Ahmed Hussein first pursued his passion for woodworking on the balcony of his home in Cairo. As the sound of hammering grew louder and neighbours’ complaints mounted, he moved his small workspace to the rooftop. Later, he opened his own workshop, turning his passion into a business and founding his own wooden products brand.
“I used to work in sales, but I have loved woodworking and making wooden things since childhood. When business slowed during the Covid-19 pandemic, I decided to leave my job and turn my passion for woodworking into my own business,” Hussein said.
“During Covid, many people took up crafts as a way to escape boredom, boosting the popularity of craft workshops. That interest has returned with the growing awareness of the harms of social media addiction and its impact on family interactions. Many people have embraced handicrafts as a meaningful way to spend time together,” he added.
“They also face the risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence, encouraging them to learn new skills and crafts that can provide alternative sources of income.”
When Hussein decided to turn his hobby into a business, he found a gap in the market for custom-made wooden products including highly detailed pieces such as boxes, frames, and decorative items.
“Most carpentry workshops don’t produce small wooden pieces because they require a lot of effort and involve intricate details. Small wooden products also have different dimensions depending on a customer’s requirements, unlike the standard furniture sizes familiar to traditional carpenters,” he said.
“However, running a carpentry business has exposed me to one of the industry’s greatest challenges — the shortage of skilled workers. The success of any craft-based business depends on skilled people capable of producing high-quality work. They must understand every detail of a product and its design with precision, and that requires sound educational foundations, as well as judgement and commitment,” Hussein said.
“The overwhelming majority of people working in carpentry learn solely through practice rather than proper training. This highlights the real crisis, which is the absence of vocational education.”
The shortage of such education also stood in the way of Hesham Eissa, a doctor, when he decided to learn carpentry as a hobby. “When I wanted to learn carpentry, I had no idea where to begin. I tried learning at traditional carpentry workshops, but no one had the time to teach me,” Eissa said.
“An experienced carpenter may recognise good-quality wood at a glance. Yet he often cannot explain why he chooses a particular type of wood or why it should be cut in a specific direction, insisting only that there is a right way. Traditional workshops offer no structured way of teaching the craft,” he said.
He added that he had learned a lot by watching online content, and it was there that he had found an advertisement for a centre offering vocational training in carpentry. “I decided to give it a try, and I have never regretted it. I soon realised that woodworking requires knowledge of different types of wood and how to use them. That knowledge enriched my hobby and enabled me to produce furniture for my home and my friends,” he said.
“My journey began two years ago with a course on the fundamentals of carpentry, followed by another in cabinet making. Since then, I have continued to build on those skills through further training. Two and a half years after I first started learning, I have now completed a third course in decorative woodworking and am applying those skills to create artistic wooden pieces,” he added.
For Eissa, working with his hands has therapeutic effects that make a contrast to his regular job.
“Regular practice trains your hands,” he said. “While using a handsaw was difficult at first, over time my hands became accustomed to it. Choosing the right wood was another challenge. I often bought pieces with defects until I learned where to find good-quality wood and how to select it. I also learned how to make the best possible use of each piece while minimising waste,” he added.
“I devoted around six hours a week to my hobby, and after about a year and a half, I had completed a wooden wardrobe for my home. Then I rented a workshop where I could practice my hobby, and soon my friends began visiting to make furniture for their own homes.”
“I also welcomed local children to my workshop who wanted to learn carpentry as a vocational skill. It gave me the opportunity to pass on what I had learned to a younger generation.”
TRAINING: With vocational training in woodworking now available to younger learners, Abdallah Hesham, 16, has discovered a useful livelihood.
“I began learning carpentry a year ago. First, I learned how to hold a handsaw correctly and to cut wood and then how to put the pieces together properly until I had built my first table entirely on my own,” he said.
“After about a month of training, I had made two tables, one at the workshop and another at home. My mother asked me to make a side table to fit around the sofa, and I was able to make it for her. At first, I thought carpentry would be very difficult to learn, but the training changed my mind. Once I realised I could make furniture with my own hands, I began thinking about making and selling my own products as a business,” he said.
For Amal Al-Naggar, a wood-carving instructor, learning the craft vocationally also challenged her initial assumptions.
“I explored various crafts while I was looking for my true passion, and I initially believed that woodworking would be the most challenging of them all. But once I tried it, I discovered that working with wood was far more accessible than I had imagined. Trainees can acquire the basics of wood carving in a relatively short time, and they can even complete a 30-by-30 cm carved panel in just a few sessions,” she said.
“I began learning wood carving and how to produce various effects. After completing my training, I contacted the workshop where I had trained, ordered tools and wood, and continued practicing at home. When they noticed my commitment and saw the work I had produced, they invited me to teach my own workshops,” she added.
“I soon realised that learning about wood carving was not enough, and that if I wanted to carve a wooden box, for example, I would first need to make a box myself. This led me to take a carpentry workshop, and after about six months, I felt confident enough to create complete pieces. I made a wall clock, bookends, and wooden toys. I especially love wooden toys because they can last for generations. In fact, my ambition is to establish a brand specialising in wooden toys,” she added.
However, the craft was not without its own challenges. “Starting at the age of 50 was a challenge, and being a woman was another. I found heavy tools such as a power saw difficult to handle. They often seemed to be designed for a man’s hands, and I had to lean my body weight onto it to operate it properly,” Al-Naggar said.
According to Yehia Al-Hassafy, an architect and the founder of a woodworking training workshop, for many years carpentry in Egypt was regarded as a craft reserved mostly for professionals, and this made the tools available designed for factories and professional workshops and difficult to handle for beginners.
Women and older learners in particular faced barriers, and experienced carpenters often doubted that older adults could master the craft, believing it had to be learned from an early age. Many also refused to teach women, arguing that the workshop was not the place for them, he said.
“People just setting out in woodworking needed a safer environment and suitable equipment to learn the craft,” Al-Hassafy said. “This is why I established a training workshop in the Pottery Village in Fustat in Cairo where participants could learn the fundamentals of carpentry and how to use the tools safely. After I had imported child-friendly saws and equipment, I introduced workshops for children as well,” he added.
Al-Hassafy said that his workshop has now trained more than 600 people, the majority of them women despite the widespread belief that women neither enjoy nor excel at carpentry. “We have also welcomed many older participants,” he said, “including retirees who finally have the time to pursue a long-neglected hobby.”
“Beyond the training itself, I discovered a growing community of doctors, lawyers, and other professionals who are passionate about woodworking. Some hope to build a business, while others simply enjoy it as a hobby. We now regularly welcome enthusiasts who come to exchange ideas. Some even bring the furniture they are making along so we can discuss the challenges they encounter,” he said.
“Many people who attend our carpentry workshops want their children to learn the craft too, hoping it will keep them away from screens, and as a result we have introduced workshops where parents and children can work side by side. Children as young as seven can take part. They begin by learning how to measure wood, use tools safely, and build a wall shelf for their bedroom. Safety is part of every lesson, including learning what to do if they or someone else is injured while working,” he added.
Al-Hassafy said that the trainees have contributed to the workshops in other ways by shaping the products on offer. “As we got to know them, we recognised different interests and ambitions. Some wanted to build storage units, so we introduced cabinet-making workshops. Others developed teaching skills themselves, so we invited them back to lead specialised woodworking workshops,” he said.
“We also take participants to wood suppliers, where they learn how to choose the right wood for each project. They are introduced to the suppliers of woodworking tools, making it easier for them to continue practicing after completing the training.”
Some former trainees have gone on to create educational content about woodworking on social media, helping to introduce the craft to a much wider audience, Al-Hassafy added. Until recently, most of this content was available only in foreign languages, he said, but today Egyptian creators are making it more accessible.
“We have also worked to encourage more people to take up the craft and challenge long-held perceptions about it. At one exhibition, we invited visitors to try basic woodworking techniques for themselves. Once they had tried the tools, they realised it was far less difficult than they had imagined.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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