Simple Woodworking Ideas

Boxes

• A wooden box is the simplest and most useful item to make, as it involves only two sides, two ends, one bottom and sometimes a top. Try making a tool box, jewelry box or toy box. Figure out the sizes you need for the sides and ends. Cut pieces of your chosen wood to size, nail or screw the pieces together and attach a bottom to it. Use a hinge on the top piece to make a lid.

Simple Furniture

• Look at a basic TV stand or coffee table. They are boxes with parts of the sides missing. Take the simple box design and use it to create furniture. Make several boxes, turn them sideways and stack them on top of each other to make toy displays. Buy wooden shelving, which usually comes in lengths of at least 10 feet. Cut the boards down and nail or screw them together to make shelves or a book stand.

Simple and Useful

• Build a tool cabinet with shelves. A tool cabinet is made up of a long box with a hinged lid. Planter boxes for the backyard are another simple way to hone your carpentry skills. Try building a work bench for the garage. Using a table saw, cut strips of wood to make picture frames. Cut 2-inch squares and glue them together to make a chess board. Keep the design simple.

Decoration

• Draw a design on a jewelry box, table, shelves or planters. Use a router or a hand-held chisel to trace over the lines in the drawing to make an impression in the wood. What is left behind is an interesting design in what was otherwise a plain piece of wood. Make name plaques for the kids' rooms or a name plate for the desk.