Woodworking Projects
A woodworking project or a woodworking plan is a step-by-step guide and material list designed to walk you through the process of building a specific item.
Woodworking projects cover thousands of builds, from furniture, cabinets, picture frames, chopping boards, desks, tables, and so much more.
Many projects are available online and some of these can be accessed for free, however it is best to always source your woodworking projects from a qualified seller. These people have real experience in woodworking and can share their best tips and advice as well as their most effective techniques.
When I first started looking at online woodworking projects, I came across a small website owned by a man called Ted, his collections of projects contained more guides than I could ever hope to finish even if I dedicated the rest of my life to them.
For this reason we recommend checking out Ted’s Woodworking project collection, Ted is one of the best in his field and offers a package of 16,000 woodworking projects!
Find Your Next Project
Why Do You Need to Create Wood Projects?
Woodworking can save you time and budget in case you need a few pieces of furniture fixed at home. If you develop a passion for it, you can even turn it into your own business to supplement your income or to quit your day job all together. Regardless of the reasons why you want to learn this skill, you will surely have fun making your creations. It’s satisfying too to see and admire the products of your own hands.
It’s an easy skill anyone can learn. You can build your own projects and hone woodworking skills along the way. Woodworking projects have custom designs and blueprints have easy-to-follow instructions that make woodworking hassle-free.
Types of Wood for Woodworking Projects
There are different kinds of wood used in woodworking. Each lumber has its own characteristics that will determine the finished product. There are two major kinds of wood: the softwood and hardwood.
Softwood
Trees under this category are gymnosperms because they bear seeds and let them fall to the ground without covering. They are ideal for professional and beginner woodworking crafts. They are inexpensive and more resistant to insect attacks.
Popular Softwoods and Their Uses – these are ideal for use as building components and in woodcrafts 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 Hardwoods and Their Uses – these 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 before they are ready to be cut down. However, they last longer than most softwoods which makes them ideal for making high-quality products.
Download Ted’s 16,000 Woodworking Plans to get more tips and to access detailed blueprints of woodworking pieces. You will also learn about how to choose and buy the proper wood types to make your projects easy, fast, and fun.
15 Awesome Beginner Woodworking 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 your neighbors.
- Coffee table. It’s possible to have a chic and rustic coffee table that you can boast of as your very own. Whether you want an outdoor patio coffee table or one that would perfectly complement your living room sofa, you can find various designs for DIY coffee tables in Ted’s Woodworking Plans.
- 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 to complete and is perfect for any beginner woodworking ventures.
- Small crafts. You can make your own house decors for the holidays with very little expense involved. More so, you can sell these holiday items and earn passive income in the long run. Everybody loves handmade crafts and more than a handful of small businessmen have found it to be a lucrative business.
Find Your Next Project
- Bookcase. Either you’re dismantling old cabinets or making a bookcase from scratch, this is one project that’s easy to do. You can even incorporate your own eclectic designs to your study or home library.
Chest designs. Store your items in a unique chest specifically made for your house. This easy-to-do wood project is flexible and can easily be personalized with your own design and preferred type of wood.
- Fences. Wooden fences are both aesthetic and practical at the same time. You can build a simple fence that fends off unwanted people and critters from your yard or garden. Fences are also great for keeping your house from prying eyes.
- Drink coasters. Drink stains on your table are ugly and unsightly. They ruin your furniture and perhaps your mood too when you get irritated every time you see them. You can make drink coasters as your beginner woodworking project. You can make a set for yourself and maybe several others to give away as gifts.
- A garden bench. Outdoor furniture makes a great statement for any home. Your own woodworking garden bench will make a perfect piece for a 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 of Ted McGrath.
- Chicken houses. Make your own chicken coop and reap the benefits of keeping the fowls happy and healthy. When they start laying, you can enjoy your own supply of fresh eggs for your delicious Eggs Benedict breakfasts, Quiche Lorraine lunches, and Deviled Eggs cocktails.
- Cribs and children’s beds. Baby furniture is more special when they are made with your own hands. This woodworking project can be your gift to your child. If you build one that’s durable enough to stand the test of time, it can even be a family heirloom piece.
- Wooden toys. Wooden toys make perfect gifts for families with children. They can also be hung as Christmas ornaments during the holidays or decors for any season. Poplar wood would be ideal to use for this kind of craft.
- Cabinets. Small cabinets are fairly easy to make and are recommended for novice woodworkers. As you learn more advanced woodworking techniques, you can move on to building wall closets and kitchen cabinets among others.
- Cutting and chopping board. This is 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 basically just a slab of wood. Remember to even the surfaces to avoid wood chips sticking in your food.
- Planters. Wood is often advisable to use as materials for planters because it’s organic and well ventilated. Plus, you can even use the debris to aerate the soil too.
There are more easy woodworking projects that you can do and you are not only limited to the above examples. In fact, the world’s largest collection of woodworking blueprints is shared by Ted McGrath.
Essential Woodworking Techniques You Need to Learn
Woodworking involves more than just sawing and nailing of lumber. One needs a certain step or method to create beautiful masterpieces.
Planning – The first thing you need to make a wood craft is to visualize it. It helps if you can sketch and provide measurements of the project. Nowadays, people can use a free program called SketchUp to play with ideas for their desired project.
Planing – You need to joint and plane 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 – This 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 – This is an essential lesson in wood-making. This process cuts and smooths the edges as well as provides clean-cut patterns and design
- Circular routing
- Table routing
- Plunge routing
- Interior patterns and cuts
Joinery – As the name implies, this involves piecing 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 rent one from your hardware store starting from $30 to $70. Always wear a mask to your woodworking projects.
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.
The Takeaway
It is easy to learn how to make creative wood crafts. Start with beginner woodworking projects from Ted’s Woodworking Projects. You don’t have to be a pro to follow Ted’s detailed step-by-step plans as he will actually teach you what techniques you can use. All you need is the willingness to learn and the determination to see your woodworking project through from start to finish.
Click here to find out more about Ted’s Woodworking Projects.