In a city where weekends often revolve around crowded cafés, shopping and screen time, a growing number of Mumbaikars are finding satisfaction in something more hands-on: woodworking. From crafting phone stands and stools to exploring more ambitious projects, these weekend workshops offer participants a chance to learn practical skills, work with their hands and take home something they have made themselves. For many, the experience goes beyond acquiring a new hobby — it is about discovering the joy of creating something tangible.
‘EVERY EMPTY WALL MAKES ME THINK OF A WOODWORKING PROJECT!’
For Merwyn D’Souza, a stay-at-home father to an autistic child, woodworking began as a personal pursuit around eight years ago. Over the past five years, he has been conducting weekend workshops for Mumbaikars keen to learn the craft, introducing them to basic tools and helping them turn pieces of wood into useful objects. “One of the reasons I am teaching is that I had no one to guide me when I began. I help people who enjoy woodworking and teach them how to use basic tools to create different things,” he says.His sessions have attracted people from varied professional backgrounds, many of whom arrive with little or no experience. Anushka Karmakar, a mathematician working in IT and data analytics, attended a four-hour session and completed three woodworking projects. The experience prompted her to look for wood and start building things on her own.“Merwyn has a way of teaching and sharing his passion that is contagious. I am so glad I attended the workshop. Since that day, every empty wall and piece of wood makes me think about a potential woodworking project!” she says. Karmakar and D’Souza also connect over their shared interest in mathematics and geometry, disciplines that offer an interesting meeting point between precision and craftsmanship.
‘IT WAS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS’
For Deepa Rane, who holds a senior position at a multinational company, the workshop offered a welcome break from a demanding work schedule.“I have a demanding work life and so, when I came across this weekend workshop, I gave it a try. It was a different experience working with people from different backgrounds, and I created a phone stand, one of the basics. It was a wonderful feeling, almost cathartic, to do something and create a useful thing for my desk,” she says.The appeal lies as much in the process as in the finished product. Measuring, cutting, assembling and shaping wood require concentration, giving participants an opportunity to step away from their usual routines and focus on a task that produces a tangible result.‘THE WORKSHOPS ARE APPROACHABLE FOR NEWBIES’Christine Tapp, a Dahisar resident who makes curios, tried woodworking for the first time and came away impressed by the learning experience. “As a beginner, I appreciated how our mentor balanced theory with hands-on practice, making the workshop both approachable for newbies as well as engaging,” she says. For first-timers, the combination of guidance and practical experience can help make unfamiliar tools and techniques less intimidating, allowing them to learn at their own pace while creating something of their own.‘I MET MANY HOBBYISTS LIKE ME’Rajani Nayak, an advertising professional from Chembur, grew up watching her grandfather make wooden stools at home using basic tools. Yet, when she considered signing up for a woodworking class in Mumbai, she was apprehensive.“I felt that perhaps only engineering enthusiasts, architecture students and interior design aspirants would attend such workshops. But once I was there, I met many hobbyists like me, who had come simply for the love of creating something unique,” she says.Her experience reflects how such workshops can make a traditionally specialised skill accessible to people who want to explore it purely for pleasure, without professional ambitions or prior technical knowledge.FROM WEEKEND PROJECTS TO BIGGER CREATIONSD’Souza has noticed growing interest in woodworking over the past few months. For him, one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is seeing participants continue experimenting after the session ends. “In the last few months, there has been an increase in the demand to learn woodworking. After my session, one of my students created a musical instrument, a cajon! It is great to see them go beyond just the workshop and create stuff,” he says.Whether it is a simple phone stand, a decorative object or a musical instrument, the satisfaction comes from making something with one’s own hands. In a city that rarely slows down, these workshops offer Mumbaikars a chance to work at their own pace, learn a new skill and discover that a humble piece of wood can hold the promise of a new passion.
