Make a Three-Legged Stool

Over two days at POW Workshops in London, you'll build a beautiful three-legged stool from scratch. The design has been used for over 2,000 years and is still one of the most elegant, stable, and functional pieces of furniture you can make. Traditionally known as a milking stool, it's an icon of honest craftsmanship.

The course is built around wedged through tenons, a traditional joinery technique where the joint is visible on the surface of the finished piece. It's an honest expression of the handmade: you can see exactly how it's constructed, and that's what makes it beautiful. You'll leave with both a stool and the knowledge to adapt what you've learned for future projects.

Three legs might seem simple, but there's real intelligence behind the design. A three-legged stool is always stable. Unlike four legs, which rock on uneven ground, three legs are always in contact with the surface. That's why they've been used by farmers, milkmaids, and craftspeople for millennia. Yours will work just as well as a side table, plant stand, step stool, or a seat for a child.

Here's what you'll cover:

• Understanding wood movement and why it matters when designing joinery for furniture

• Reading and interpreting 1:1 scale technical drawings

• Traditional wedged through tenon joinery and its applications

• Working with a range of hand tools, power tools, and professional woodworking machinery

• Angled joints: understanding the geometry of three-legged construction

• Gluing and assembling your stool

• Finishing techniques, including how to personalise the stool to your liking

No experience needed. Your instructor will guide you through every step, and with a maximum of 8 people per class, there's plenty of individual attention. If you've done some woodworking before, you'll get even more out of it, but it's not required.

What you'll get

A beautifully crafted, fully functional three-legged stool built entirely by you. It's a proper piece of furniture you'll use for years, and one you'll be proud to say you made yourself. All tools and materials are provided.

What's next?

Want to keep going? Our workspace memberships give you access to the full workshop to work on your own projects. And if you haven't already, our joinery pathway (Joinery 1 and Joinery 2) will give you the full foundation in traditional hand-cut joints.