11 Wood Projects That Sell

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Who knew woodworking could be a fun and stimulating hobby that can make you money at the same time? A lot of you may be thinking that’s a given, but even beginners and novice woodworkers can find a project someone may want to purchase.

Before we dive into the details, let me give you a little heads-up: if you’re looking to make projects that sell, focus on things that serve a purpose. Take wine racks or coffee tables as examples—if you’ve got the skills to make them, they’re usually a hit.

To give you more options, here are more wood projects that sell like pancakes in the market today:

Bathtub Seat And Shelf

Bathtub Seat And Shelf

Estimated time needed: 1 hour

Approx. Value of Piece: $18

One of our favorite woodworking projects that sell is a wooden bath caddy! These things really turn a profit because they provide a service people convenience. 

Wooden items can be found in your kitchen, living room, bedroom and dining room, so why not in your bathroom as well? The bath caddy is also a smart plywood project idea. You can also use pallet wood pieces or leftover wood planks for this.

A bathtub caddy can be used to hold all the items you like to accompany you in the bathtub. We are talking about things like a notebook, laptop (but be careful with this one), candles, a good novel or a snack!

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Egg Storage

Egg Storage

Estimated time needed: 2 hours

Approx. Value of Piece: $20

Introducing the Egg Haven: a beautifully crafted and functional woodworking project designed to keep your eggs fresh and organized.

Featuring a sleek, minimalist design that complements any kitchen decor, an egg rack has ample storage capacity of up to 24 eggs, protecting them from breakage and providing easy access for cooking and baking needs.

Any wooden egg storage project that can be a perfect addition to your portfolio of woodworking projects or even a unique item to sell.

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Key Holder

Key Holder

Estimated time needed: 1 hour

Approx. Value of Piece: $18

A keyholder is also quite easy to create and surprisingly useful in a home. People misplace their keys and this wood project of yours could help with that. Your clients won’t be looking for their keys frantically when running late, because they will be hanging neatly on your customized key holder.

Woodworking projects like these are pretty easy to make. All you need is a block of wood and some hooks. It’s great that they can then be placed anywhere you want, wherever it’s convenient in your home. You can place one in your garage and one next to your door to help you remember where they are.

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Tea Light

Tea Light

Estimated time needed: 1 hour

Approx. Value of Piece: $20

It may seem counterproductive to use wood to create a woodworking project to hold something like fire, but it’s quite safe if you follow this plan.

Feel free to make it larger to accommodate bigger candles. Diversity and versatility is the key. It’s easy to build and make these little candle holders.

Just find some wood (preferably a log), a shaping tool, a Forstner bit, and a drill. Some power tools would be useful for this item. You can whittle or stamp your own designs in the wood after you are finished for a unique touch for your candle holder.

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Magazine Box

Magazine Box

Estimated time needed: 30-40 mins.

Approx. Value of Piece: $17

You know, projects like these can really elevate a room, giving it a contemporary vibe. And if you’ve got some scrap wood lying around, why not put it to good use? 

You can upcycle those pieces into a magazine holder that’s both stylish and functional. Trust me, this isn’t just for avid magazine readers; it’ll catch the eye of anyone who appreciates a well-decorated home.

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Wine Rack

Wine Rack - Single

Estimated time needed: 40 mins.

Approx. Value of Piece: $20

Craft a stunning and sophisticated wine holder that adds an elegant touch any dining or entertainment space. Wood projects like this are great to build and sell since they would make for a nice home decor or wedding gift.

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Desk Clock

Desk Clock

Estimated time needed: 1.5 hours

Approx. Value of Piece: $30

Craft a one-of-a-kind timepiece that will mesmerize prospective buyers. Not only will you relish the fulfillment of crafting something by hand, but you’ll also have the chance to transform your passion into a lucrative business venture. 

Trust me, this exquisite decorative piece will elevate the ambiance of any home or office, adding a touch of elegance and allure.

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Cell Phone Stand

Cell Phone Stand

Estimated time needed: 45 mins.

Approx. Value of Piece: $12

Transform your life with a custom-built cell phone stand that’s both stylish and practical. This DIY project is a fun and creative way to showcase your craftsmanship and add a personal touch to your tech accessories. 

With your custom-made cell phone stand, you’ll enjoy the convenience of having a secure and accessible place to hold your phone, no matter where you are. You can even use scrap wood for this idea. 

Easy woodworking projects that involve gadgets and technology are sure to be a hit when you sell them. And if you want to build similar products, a docking station and a charging station would be excellent choices.

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House Number Planter Box

House Number Planter Box

Estimated time needed: 30 mins.

Approx. Value of Piece: $15

A house number planter box is a creative way to display your house number while also adding a charming planter box to your entryway. The planter box can be filled with your favorite flowers or plants, allowing you to showcase your green thumb and add some natural beauty to your home’s exterior. 

The design is both practical and aesthetically pleasing, making it an excellent addition to any home. Also, you can use a machine that cuts wood letters and numbers if you want a more detailed design. 

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Wooden Welcome Mat

Wooden Welcome Mat

Estimated time needed: 2 hours

Approx. Value of Piece: $30

This straightforward woodworking activity offers an opportunity to express your artistic side and offers a practical and eco-friendly substitute to conventional welcome mats. 

I find wooden doormats to be especially durable, which is great for high-traffic areas like gardens and decks. By designing and creating your own wooden welcome mat, you can add a personal touch to your home’s entryway while also embracing a sustainable lifestyle.

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Toys On Wheels

Toys On Wheels

Estimated time needed: 30-40 minutes

Approx. Value of Piece: $15

Craft your own timeless wooden toys on wheels with this fun and easy woodworking project. Sturdy and designed for durability, these classic wooden toys are perfect for passing down through generations, providing endless joy and playtime for children. 

Toys of different shapes and sizes can also be one of the most profitable woodworking projects you can sell since there’s a nostalgic quality to them that appeals to parents and gift-givers.

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How Much Can You Make As A Woodworker?

This is a loaded question that doesn’t have a correct answer. It depends on many factors such as whether you are a hobbyist or a serious professional. 

If you’d like some help towards building the best woodworking projects you can make, you can invest a little bit to get help from those who have been doing woodworking for a while, like experts from WWGOA (Woodworkers Guild of America). You’ll build on your basic woodworking skills by getting advanced training.

Do you work for others or are you an entrepreneur? Is building woodworking projects a side hustle or something you are willing to devote all your time to?

Whether you consider woodworking a hobby or have been passionate about for a while, we’re sure that if you are reading here, then you’d like to make a little bit of money on the side. Here are some tips to follow to help you earn from a woodworking business.

Woodworking projects

How To Make Money With Woodworking Projects

Woodworking can be such a rewarding activity. A woodworking hobby can be profitable, especially when you see your clients and customers appreciate all your hard work. Creating great woodworking projects may be easy for you, but promoting them might be harder than you thought.

Find a Niche

In my experience, less really is more. Sure, you might have the tools and skills to create all sorts of woodworking projects, but honing in on a specific niche can make all the difference. 

It helps you build your brand and attract a loyal customer base who knows exactly what they can expect from you. Trust me, finding your niche in woodworking can turn casual buyers into repeat customers.

To help look for your niche, think about what you enjoy creating the most and check what you would consider the best project you can sell. This will help you figure out the most profitable woodworking projects for you.

Also Read: Woodworking and Carpentry Terms

Customize Your Products

Do some market research. Who also specializes in your niche and what do they offer? How can you improve and thus outdo your competitors in selling?

This may take some effort to sort out, and you don’t need to settle on a definite answer yet. Just find some great ideas and acquire some direction for your new online business. I wouldn’t suggest switching your niche and product ideas too late in the process.

carving oak wood knife handle

Aim to set your woodworking projects apart from the rest by making them highly customizable. Feel free to add more colors, add more features, add accessories, add anything that makes your product more special. If you’re building storage boxes, for instance, you can paint them with unique patterns or add decorative handles. 

This makes a great strategy, and aside from storage boxes, you could also apply it to other items. Items like rustic wooden signs, serving trays, wooden utensils, picture frames, wooden coasters, wooden shelves, wall signs, desktop planters, and coffee mugs are all woodworking projects that sell well, especially if they’re customized.

Marketing

Where and how would you like to sell your woodworking project? Are you going to promote your woodworking business online or are you planning to rent out a store? Great platforms for DIY artists include Instagram, Etsy, maybe even partner with local venues and set up a pop-up shop!

It’s also essential to market the products you create. Before setting a price on any decor, I make sure to conduct research into my competitors and target demographic (this is to help you understand what people can afford).

With your great product descriptions, you want to sell to these people since you know what they are looking for. It’s a good idea to advertise the features of your woodworking project as well! Make sure to mention all the good the item will bring to the person who will buy the decor or item.

For example, a vacuum cleaner salesman would know his demographic would be housewives. He would have a product description mentioning all the time and energy his new vacuum cleaner model would save.

carving wood block

Production and Selling

Finally it comes to the actual creation of your product. Before creating and selling, you need to source good lumber and supplies. Let’s take sourcing quality wood, for example. Some commonly used wood types include pine wood, oak, cedar, cherry, and maple. Oak and maple are great for building furniture. 

A few ideas include a wooden bench, coffee table, picnic table, bed frame, dining table, bedside table, bookcase, kitchen table, and cabinets. On the other hand, walnut and cherry are good for items like a wooden cutting board, jewelry organizer, rustic wooden sign, wooden serving tray, bird feeder, test tube spice rack, and functional pieces like a sofa arm table.

That said, reclaimed wood is also a great option to minimize material costs. You can create a variety of projects like floating shelves, wooden birdhouses, potting tables, wooden egg holders, wooden blocks, wooden boxes, and even wall art from these pieces. Wood pallets would also work great for many wood projects.

If you plan on churning out a lot of inventory, you need to head to a supplier for the best pieces of wood for carving and even woodworking to cut material costs.

If you decided to market and sell online, plenty of high definition pictures with contrast and saturation that put your products in the best light. Give your online clients and customers plenty to go on with as many different placements and decorations as you can. 

In the competitive market of wood projects that sell, good product photography can be the difference between catching someone’s eye and losing out on a potential sale.

finishing wood using tung oil

How will you accept payment? For selling larger and more expensive pieces, especially those that are made out of premium woods like teak or acacia, will you accept payment plans? Create secure and fast method (for both parties) to lock in the money you’re making.

What Can You Make Out of Wood?

In my line of work, I’ve learned that you can make virtually anything out of wood. Just look around your room; I bet you’ll find at least three items that could spark an idea for a fantastic woodworking project. The possibilities are endless once you start seeing things through that lens.

A wooden frame for your TV? (because why not?). How about you build wooden cutlery and a wooden cutting board for your kitchen? A wooden picture frame to go on top of the fireplace, some yard benches and chairs, a jewelry box for necklaces, modern bookends, rustic art for the walls — these are all appealing options. 

You can also make and sell super simple woodworking projects like scrap wood wall art, wooden wall signs, wooden spoons, or wooden picture frames. If you have the woodworking tools and a more advanced skill level, you can also create complex projects. An outdoor table, a bench, storage box, a shoe cubby, and intricate chess pieces are just some examples.

The sky’s the limit really when it comes to what you can create and sell. And if you need inspiration, there are tons of woodwork project books and resources to help you out. You can also create, build, and sell projects even if all you have are wooden pallets. 

DIY Bench using wood pallet

You can cut them into wood slices and you’ll have a list of profitable project ideas you can make out of that. So even if you only have hand tools and some inexpensive wood board pieces, you can start with that.

Platforms to Sell Woodworking Projects

To help you live up to the title of woodworking projects that sell and actually make money from your woodworking projects, here are a few online platforms that have spawned many independent businesses into thriving ones today.

Esty

Etsy started back in 2005, as an online platform for handmade creations. Now, the demand has grown exponentially. There are millions of users and billions made in revenue, all you need to do is tap into this great resource to get started. 

It’s a great space for selling a variety of wooden items like wood art, personalized signs, cutting boards, jewelry boxes, home decor, pallet wood crafts, wooden signs, wood turning pieces, modern wine racks, and coffee mugs. Wooden toys and building blocks for kids are also popular on Etsy.

Although the number of customers and sellers are overwhelming, you will still have a good chance to make money in the right niche. It just means that the demand is already there. There are fees involved so it’s essential to look into those numbers and factor them into your business plan before creating posts.

keyboard and desk converter

Facebook

Facebook Marketplace is a great online platform to help you find customers and sell woodworking projects. Easy to use, people are on there selling pre-loved goods to handmade items to popular luxury brands. When posts are tied to your profile, it does give you less privacy but more security when transactions are conducted.

If you are looking to start a business without having too much money ready, the Facebook marketplace is a popular space to use that is free of charge. Many items are easily sold in this online space. You can make and sell a variety of items, from smaller projects like bathtub caddies and house numbers to larger and heavier items like coffee tables, benches, picnic tables, and console tables.

Alternatively, another profitable idea is you can also create your own Facebook page and treat it as your own online store.

Instagram

Instagram started out as a photography app, where people could share photos online. It is a far cry from the popular online platform that it is today, with thousands of chances to promote and sell products and services through posts.

If you’re looking to make some cash on this platform, the recipe is pretty straightforward: build a solid following and master the art of using hashtags. Trust me, these two things can make a world of difference in getting your product or service noticed and sold.

Carved Bear

You can link your product to your website (if you have one) or simply refer the buyers to your email or other forms of communication to set up payment.

What I like the most Instagram is that it’s mostly free, but it does take time to set it up and gain a great following. Your niche will matter more than ever here, so make sure to market your woodworking hobby right.

Craigslist

I wouldn’t say it’s old fashioned, but it is the oldest online platform we where people sell products easily. Craigslist began in 1995 and is still a popular contender in online sales today, and it sells well to the right people.

To help you make money and sell the wooden items you created, you may want to focus on selling to local customers. In that way, you could reply more on word-of-mouth and spread the word. Check your buyers too because it can be less secure in a way since there is no way to really guarantee the sale will go through.

If the person you’ve sold to decides to dodge your calls and not show up for the sale, then you just have to accept it as bad luck.

However, this popular online platform is still free to use and is locally based, which is a pretty big advantage in my opinion. Check it out and you may want to sell through this space.

hand using mobile phone

Your Own Website

If you are looking to save extra money, this is not the option I would suggest to sell your woodworking projects. However, if you are computer savvy and possess the know-how, then it may be easy for you to go this popular route.

You will bring extra work onto yourself and it could also cost some money to build and pay for a domain name, but it makes you look more professional because you have your own online store.

Don’t forget to consider the shipping costs as well. If you decide to build and sell your projects through a website, failing to consider shipping costs could result in lower profits.

Also, you have your own website on your business card for people to link back to, it could give a great first impression money can’t buy. A website is a great way to build a brand and earn easy money as well. Check out affiliate marketing and other ways to help you get more sales through a website.

Be wary of modeling your website based on services like Teds Woodworking, though.

person using laptop

Amazon

Another thing, list your product and sell it on Amazon. This great online E-commerce titan came out with Amazon Handmade, which functions similarly to Etsy. You can tap into the growing demand for DIY products, craft items, and gifts in this platform.

They do pretty stringent standards and your woodworking projects or furniture can only be sold after it’s passed their online screening and met their standards. This, in turn, guarantees great quality for the buyers.

Their monthly fees will cost you money (about $40) so make sure you factor this thing into your monthly overhead as well.

Shopify Store

Shopify is a great place for selling online, especially if you want to scale your business. With its user-friendly interface and powerful e-commerce features, Shopify provides a reliable and easy-to-use platform for launching an online store to promote your woodworking projects. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re selling a coat rack, a drawer for clothes, hanging containers for plants, creative art for walls, or custom signs and decor — Shopify is an excellent platform to make a profit. Bigger furniture such as shelves are also a hit in this space.

wooden Animal Decors

As a Shopify merchant, you can easily create a professional-looking online store that showcases your woodworking products and attracts customers from around the world. You can DIY the process easily.

Sell the Old Fashioned Way

If you’re not ready to sell your woodworking projects online, there are some ways to sell your products that allow your customers to come and see the items. Being able to actually feel and see what you are putting money into is still the preferred way for many (especially if you want to sell decoration items and furniture at a high price).

Try flea markets, craft fairs, pop-up shops, booths, and even farmer’s markets to get your foot in the door and build your business out there. It’s still a thing nowadays, and it can help you make money and build your name too. 

Handmade wood items sell well in these artisan bazaars, including wall art, projects from wooden pallets, and small items like wooden utensils and picture frames.

Last but not least, you can still have a thriving business through the oldest of the old-fashioned ways if you prefer, which is to rent out a storefront. 

If you have complete confidence in your woodworking projects and you have some money to play with, getting a space in high traffic areas could bring a lot of business as well. You can make great money when you sell decor and furniture in a physical stand. 

FAQ

Can You Make Money Selling Wood Projects?

Yes, you can make money selling wood projects. The NFTs of your physical wooden projects may even sell for a higher price, generating more money for you. It’s a creative way to use your skills to make a living. 

Some of the woodworking projects you can offer include jewelry boxes, wooden toys for kids, wall signs, and pieces of furniture. Some projects are better than others, so study your options and your market as well.

Conclusion

With a mix of the right skills, a dash of creativity, and some basic woodworking tools, I can assure you that it’s entirely possible to craft a variety of top-notch woodworking projects. Not only can these fetch a handsome price, but they can also pave the way for a consistent stream of income.

robert headshot

Robert Johnson is a passionate furniture maker & carpenter, sought after for his knowledge on the craft.
You’ve probably seen his down-to-earth wisdom in USA Today, Bobvila, Family Handyman, and The Spruce, where he has shared commentary and guidance on various woodworking topics.

Robert is the brain behind Sawinery, where he aims to share tips, tricks, and a passion for all things carpentry.

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