Wooden dowels are mainly used in woodwork to join different pieces together. They are included with unassembled furniture to allow consumers to quickly assemble their purchase with minimal construction skills. Wooden dowels can also be used to put together an assortment of racks and cabinets.
Dowels can be found as perches in birdcages or are used as curtain rods. Some people even mount dowels on the wall for hanging their coats and jackets or items such as keys, tools, toilet roll dispensers and picture frames.
Dowels can also be found on the axles (the shaft for rotating a wheel) in toys, on gymnastics grips, and can be used as knitting needles.