Whether you are a professional woodworker or an enthusiast in the field, you will definitely want to try your hands on creating beautiful and functional wooden furniture. As a beginner you may start with small and easy things, but as you improve and hone your skills, you will need to try your hands on more complex projects. Whatever may be the case, the first step of any woodworking project is planning. When taking up small projects, you may just need to spend a small amount of time, but for complicated or detailed furniture, you will have to spend some extra time in planning. Typically, the planning stage of creating wooden furniture involves three steps – first is determining the project itself – meaning you need to specify what exactly you want to build. Second is working out the details of the project through woodworking plans and prototypes, and finally finding out the tools you will need and the amount of material you will need to create it.
Choosing the right wooden furniture project is relatively easy:
You can choose a project as per your need or fancy. Say you have outgrown your patio table so you may want to have a new one to replace it. Or, you saw a nice looking rack at the furniture store but, it was way beyond your budget. But, you found a good woodworking plan for it so, you may try that. Creating your own wooden furniture out of wood, at your own workshop gives you the advantage of controlling its cost and quality. You can also customize it as per your needs. If you are a woodworking enthusiast and want to try new techniques or tools and hone your skills- you may choose a project accordingly.
Now that you understand the factors that you need to consider when choosing wooden furniture projects, lets walk you through five such projects that you can try.
- Patio Chair
Patio chairs are one of the most used outdoor furniture. If you have a set of such outdoor chairs on your deck, you can enjoy the cool air with your friends and family. The patios chair project that we have chosen here has comfortable seating and is simple to build. The good thing about it is that you will only need a couple of tools to make it – like tablesaw or radial-arm saw, band saw, drill press and a router and is practically low on maintenance . If you live in a coastal area, you will find this project quite tempting. Check out this link for the project details.
Patio Chairs from American Woodworker
Wooden furniture example from the American Woodworker magazine.- Tile Topped Wooden Table
While the first project we chose was for making patio chairs, the second one we have chosen is a solid table that you could use on your deck. You can use it to keep cool drinks, snacks, etc., while you are spending some quality time lounging with friends and family. It is indeed a stylish side table that is pretty much simple to build. To make sure that it is able to withstand the outdoor weather, using white oak to build it makes sense. It is finished with an outdoor stain and the ceramic tile top not only adds to the accent but also makes maintenance relatively easy. Read more about the project here:
http://www.americanwoodworker.com/blogs/projects/archive/2011/04/07/aw-extra-tile-topped-outdoor-table.aspx
- Frame and Panel Hope Chest
Chests are one of the indispensable wooden furniture that most homes have. They come handy for storing stuffs like blanket, clothes, etc. In this project, you can learn an easy and elegant way to make mortise and tenon joinery. If you have been struggling with this type of joint, then by following the simple techniques stated here, you will be able to do away with all your doubts. Making this chest is simple – the design makes use of a frame and panel construction that has been in use for centuries now. The joinery is durable, so you can be sure that it will last for ages. Check out the project details and instructions here.
http://www.americanwoodworker.com/blogs/projects/archive/2014/01/15/frame-amp-panel-hope-chest.aspx
- Barbara’s Table
If you have a small amount of wood and you want to create memorable furniture from it, this side table will surely fit the bill. It is a versatile piece of wooden furniture that you could use in a number of ways. The best thing about creating it is that it makes use of some time-saving biscuits and dowels that makes the process of creating it faster. Wondering how you can build it, just follow this link and find out.
http://www.americanwoodworker.com/blogs/projects/archive/2012/01/03/ws-barbara-s-table.aspx
- Display Cabinet
If you are in mood for a somewhat challenging project, then you may pick this project of display cabinet. It is not just about showing your woodworking skills, but it will also help you display your valued treasures. It comes with glass doors, glass shelves and sides and the insides are lit with built in lighting making this wooden furniture stand out. Whether you want to flaunt your antique tools, coveted fine porcelain or fine China wares, they will surely catch the attention of your guest. Follow the link below to check out the project details.
Display Cabinet Plans From American Woodworker
Wooden display cabinet. Great furniture from American Woodworker.
So, these were a few wooden furniture projects that you can try your hands on. All the projects we have picked have been chosen keeping in mind its utility and skill level. However, before taking up any of these projects, there are a couple of things that you need to keep in mind:
The first is that the wooden furniture project you choose must fit your budget, secondly you must have the necessary tools and most importantly, it must not be way beyond your skill levels. It is obvious that wooden furniture with delicate inlays and carvings, etc., would be more challenging than those with straight lines and minimal carving. So, depending on how good your skills, you must choose a suitable project. Once you are comfortable with the easy ones, you can surely take up more challenging ones. And last but not the least, always make sure that you are aware of the safety precautions that you need to adhere to while working on it.
