! I am not naturally a crafter, but Colin made me feel very comfortable and confident using tools I had never used before. It allowed me to use some of my creative flair, as we could choose how to decorate and carve our sticks. I would definitely recommend this course, as it’s great to walk with something you have made yourself and have people admire it.
Key Course Details
When: Weekends
Duration: 6 hour workshop
Class Size: 5
Cost: from £95
Materials: All required materials included.
Topper/decoration optional – attendee to bring their own.
Times or dates don’t suit? Let us know, and join a waiting list.
About the Tutor
Our course leader is Colin, known to us all as “Woody”. He has been working with wood for around 60 years, since first starting at the age of 10 doing small projects in his father’s shed. His main work is carving and making other items including sticks and staffs. As the resident wood-carver on the site, he has carried out many projects, including the carvings around the doorway of the smaller roundhouse, the animals around the play area, the woodpecker at the entrance to the forest school area, and the roof column in the Heritage Barn depicting the Oak and Holly Kings from Pagan myth.
He also taught BBC Countryfile presenter Tom Heap to carve Oak leaves when they were filming on the site.
Woody is a member of the British Stickmakers Guild & various online forums, and is looking forward to working with participants on the workshops to help them learn the skills to make their own sticks and staffs, etc.
What’s included in the price?
Tools, materials and safety equipment are provided.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided free of charge during the course.
Your car parking is also free of charge on the day of your course.
Additional Information:
Food and drinks can be purchased in the café in the visitor centre or bring your own packed lunch.
Please note if you are purchasing food from our café, a pre-order form will be available on the morning of the course (a selection of paninis, sandwiches, jacket potatoes etc, are available) so we can have your food freshly prepared for you.
Cancellation policy
Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 4 weeks before the course starts.