Small & Practical Wood Working Projects

Boxes

• Choose a box style that is useful to you. Carpenter tool caddies and small jewelry and trinket boxes are a good place to start. Cut your pieces from standard dimensional lumber to keep the project simple. Decorative corner joints like dovetails make the best boxes, but simple butt joints are best for beginners. Use wood glue and a pin nail gun to make the joints. Use small utility hinges to mount the lid, if you need one.

Shelves

• Wall-mount shelves are a utilitarian project that can be made in a short amount of time. Use heavyweight 3/4-inch thick cabinet-grade plywood in your choice of grain for a shelf that can hold even the heaviest household items. This type of shelf can be made up to 12 inches deep. Mount the shelf on metal wall brackets, mounted to the studs with wood screws and finish the front edge with a strip of decorative molding. Attach the molding with pin nails and wood glue.

Step Stool

• A small step stool is a good project for families with children. A step stool consists of three main parts, the two sides and a top. Cut your parts from heavyweight plywood for best results. Use a thick dowel rod fastened between the side pieces to reinforce the legs. Set the top piece so that it overlaps the sides for solid support. Decorate your stool with brightly colored flowers, or stencil on your child's favorite designs.

Plant Stand

• A square central column made from 1-by-4 or 1-by-6 lumber, capped off with a square top and base creates a sturdy plant- or vase-support stand. Add decorative molding around the edges, or route the edges for a fancier finish. Add you choice of colors in wood stain for a polished piece that will blend in to even the poshest of interiors. Make your base from a double layer of 3/4-inch thick medium-density fiberboard, or MDF, to weight it down for added stability.