Furniture Diploma Level 3
- Cardigan Campus
A career in furniture making involves designing, crafting, and producing furniture pieces by working with different materials and techniques. It is a specialised field within woodworking and requires a combination of technical skills, creativity, and craftsmanship.
As a practical and creative subject, our courses in furniture making can be an ideal route to a rewarding hands-on career. Coleg Ceredigion is the only further education college in Wales offering courses in furniture making in the further education sector and the level 3 qualification is natural progression from our level 2 course, or a specialist option for those with prior experience.
Building on the foundation skills learnt at level 2, this University of the Arts London (UAL) awarding body course allows you to creatively develop your design and making skills to a higher level. Practising more advanced making techniques and enabling you to explore your own design ideas. It will give you the skills you need to design and make furniture and other uniquely designed pieces from timber and timber based products.
This very creative and practical course will ensure that you widen your knowledge of furniture design, experiment with new techniques and really hone your making and finishing skills. You will learn how to craft complex pieces of furniture by hand and machine, using a range of locally sourced hardwoods and panel products. Your efforts will culminate in a showcase of your work at the end of year furniture design exhibition.
Course details
- Full time
What you will learn
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The furniture workshops are fully equipped with hand tools, woodworking machinery, CNC router, laser cutter and a solar kiln used to dry wood sustainably. You will creatively build on your practical skills in the workshop while learning about the principles of design, timber technology and sustainable product development with our team of experienced lecturers and technicians. We also run master classes by renowned industry professionals, such as upholsterers, chair makers, wood turners and carvers. Every so often we like to get out of the workshop, so organise termly visits to museums and galleries, sawmills and relevant businesses. We also have links with colleges abroad, so there is also an opportunity to take part in exchange visits.
Year 1 - Diploma
The course starts off with a refresher project, making a stool. Contextual research is carried out, then the design process is followed to make your own take on a traditional milking stool.
Moving on, we will move through a series of short projects to teach you more advanced practical techniques such as complex angled work, curved work, CNC routing and laser cutting. You will be encouraged to experiment and develop a technique of your choice in response to a brief.
You will move onto a chair making project. Here you will learn about ergonomics and strength, develop models, prototypes and eventually make a chair of your own design using newly acquired batch production and efficient wood machining techniques.
Across each project we will dive deeper into CAD, design history, timber technology and sustainability. You will also cover key skills like, critical thinking, reflective practice. We will also teach you the basics of pricing your work.
Year 2 - Extended Diploma
This year really enables you to hone in on your own furniture or timber based specialism. Is it chair making? CNC routing? Wood turning? Would you like to work in recycled materials? Do you have a product idea you would like to develop? Would you like to make a capsule product range for a small business?
In a more self-led manner, we will give you the chance to really develop your own style and skill set ready for business, self-employment, employment or progression to higher education. We will support and guide you through this in a bespoke way providing business guidance, specialist industry links, and technical advice. You will have full access to our workshops and facilities.
The first part of the course offers you time to research your specialism, explore ideas, experiment with techniques and refine your skills. The final project will be a self set brief. Here you will be synoptically assessed on all learning you have developed throughout the qualification, by realising and presenting a self‑initiated project. You will demonstrate an in‑depth understanding of a specialist industry practice of your choice, and have made full use of the creative process to achieve an outcome which meets the needs of your selected audience or consumer.
You may wish to progress further to study at degree level, enter employment or set up your own business in the industry. Success on the course can provide a pathway into self-employment, an industry apprenticeship, or employment in furniture making, fitting and related industries.
3 Units per year. All practical and portfolio based coursework.
Regular group critiques, interim assessments and formal presentations. No exams.
Five GCSEs at grades A*-C, which includes either English language or Welsh (first language) and maths, or completion of a level two vocational qualification in furniture making or joinery. Mature learners without qualifications are welcomed and may be accepted subject to a successful interview.
£50 workshop fee plus the cost of materials for your own projects.
All learners are required to pay an administration fee of £25 prior to enrolment.
You will need to provide your own safety footwear (protective toe), tape measure and stationery. All other tools are provided. Some specialist trips may involve additional costs.