Woodworking is not only a fun past-time but a great way to make money as well on the side. While there are key woodworking professions that can generate good revenue, it usually means years of training to become master craftsmen. Most casual woodworking enthusiasts don’t pursue this training, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make money with your non-specialized woodworking skills.
There are many necessary household and everyday items made of wood that has a huge demand but doesn’t require professional-level skills to make. These items vary in size and shape but are generally easy to make with a little bit of practice. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 woodworking projects that sell for beginners that will give you a basic rundown of the items, their feasibility, and how to make them.
Note that we’ll be assuming that you have minimum familiarity with woodworking experience and know the basics of handling whittling and power tools. The list will start with smaller projects and then move on to larger ones sequentially.
Small Decoration Pieces and Toys
Small wooden toys and decorative pieces might not be the most profitable wood carving project, but if you are a total beginner or don’t have too much time to dedicate to wood carving as a side hustle, these items can generate a decent side income. Decorative pieces and toys that have a rustic or indigenous feel to them are generally more in demand than generic ones.
When it comes to small wood carving projects like making toys and decorative pieces, whittling is the best way to carve. Since there is no standard dimension specifics in making toys and decorative pieces, you’re only limited by your skills and imagination. The only things you’ll need for small carving projects are:
- Carving knife
- Mallet
- Nails
- Sander
While these items don’t usually have a high demand in the local market in most parts of the globe, they’re often in good demand in international markets. So if you have an online platform to sell your products, you can make a tidy sum over time.
Stove Cover
What the kitchen above is missing, is a wooden stove cover. Stove covers are a basic household item that can be found in most American and European kitchens that uses large-sized stoves. These stoves often require a sizeable installation place that can reduce storage space. But with stove covers, the stovetop can be used as storage space when the stove isn’t in use.
When it comes to making stove cover tops, it’s easier to make them by power carving. The measurements of stovetops can vary greatly between brands, so it would be a good idea to make them according to the dimensions of the most popularly sold brands in the market. To find this information you need to do a bit of research because different geographical areas have different preferences.
The technique mostly involves making a rectangle and curved cuts according to the prescribed dimensions and involves angles as well. You’ll also need to make handles on the sides like trays as well.
You will be needing the following tools to make a wooden stove cover top:
- (4) 1x4x8 (tongue and groove works best,)
- Scrap wood for Routing
- Miter Saw
- Table Saw or Circular Saw
- Sander
- Router
- Juice Groove Router Bit
- Nail Gun
- Wood Glue
- Nails
- Clamps
- Wood Finish
The high demand for stove covers means you can easily sell them online or in your local market. They don’t require much effort to make and the profit margins are really good.
You can also engrave them with custom initials or make a wood burning image on them. This will increase their price and give you a competitive edge over most manufacturing companies that may sell the product for too cheap for it to be profitable to you.
Small Benches
Small benches and stools are always in demand in small apartments and households, so these items sell quite well. Most small benches have simple designs which means you don’t have to put in too much effort to make them look fancy. They’re usually designed to seat 2 people, in certain cases 3.
Both whittling and power carving are viable options, although power carving will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. The dimensions for small benches can vary in length but the width doesn’t usually exceed 50 inches, enough space to seat two people on a single unit. The carving technique mostly involves making rectangular cuts according to the prescribed dimensions and connecting the different pieces with dowels.
You’ll need the following items to make a small bench
- Miter Saw
- Table Saw or Circular Saw
- Sander
- Nail Gun
- Wood Glue
- nails
- Clamps
- Wood Finish
Making small benches can be quite profitable if you know how to sell them right. A big advantage is that a wide range of organizations starting from schools to startups often looks for cheap furniture solutions, small benches being one of them. If you can successfully supply bulk orders for a few clients you can turn this into a full-time gig.
End Tables
End tables are a highly popular furniture piece across the world and very easy to make. Even beginners can make one with the proper tools provided they have enough practice working with large pieces of wood. The designs for end tables aren’t very complex which means you don’t have to put too much effort.
When it comes to making end tables, power carving is the way to go. The standard dimensions for making end tables are 20” H X 17” W X 28” L, but you can also make them larger or smaller depending on your choice. The technique mostly involves making square cuts according to the prescribed dimensions and connecting the different pieces with dowels.
You will need the following tools to make an end table:
- Miter Saw
- Coping Saw
- Sander
- Router
- Juice Groove Router Bit
- Nail Gun
- Wood Glue
- nails
- Dowels
- Wood Finish
End tables are excellent entry-level furniture pieces that sell quite well. The main selling point of end tables is the designs and colors, and the good news is there is a huge demand for simple designs that even rookies can make with some practice. ‘Farmhouse end tables’ are high in demand online, so if you plan to sell online, make sure to include the word ‘farmhouse in the title.
Coffee Tables
Coffee tables are just as popular as end tables with just as high a demand. The main difference between coffee tables and end tables are the size and utility. End tables are mostly used as complementary pieces to sofa sets in room decorations, while coffee tables are made for serving drinks and snacks in mind. As such, they tend to be a bit larger.
Like end tables, power carving is the way to go for coffee tables as well. The standard dimensions for coffee tables are 19” H X 18” W X (36”-48”) L. The tools required for making coffee tables are also the same:
- Miter Saw
- Coping Saw
- Sander
- Router
- Juice Groove Router Bit
- Nail Gun
- Wood Glue
- nails
- Dowels
- Wood Finish
- Glass top (optional)
You could say that the only objective difference between coffee tables and end tables is their dimensions. The technique mostly involves making square cuts according to the prescribed dimensions and connecting the different pieces with dowels.
Coffee tables have a huge demand and can be easily sold both online and offline. Like end tables, they also don’t require too much effort to make and the profit margins are also good.
Console Table / TV Stands
Console and TV stands are always a popular product and are one of the harder sellable things to carve on this list. These tables usually require attractive designs to sell as most people buy the more basic console tables from Ikea for much cheaper than you can afford.
For console/TV stands, power carving is the optimal carving method. These stands come in various shapes and sizes and the complexity of designs will mainly depend on your skill level. Some TV stands have shuttered or folding doors while others basically look like simple shelves with an ornament.
Whatever design you choose to make, your carving priority should be like this- the top of the stand is meant for the TV/console while the shelves/compartments below it are mean for holding other DVDs and other electronic devices. The technique mostly involves making square and rectangular cuts according to the prescribed dimensions and connecting the different pieces with dowels.
You will need the following tools to make a console/TV stand:
- Table saw,
- Drill,
- Jigsaw,
- Pocket screw jig,
- Sander
- Dowels
- Nails
- Wood Glue
While wall-mounted TV’s have become mainstream, people still need something to place their consoles or home theatre systems on. Hence console/TV stands still remain popular as entry-level furniture. Plus they’re also easy to sell both online and offline. Just make sure you don’t price them too high.
Consideration Factors
When choosing a wood carving project that will sell, there are a couple of things that you should keep in mind to make the most out of your endeavors. Here’s a rundown of these key factors that should help you decide the money-making viability of the project you intend to undertake.
1. Your TAT– Your turnaround time is very important when considering the project. Are you planning to do this full-time or part-time? Every piece you make will require a lot of time from you and at the end of the day if you can only make one item a month then it’s not worth it.
2. Your Pricing– Pricing is an important factor for selling anything. When considering a project, ask yourself whether the price is justified after considering your labor and raw material costs. If the price seems too high or too low, then consider a different project.
3. Your skill level– Your skill level will play an important role in ascertaining the above-mentioned factors. If you don’t think you’re skilled enough to turn to commercial woodworking ventures, practice more.
Final thoughts
If you’re seriously considering making money on the side or full-time using your beginner wood-carving skills, the above-mentioned carving projects will be your best bet since they’re the most commercially viable. But as long as you keep the consideration factors in mind, you can find commercial success in other projects as well.
