43+ Beginner Woodworking Projects To Try - Making Manzanita (original) (raw)

Are you a newbie woodworker looking for some easy and small beginner woodworking projects to try? You're going to love this round up with so much inspiration!

If you’re just starting out and learning how to do woodworking projects at home, you’re probably looking for some simple woodworking projects to try out that don’t require a ton of woodworking tools or different types of saws!

Like any other new hobby, it can feel a little overwhelming and scary at first. Especially when you go to the store to buy the wood, so be sure to check out our tips for buying lumber.

You may also be confused about things like nominal vs actual lumber dimensions (we break it down in this article) or what the difference is between a brad nailer and a finish nailer (learn the simple way to tell the difference in that article).

Most of these beginner woodworking projects even use very standard and easy-to-find types of wood.

Today’s post is full of SO many ideas for your first wood project as a beginner. Many of these use a limited amount of tools and are smaller projects.

If you want even more help with what to build with wood for beginners, you may want to try some projects that have free plans that go along with them so you have something detailed to follow.

Woodworking is one of those hobbies that just keeps on giving. If you start small and simple, you only need some basic skills and tools to get started!

Once you finish one of these easy DIY wood projects for beginners, you’ll just want to keep going and try more. These ideas add not only functionality to your home, but help make your home more beautiful!

I'm starting with this one because it is DEFINITELY the easiest woodworking project we've ever done. There isn't even any cutting involved! Make your own DIY wooden crate bookshelf for just $100.

Need some extra bathroom storage? Here's an easy tutorial on how to build bathroom floating shelves.

Looking for a present for dad for the holidays? How about making him this DIY watch and accessories display? He’ll love it! This simple project uses pocket hole joinery and incorporates a section that is routed out for the dish, but this part could easily be left out if you don't have a palm router or routing table yet.

Speaking of great gift ideas for dad, he'll love this DIY bottle opener! These are so simple and inexpensive to make using reclaimed wood.

These DIY rustic candle holders can easily be adapted to fit any style. If you aren’t into the rustic look, try painting the wood with spray paint or used different rocks or filler for your jars. This one is so simple and easy!

Looking for a fun and easy DIY project to tackle this summer? Make a picnic table for your kids! We're giving away the kids picnic table plans for FREE so you can follow along and build yours just like (even if you're a beginner!)

These lawn dice are so easy to make and will bring hours of summer fun! All you need is a 4x4 and cut it down to size, which makes it a perfect fit on this beginner woodworking ideas list.

These storage shelving units are easy to build (incorporating pocket hole joinery & lots of 2x4s) and set up next to one another to hold all of your storage bins in your garage.

This project is so simple to build with 2x4s. Although it's called a plant stand, it could really be any type of shelf or even a book shelf!

Earrings a jumbled mess? Make this easy DIY earring holder! This wood picture frame-style stand is an attractive way to organize studs, hoops and more.

This DIY Christmas tree collar was so easy to build and we're show you the whole process in this Christmas tree box stand step by step tutorial.

This art ledge is so simple and cheap to build! 6 simple steps!

Looking for a fun DIY wooden Christmas gift that will work for just about anyone? This DIY desk calendar and wooden pencil holder is perfect! The best part is that we're giving away the free woodworking plans for this DIY table calendar holder so even beginners can try this build.

Wall treatments a great place to start if you're interested in getting more into the woodworking and DIY world and looking for basic woodworking projects! This one is so easy and even works if you have textured walls.

You'll love this super duper easy DIY plant pot cover! We decided to add half round trim to mimic fluted furniture texture and I love how it turned out! The only "woodworking" this project requires is simply cutting the trim pieces down to size, couldn't get any easier!

I love the look and functionality of this X sofa table! Even though it has angled cuts, they break it down step by step in the tutorial to explain the angles very clearly, so it's a perfect fit on this list of easy beginner woodworking projects!

Speaking of sofa tables, this one is another great build! This incorporates stair spindles for legs, so it's a very simple woodworking project for beginners!

Do you have dress up clothes all over the place in your kid's spaces? Make this easy DIY dress up storage rack for kids using our free woodworking plans and tutorial. Your little ones will love this DIY dress up closet!

If you're looking for a fun way to display and store blankets in your house with a modern farmhouse style, you're going to love this simple tutorial for a DIY blanket ladder! It's so simple and inexpensive to recreate this for your home.

This project just may be the easiest wood project on this list! It only requires that you cut one piece of wood and drill a couple of holes for the hardware. It also makes a great gift!

This giant plywood pegboard DIY turned out so well. The unique abstract color blocks give a practical solution a little personality too!

This one may be a tad more complex than the other beginner woodworking projects on this list, but if you're ready to start building cabinets - this is the way to start because we didn't use any complicated joinery.

This is a very simple DIY project perfect for any skill level and makes a huge impact in the reception space or even just at your home!

Do you need a homeschool desk or a desk for working from home? Build this simple wood crate desk! This easy DIY desk is cheap to build and has storage for school supplies and books.

This colorful and cute wall coat rack is very simple to create, so it's perfect for beginners. It uses pocket hole joinery and is perfect for your entryway.

This is a super easy build, so if you’re a woodworking beginner, it’s a great project to practice your skills on! It uses 2x4s and plywood sheets.

Looking to add more character to your backyard ? Build a wall for vertical garden pots! This beginner woodworking project turned out SO good! We're also giving away the free woodworking plans for this one !

These DIY frames couldn't be any easier! If you’re looking for a really easy DIY frame for printables, you’re going to love this tutorial! Learn how to make a DIY poster frame that is cheap and simple! Also, you can download these free bathroom printables to put in the frames!

This easy desk has a simple design with a custom size and is very easy to make! It's perfect for a beginner. There is just one piece of wood on the top and it's hung on brackets.

Learn how to make a simple wooden box centerpiece that you can use to adorn your table for all your special events.

I’m loving the simplicity of this DIY rustic coffee table. She uses two wide planks for this table top, but you could easily make a coffee table top with several planks of wood in this style. Best of all, it’s an easy build requiring few tools and not a lot of time to build.

Want to learn how to build a DIY bench? This post has a video tutorial and free wood bench plans for you to download so you can make your own small entryway bench.

Need a little more storage space in your home? Why not build a bookcase? This rustic bookshelf also has a gorgeous modern feel. It’s a simple DIY project that can easily be customized to your home’s style.

These live edge tables are SO cool! They are very simple and easy to make and look so good!

Shelves are a great place to start if you're looking for basic beginner woodworking projects and this one is no exception! All you need is a piece of wood, macrame cording and a drill!

Looking for another shelf idea that's still a very easy woodworking project for beginners to try? Build this picture ledge DIY using our free woodworking plans. These shelves are a great way to decorate your walls.

Easy step by step tutorial for making a DIY wooden box in any custom size you want. Learn how to make a wooden box that will fit any shelf or spot in your home.

These easy DIY wall art project is the perfect solution to fill in an empty space. With scrap wood, I created this piece of wall decor with plywood and wood shims.

Want to add some life to your front porch? Download these easy DIY planter box plans and learn how to build these modern farmhouse planters.

Wall decor is a great place to start for woodworking for beginners! You can start by building this beautiful Pottery Barn knock off wooden DIY barn star for less than $20 in lumber. Yay!

These DIY wooden picture frames are simple to make and a fun way to display photos. The burned wood finish is achieve to a heat gun.

Make meal planning easy and FUN with this DIY Chalkboard Menu Board! It’s simple to make, and only takes minimal DIY skills, which makes it a great one for beginning woodworkers.

Are you looking to build a new tabletop for your kitchen table? This one is super simple to build (even for beginners) and we're giving you the free woodworking plans too!

They are all SO good! My cup is overflowing with inspiration!

Which of these easy woodworking projects for beginners do you want to try?

Chelsea is the founder of Making Manzanita - a DIY and renovation blog - where it's all about making your house a home you love one DIY at a time. Chelsea and her husband, Logan, have been renovating homes since 2015 and have seen the sweat equity pay off. They enjoy teaching readers how to renovate with confidence. As an influencer, Chelsea has collaborated with brands like The Home Depot, Etsy, Behr Paint, DAP Products, Walmart, Frog-Tape, and Kreg Tools. Making Manzanita has participated in One Room Challenge and was a finalist in the Fall 2019 Jeffrey Court Renovation Challenge.