The Beginner's Guide to Woodworking

Woodworking is one hobby that can also be a rewarding profession, if you love working with your hands and building beautiful pieces from wood.

It takes time to get skilled at the craft. The upside of working toward that level is you’ll eventually be able to build real furniture for your home and family to enjoy.

Start with an idea of what you want to build, then find a beginner-geared project plan. There are plenty of small woodworking projects made for beginners — a jewelry box, a clock, a birdhouse, a cutting board, to name a few.

Woodworking Hand Tools

A hammer, a wood chisel set, a hand saw, a miter box with saw, flat and Phillips screwdrivers, a rubber mallet, woodworking clamps, a wood vise, a bench plane, a tape measure, a steel ruler, a steel square, and wood glue with a brush to spread it.

Woodworking Power Tools

A circular saw, jigsaw, table saw, belt sander, orbital finish sander, electric drill, and cordless drill.

Once you’ve learned the basics and built up real comfort with these tools, building furniture — tables, beds, chairs — starts to feel a lot less intimidating.