You don’t have to be a DIY superstar or carpenter to create beautiful wood projects. If you’re new to this venture and are searching for project ideas, then your hunt is over. This guide involves basic projects, carpentry skills, and more.
You can refer to this woodworking article for insights to get the most of your woodworking pieces. It’s an easy skill anyone can do. You can build your own projects and hone woodworking skills along the way.
Why do you need to create wood projects?
Woodworking can save you time and budget in case you need a few pieces of furniture get fixed at home. Other than that, it can supplement extra income in case the economy breaks down. Here are reasons why people indulge themselves with woodworks.
- It can be a hobby.
- You can get to fix your own furnishings at home.
- Woodwork services can help you supplement your income.
- Can make products you can sell.
- It’s fun!
Types of lumber for wood projects
There are different kinds of wood used in wood projects. Each lumber has its own characteristics that will determine the finished product. There are two major kinds of wood: the softwood and hardwood. The difference is not in the density, but rather, in its plant reproduction and seeds produced.
Softwood
Trees under this category are gymnosperms because they bear seeds and let it fall to the ground without covering. They are ideal for professional and beginner woodworking crafts. They are inexpensive and more resistant to insect attack.
Popular softwoods and their uses
Softwoods are ideal in building components and wood crafts like decors and card products.
- Yew – for interior and exterior furniture
- Douglas Fir – doors, frames, joinery, and heavy construction
- Scots Pine – construction of interior buildings
- Western red cedar – roof shingles, decking, and cladding
- Redwoods – Outdoor construction
Softwood trees often have needles and pines due to their coniferous nature. They have a faster growth rate and keep their needles throughout the year.
Hardwood
These are dicot trees that reproduced flowers, leaves, and covered seeds. Hardwoods are found in most tropical countries. They have more complex structures and vessel elements, which result in their slow-paced growth.
Popular hardwood and their uses
Hardwoods are favored for quality-made construction sites, furniture, craft products, deck, and flooring.
- Birch – for furniture and flooring purposes
- Mahogany – sought after for furniture, deck, and craft products
- Maple – Hard-maple is usually used in floorings and outdoor furnishings, while soft maple is best for indoor purposes
- Oak – best for floorings and outdoor gears
- Poplar – used in making accessories, toys, decors, and bowls
They are more expensive because their supply in the industry is limited. Hardwoods don’t grow fast and will take decades for people to cut them down. However, they last longer than most softwood which makes them ideal for making high-quality products.
15 awesome wood projects to make
These basic wood project ideas are suitable for beginners and pros. You can even get started this weekend to build your first woodcraft and get to show them off to the neighbors!
Coffee table
Would like to have a chic and rustic coffee table to call your own? Now, it’s possible. If you want an expensive way of making your own DIY furniture, refer to Ted’s Woodworking Plans for more samples of coffee table designs.
Bird feeders
Be compassionate to your little-winged friends and build a bird feeder or even a house for them. This project requires you little time and money and perfect for any beginner woodworking ventures.
Small Crafts
You can make your own house decors for the holidays with little expenses involved. More so, you can sell these holiday items and earn passive income in the long run. Everybody loves handmade crafts, and it seems like a lucrative business.
Bookcase
Either you’re dismantling old cabinets or making a bookcase from scratch, this is one project that’s easy to do. Learn to incorporate eclectic designs for your home library!
Chest designs
Store your items in a chest you made for your house. This easy-to-do wood project can come with a lot of designs from new or recycled wood at home. Who knew you can stash away your belongings in this cool chest you made.
Fences
Tired of nosy neighbors? Build simple fences that fend off your house and garden from prying eyes. Keep your family safe by building and placing fences around your lot.
Drink Coasters
You don’t want your tables to get wet and leave a stain with your drink, no? Coasters keep surfaces safe and make great gifts or products to sell.
A garden bench
Outdoor furniture makes a great statement for any home. It’ll make a perfect backyard party with friends and family on a Sunday afternoon.
Doghouse
Fido would love to have his own house to sleep in. Show your love to your dog by building an awesome kennel for him, courtesy by Ted McGrath.
Chicken coop
Make your own chicken coop and reap the benefits of keeping the fowls happy and healthy. Besides, a good eggs benedict might be your reward in the future.
Children’s cribs
Making children’s bed isn’t that hard if you work around the guidelines in making one. Be sure to smooth any rough edges, so that the child won’t get hurt.
Wooden toys
Wooden toys make perfect gifts for families with children. They can also hang them like Christmas ornaments during the holidays. Poplar wood would be ideal to use for this kind of craft.
Cabinets
This is one of the more common wood projects to do. It’s often the most recommended craft a novice can start with before doing advanced woodworking techniques. People can do either be a closet or filing cabinet.
Cutting and chopping board
It’s one of the most needed tools in the kitchen and a woodworker like you can make one. Cutting boards are easy to make because it’s almost like a slab of wood you can finish on. Remember to even the surfaces to avoid wood chips sticking in your food.
Planters
In need of boxing your plants? Wood is often advisable to use because it’s organic and well ventilated. Plus, you can even use the debris to aerate the soil too. There are more easy wood projects you can do and is not only limited to the above examples.
Essential techniques to learn for your wood projects
Woodworking involves more than just sawing and nailing of lumber. One needs a certain step or method to deliver beautiful masterpieces.
Planning and planing
The first thing you need to make a woodcraft is to visualize it. It helps if you can sketch and provide measurements of the project. Nowadays, people use a free program called SketchUp to make ideas for their desired project. At this stage, you need to joint and plain your lumber to create smooth boards.
Sawing
Sawing the boards makes all the difference in your finished product. This is the part where you get to cut the board and material sheets for the project. Here, you also get to learn the following sawing techniques:
- Rift sawing
- Quarter sawing
- Flat sawing
- Miter and bevel
- Cutting curves and contours
Drilling
Drilling affects the mechanical properties of the wood piece. There are different kinds of drilling processes any woodworker needs to know:
- Deep hole drilling
- Spot drilling
- Center drilling
- Micro-drilling
- Trepanning
Routing
Routing is an essential skill one needs to learn in wood-making. They cut and smooth the edges as well as providing clean-cut patterns and design
- Circular routing
- Table routing
- Plunge routing
- Interior patterns and cuts
Joinery
As the name implies, they piece the woodcuts together. One makes cuts and interlocks them with other boards. Examples of joinery techniques:
- Lap joint
- Butt joint
- Dovetail joint
- Miter joint
- Dowel joint
- Dado joint
Sanding
Sanders and scrapers leave the surface smooth and clean. It’s a tedious process, and that’s why you need an electrical sander to do the job. You can get one from your hardware store starting from P800 to P1,000+. Always wear a mask to your wood projects. Debris or particle can lower your respiratory health.
Finishing
Apply wood finish after you sand your wood piece. You need two or three layers of coat after one has dried. You can choose a glossy or flat look for your project depending on the finishing you chose. Also, if you plan to stain your woodcraft, do it after you sand the piece. Give it ample time to dry before you can apply a finishing.
Woodcrafts might be hard to do if you don’t get to see the bigger picture during the planning stage, I guess.
