The Keepsake Box Course (3rd August - 7th August 2026)

I had an absolute blast during the keepsake box course. Having followed his YouTube tutorials, I expected a similar experience, and that’s exactly what I got, but better. While the video's go into greater detail, being able to ask questions in person after the inevitable is invaluable. The class moved at a perfect pace so explanations came right when we were ready. Matt is a patient teacher, always up for a laugh.

The course also gave me much more confidence with hand planes (prior to this week I was quite traumatised) and showed me how to recover from mistakes without panicking.
Bonus: it’s the perfect chance to try out Matt’s tools if you’re thinking of buying any. Much to the chagrin of my wallet I greatly enjoyed using them!
All in all, it was a week packed with learning, laughter, and enough sawdust.

This was an incredible course. Matt shared so much knowledge and massively improved my confidence with hand tools.

This was such a good course. Matt is an excellent teacher with a really great balance between when to help and when to leave you alone. We made such good progress that we even got to make a bookstand as an extra. While the odd machine was used for convenience the whole box was really a hand tool build as every machine step had a hand tool alternative.
I cannot recommend this highly enough for beginners and those wishing to improve their joining and hand tool skills. And Matt is so obviously a decent person who cares about what he does. I would happily do another course with him.

Matt is a wonderful teacher. He’s very patient and takes everyone’s needs into account. He and his team are a lively bunch. You feel right at home and valued from the very start—regardless of your skill level. The workshop is superbly equipped, and the working environment is simply perfect for learning a lot in just one week.
Definitely my best and most memorable experience last year. Thanks again for this very rewarding week, Matt and team.

I really enjoyed the keepsake box course. Matt was a great teacher and the workshop was very well equipped. I learnt a lot during the course and enjoyed meeting like minded woodworkers. I would be happy to come back and participate in other courses and I would happily advise other woodworkers to do a course with Matt.

Very much worth the money and time spent.
Matt is an excellent instructor, the available materials were great and the shop setup and available tools made it easy to get to work on the project. The recommended accommodation (Furze Bush Inn) was also great and allowed to get to the workshop by foot everyday.

What an excellent week's woodworking tuition! Matt is an excellent teacher. The pace of the course was just right and he was always on hand to help deal with the inevitable mistakes we students made.
There was a lot of laughter and everyone went home with a beautiful keepsake box.

Really loved the time spent. Learned a bunch a got a beautiful treasure box out of it.
Wood recommend it to everyone.

I was slightly apprehensive before booking the course, I'm much more of a pallet wood & CLS user. Having seen the quality of Matt's work first hand, I thought give it a go, you only live once. So glad that I booked it, packed it & f**ked off for the long drive South. It was a bloody long drive but worth every hold up, closure, diversion, accident and any other thing that happens on the roads these days.
The location, excellent, a very relaxing atmosphere. It must be the nicest Industrial Estate I've ever been to.
The attendees, everyone was at differing stages of competency but this made for a much more interesting course, three different nationalities (out of five). Different ages, good mix of people.
The tuition was the best part, Matt has a very easy teaching attitude with more knowledge than Google.
The tools provided for the course were so much better than the ones I have at home (so Amazon took a bit of a kicking when I got back).
The materials supplied were of the highest quality, would you expect anything less. The emblem coin for keepsake box was so good, I bought another 10 while I was there.
Nothing was too much trouble for Matt, Rob & "the other bloke" (I'm shit with names, sorry).
My keepsake box well it turned out okay, the beauty is , the next time a make one I know it will be so much better with the knowledge and experience gained from Matt.
If you're still reading this, buy a project pack and give it a go, or go on the course - even better.

I attended Matt’s 5 day course in April 2026. It was brilliant. Matt walked us through (there were 5 of us on the course) all of the stages required in making the keepsake box. Matt is a born communicator and is able to convey his advice and instructions in a clear and friendly way. I learnt a great deal from the course, lessons that will stand me in good stead for the rest of my woodworking journey. I thoroughly recommend this course and I cannot wait to attend the next one.

attended Matt Eastley’s week-long keepsake box workshop and had an absolutely brilliant time. The course was packed with ideas, techniques, and inspiration from start to finish. It was slightly chaotic at times — but in the best possible sense: full of energy, enthusiasm, experimentation, and people genuinely excited about making things.

Matt is hugely generous with his knowledge. The workshop covered far more than simply making a box. Alongside traditional woodworking techniques, we were introduced to modern tools and technologies including laser cutting, 3D printing, and different approaches to design and prototyping. It felt less like a rigid class and more like being immersed in a creative workshop where ideas were constantly flying around.

The other attendees were equally enthusiastic, and the atmosphere quickly became that of a very enjoyable working holiday for people who love making things. There was a real sense of encouragement throughout the week, regardless of experience level.

Most importantly, I came away with a keepsake box that I am genuinely proud of — far beyond what I expected I would be capable of producing at the start of the course.

I would thoroughly recommend Matt’s workshop to anyone interested in woodworking, creativity, or simply spending a week learning new skills in a lively and inspiring environment.