Fresh Wood is a student competition for eligible high school and post-secondary students in a full-time or part-time woodworking or design program.

Check eligibiity and official rules →

Explore the 2027 categories and find where your project fits. Check the official rules for eligible projects and category requirements.

Explore all categories →

1. Register your school.
Make sure your instructor has registered your school here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/fw2027

2. Choose your category.
Confirm your project meets the requirements.

3. Prepare your submission.
Gather the required project details and materials.

4. Submit by April 15.
Click the button below to begin your entry.

Includes functional, decorative occasional tables, gaming tables, stands. Emphasis is on design integrity, craftsmanship, joinery, and aesthetics.

Utilize digital software and fabrication technology to bring creative ideas to life. Eligible methods may include CNC machining, 3D printing, laser cutting, and other digital fabrication processes.

• Entries must demonstrate the student's design process by including a screenshot of the software in use and providing relevant design details in the submissions questions.
• Students may use AI and other available tools but must disclose how those tools contributed to their projects.
• Projects will be evaluated on design, innovation, technical execution, and the successful application of digital technologies to create a finished product.

Anything Goes! No restrictions on style, minimum size, materials or percent of wood used. Pieces should have originality and be functional. This is the place for projects that don’t easily fit other categories, such as lighting, games, and clocks.

This is the category for anything related to sports and games. You could enter a tennis racket, hockey stick, fishing equipment, hunting equipment, canoe, dart board, card table, pool table, ping pong table, chess set, and more!

Hannah Khalaf was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Communications. After more than five years in radio, she returned to her family’s abrasives manufacturing business. In 2015, she helped grow SurfPrep Sanding, earning the company a prestigious Visionary Award for product innovation and productivity, followed by a second win in 2023. Over the past decade, Hannah has worked with diverse segments of the woodworking industry, including cabinet manufacturers, guitar luthiers, refinishers, and fine furniture makers. In 2019, she was named to Woodworking Network’s 40 Under 40 class, recognizing emerging leaders in wood products manufacturing. Passionate about advocating for the next generation of woodworkers, Hannah is especially committed to inspiring more women to pursue careers in the trades and helping elevate the woodworking industry.

Richard Nicholson has a long legacy as a woodworking teacher in the Los Angeles area and later supported other educators through the LA County Office of Education. He is also an active member of AWFS’ local industry‑education networking chapter, the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM), which organizes SkillsUSA California Cabinetmaking and Introductory Woodworking contests and promotes woodworking in schools. Additionally, Richard is active in SoCAL California Industrial & Technology Education Association (CITEA).

Dan Velázquez is a woodworker and machinist with over two decades of professional experience. He and his wife Shannon co-founded J. Joiners LLC, which provides prototyping, manufacturing, and consulting services to architects and designers, producing custom architectural millwork, furniture, and other bespoke work. Dan specializes in parametric design and 5-axis machining of geometrically complex components, combining traditional craftsmanship with advanced manufacturing. In 2024, Woodworking Network named him one of its “40 Under 40.” He is Senior Advisor for Manufacturing at Freedom Reads, Inc., and Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden, CT, where he began his career as an apprentice.