Who knew woodworking could be a fun and stimulating hobby as well as 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.
We’re going to preface this article by saying projects that sell are often ones that have functionality. For example, a wine rack, or even a coffee table if you possess the skill and know-how.
23 Genius Woodworking Projects that sell
If you’re looking to make some money, here are 23 of the most popular wood projects that sell:
1. Wine Rack
Drinking wine has become an enjoyable art. You breathe in deeply as you drink in the tannins and savor the taste of a deep and rich red. Storing these bottles of delicious liquid in your home is possible if you can build yourself a wine rack.
They are quite easy to make and don’t require much tools or advanced skills. All you need is some scrap wood, maybe some pallet wood, and a few ideas about how to get started on your new pallet wood project.
Add a little bit of uniqueness to your home with woodworking projects that sell such as this. Building a rack may require some wood glue, so make sure you follow the plan to get started on your woodworking project.
2. Jewelry Box
For every lady out there who have more than their fair share of earrings, rings, necklaces, and more – a jewelry box is great to use. They are quite easy to make. These are best wood turning projects that can sell for more than just a regular plastic jewelry box if you put the effort into it.
Some pallet wood found at your local hardware store, some wood glue and different hand tools are required to start.
Understanding the fundamentals in making a jewelry box will allow you to expand into making a larger chest, a larger storage box, a different kind of jewelry box, or a keepsake box.
3. Wooden Cutting Board
Perhaps one of the simplest yet most utilitarian and practical project would be a wooden cutting board. They are also by far one of the easiest to make. A well-shaped piece of wood and some project ideas you can use would provide everything in making this project.
Decorate your home with home decor that you created. If you don’t have the heavy machinery required to cut your own wood, there are plenty of ready-made pieces out there for you to choose from.
You can decorate it with stripes like in the tutorial or go for just a simple and utilitarian cutting board with or without a handle. Those who cook know cutting boards are durable but must be replaced. Having the knowledge to make your own cutting board using the appropriate wood is best.
4. Storage Box
Just like creating a wooden crate from pallets, storage boxes are also useful and not just used for decoration like a ladder quilt rack is. Once you understand how to make a great storage box, you can make one large enough that can double as a coffee table!
We love the storage box coffee table idea because it can store things that you want. It can act as a toy box that keeps all your children’s wooden toys off the ground.
As said before, learning how to make these simple boxes can help give you the fundamental knowledge you want for making other fantastic woodworking projects that sell such as a toy box, box shelves, pinewood cubbies, and more!
5. Box Shelves
We have lots of boxy designs here today because it’s amazing how much home decor you can make with a simple square design.
Much like the picture, you can create your own checkered designs and if they are made well, it’s easy to make money with them.
They are inexpensive, versatile, and can be scaled down or up to any size to become almost anything you want. Like Woodsnap prints, you can place it strategically on your walls, under your bed, table or couch, or just scale them down and put them on tables and countertops – what versatile designs!
6. Chessboard
The chess players out there are going to love this woodworking project. It does look a bit more complicated, but if you follow the step-by-step instructions, you can make it! This one usually sells really well.
Chess pieces can be small and delicate (depending on which one you buy), and toting them around with a chessboard can be cumbersome. A good way to easily circumvent this issue is to use a chessboard that can store all the pieces underneath.
Just take the board and slide off the cover to reveal your pieces. Once your skills for woodworking have improved, you may even make your very own chess board pieces!
7. Candle Holder
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. You can whittle or stamp your own designs in the wood after you are finished for a unique touch for your candle holder.
8. Phone Docking Station
Our phones are devices that never leave our side for more than a couple hours. People will love to use a phone stand or docking station to charge and hold their phone.
These compete with the big boys if you add in a unique element. Whether it’s a customized name tag, the rustic design, or just a small but pretty stand detail, it will help.
It can also be a phone stand and for all your phone-related accessories or it can actually feature a small port to feed the charging cable through to become a docking and a charging station!
9. Picture Frame
A picture frame is among our favorite beginner-friendly DIY option. Picture frames grace almost everyone’s house and hold memories of days gone by. You can also make a farmhouse picture frame for that really rustic handmade feel.
One great thing about a picture frame is how diverse it can be. They can sell well and rake in a lot of money if there is a unique spin on it.
You don’t need much to make great picture frames, just a few tools in your toolbox will provide the way to make this project. The biggest hurdle is to come up with different ideas on how to make these one of a kind!
10. Toy Building Blocks
Making wood projects that sell for a new demographic every year is quite easy. They could cater to children. Building blocks are the fundamental toys for kids to build motor, cognitive and spatial awareness [1].
You can make sure your kids love their new wooden toys by building your own! Why stop with just kids’ wooden building blocks that stand? Why not put your great woodworking skills to the test and create a fun wooden play kitchen, a baby gym or toy cars? Kids would like these. They’re easy to make and you’d earn money too.
Your kids will love you for it and let’s face it – these things are great fun for parties! Or, you can ask for help and include your kids and have fun woodworking!
11. Wood Bathtub Caddy
One of our favorite woodworking projects that sell on this list is a wooden bath caddy! These things really turn a profit because they provide a service people like – 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.
A bathtub caddy is 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!
12. Birdhouse
A birdhouse or bird feeder is supposedly the first thing that comes to mind when people talk about ideas for projects. We didn’t start with this plan because although it might be one of the most popular, it definitely isn’t one of the easiest project ideas just like coming up with a layout plan for a woodworking shop. You could use some help if you’re a newbie.
However, they are one of the most diverse to make. You can choose one that is a full-on house with a hanging seed feeder and even have a little perch to help the little aerial creatures to rest.
If you know you could use help when you make projects like this, then look for a two-dimensional design that would be easier. Wherever your skill level is at, these plans will work great for anyone.
13. Personalized Sign
Customizability is a top factor. These name signs or personalized message signs can really be a top seller online.
More often than not, you can find something with the sign that you think you’d make better. Maybe adding a few more hearts or take less patterns and designs would be more up your alley.
You don’t have to succumb to the lack of choices in an aisle anymore when there’s a way to make your own! This makes personalized signs or messages the easiest to sell!
14. Wooden Letters
Many kids and adults have or have had wooden letters spelling out their name or some other meaningful word or sentence somewhere in the house.
Creating your own wooden letters to spell out what means most to you can be done quite easily! It’s also one of the items that can potentially make a lot of money.
You can paint these using an ordinary paint brush or the best available HVLP spray guns for woodworking with special designs and coat them with a glossy finish afterward to make the wood suitable for rainy weather or any extreme weather conditions if you plan on placing them in the outdoors as well.
15. Garden Bench
These wood projects will require more effort, but you can also hike up the price tag a bit more. Outdoor projects are always fun, but it doesn’t need to be as difficult or intricate as a cornhole set.
Wooden benches can come in many different shapes and sizes and colors as well. A bench usually has a memorial correlation to it, and you can now make one for yourself and your clients.
The key to making these big wood projects that sell is customization. Allow them to etch their own names in the wood or create one that is vastly different in terms of plans
16. Wooden Utensils
Many of us have wooden utensils already sitting in our cutlery drawer. From salad tongs to wooden spoons, wooden utensils are not only items of necessity, they can also be made to be enjoyed.
What’s one of the best things about these wood projects is that there’s a way to make them with simple hand tools. As long as you have the right piece of wood and some trusted tools, you can create your next spatula or salad tosser right in your own home!
17. Wood Art
These wood projects that sell have surprisingly high market value, especially if there is a cause behind it. People love to know they are participating in a cause when they purchase items so your next wood project can be just that.
Pallet wood pieces and scrap wood get tossed. You could be using these pieces for your next projects. The cause behind it is to recycle, reuse and be environmental. You can literally piece pieces of wood together to create an art project that is 100% unique.
The price point and design are totally up to you. If you want, you can create a pretty piece of art that can act as a divider in a home or become a wooden fence!
18. Key Holder
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.
All you need to make these 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.
19. Coffee Table
For those that have more experience in woodworking and would like to showcase their skills, you might like to earn money from furniture. You may want to start with a coffee table, they are the easiest furniture to make.
You can make this piece of furniture as intricate as you would like but also as simple as a flat top surface and table legs. However, for those looking to sell at a higher price point and like bigger DIY projects, a coffee table or other smaller furniture items such as a nightstand or shoe rack are great to make.
20. Wooden Coasters
These simple little pieces are always handy to use around the house. They are great if you don’t want to make water rings on your newly built coffee table. They require the same skills as making a cutting board and can be as elaborate as you would like to make them.
What’s best about wooden coasters is they are 100% customizable in terms of size, shape, design, material – anything you can think of. Useful and practical items would always sell and can help you get a foothold in an online woodworking business.
They are also easy to make and just pretty to look at! It’s just a great product to make.
21. Floating Shelves
These are great wooden projects you can make to save space. A floating shelf is a shelf secured to your wall and is only made up of one plank. They don’t take up much space and are also incredibly easy to make.
They aren’t that big of a focal point visually in your home, so they won’t take away from all the other amazing decor.
Since they are literally made up of just a few slabs or a single slab of wood, they’re best placed anywhere in your home. It’s great to see in stairwells and even act as corner shelves to utilize every nook and cranny in your home.
22. Serving Trays
You’ll think they look pretty similar to cutting boards if made correctly. They can also have the raised edges to secure whatever might be placed on these fun trays.
Much like other flat surfaced items, a wooden serving tray can also be highly customizable. You can create round shapes like our plan or have them be the traditional elongated rectangle or square shapes.
Feel free to add your own take to make it easy to sell. You may want to stamp your own designs on it such as a bird, any other animal, or even your own name! You don’t need to go as far as stenciling designs in but carving something to set your tray apart is always a good idea using high-grade woodcarving tools. This will help get your product sold in no time.
23. Wooden Doormat
A wooden project doesn’t need to be on your wall or on a table, it can be on the ground welcoming you when you get home. A welcome mat can be made from different wood planks and pallets of scrap wood or be a single chunk of wood.
They can be very similar to wooden wall art – just not on the wall. Chisel, stencil, or press your designs and words into it to customize your new project or just leave it plain and simple for that rustic feel.
Make sure to treat the wood when you’re all done to make it weatherproof if you plan on having it outside.
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 like, 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).
Do you work for others or are you an entrepreneur? Is this a side hustle or something you are willing to devote all your time to?
Whether it’s something you are dabbling in or have been passionate about for a while, we’re sure if you are reading here, then you’d like to make a little bit of money on the side no matter how big or small. Here are some tips to follow to help you earn with this little side business.
HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH WOODWORKING PROJECTS
Woodworking can be such a rewarding activity and you can start to make woodworking a hobby, especially when you see your clients and customers appreciate all your hard work.
FIND A NICHE
Less is more in this case. You may have the skill to build a wide range of items, but it’s in your best interest to search for your niche. This is to help build your online brand and a loyal following of customers that know what they’d like to get from you.
To help look for your niche, think about what you enjoy making the most and check what you would consider the best project you can sell.
Also Read: Woodworking and Carpentry Terms
CUSTOMIZE YOUR PRODUCTS
Do some online 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. We wouldn’t suggest switching your niche and product ideas too late in the process.
Aim to set your products apart from the rest by adding personal touches like making an impressive sign on woodworking projects. Feel free to add more colors, add more features, add accessories, add anything that makes your product more special. This makes a great strategy.
Marketing
Where and how would you like to sell your products? Are you going to market your 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! Selling online or in-person will help you earn extra money.
Market the products you build as well. Before you can set a price for a piece of decor you’re selling, you need to conduct research into your competitors, your 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 product 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 on and the energy costs as well.
PRODUCTION AND SELLING
Finally it comes to the actual creation of your product. Before creating and selling, you need to source good materials. If you plan on churning out a lot of inventory, you need to head to a supplier for your best pieces of wood for carving and even woodworking to cut costs. It’s a good idea to search for inexpensive materials (without sacrificing quality) to build your inventory.
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. A good idea is to spark their inner creativity through your photos.
How will you accept payment? For selling larger and more expensive pieces, especially those pieces 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?
You can make virtually anything out of wood. All you need is a creative mind and a passionate heart.
Just by looking around where you are sitting, I bet you can see at least three items in your house that spark a good idea for projects.
A wooden frame for your TV? (because why not?). How about you build wooden cutlery and bowls for your kitchen? A wooden picture frame to go on top of the fireplace, and special bookends for the office.
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 online to help you out.
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.