Get all my tips and tutorials for beginning woodworking! Learn which tools you need, how to use them and how to keep yourself safe at the same time.
Are you thinking of beginning woodworking as a hobby? It's so rewarding to create furniture with your own two hands! Every piece can be custom made for your home, with the perfect size, color and style. And building your own furniture is much less expensive than buying it in the store!
But it can be intimidating to pick up a saw or drill without knowing the basics. Trust me, I was there just a few years ago! But once you gain confidence in your woodworking tools and skills, the sky is the limit! The articles you see below will help you get to that point faster.
You don't need to buy the entire tool section of Home Depot when you're first starting out. Check out my list of the best woodworking tools for beginners to find the ones I use and love most! You'd be surprised how many projects you can make with just a few tools!
Start with easy woodworking projects like this desktop organizer or outdoor end table. These projects use simple joinery and easy-to-find materials, so you can get more comfortable with the process. Plus, they're really fun to make!
Once you're ready for more complicated projects, check out the rest of the plans in my woodworking plans library. For more woodworking plans, I recommend visiting Ana White's website. She's the one who inspired me to get started building my own furniture!
Any questions? Please feel free to email me at hello@thehandymansdaughter and I'll try to help!
Tutorials for Beginning Woodworking
Are you interested in beginning woodworking, but don't know where to start? These tutorials will teach you the basics, so you can get started building right away!
This is the most basic, and one of the most important, skills to learn when you start woodworking! Learn how to read a tape measure properly for accurate measurements every time!
A speed square is a quick and easy way to mark straight lines on a board, but it can do so much more! Learn how to use this essential tool in the workshop!
Want to build your own furniture, but don't know what tools to get? Check out this list of 10 essential woodworking tools for beginners!
Do you live in an apartment, or fear power tools? No problem! I’ll show you how to use a miter box to cut wood by hand without the noise or mess!
Learn how to use a miter saw and get perfect cuts every time!
Are you measuring for each cut, even if they're all the same length? STOP! You can make dozens of identical cuts with a simple miter saw stop block! Here are three different methods for creating one for your miter saw set up.
Ever wonder what's the difference between a single and dual bevel miter saw? I take the mystery out of this feature to help you decide which one you need for your beginning workshop.
What cuts can you make with a circular saw that you can't make with a miter saw? Find out which tool works best for your project in this head-to-head comparison!
The jigsaw is a versatile tool that should be in every garage! Learn how to use a jigsaw, including straight cuts and curves, in this article!
This handy guide will teach you everything you need to know about different sandpaper grits, so you can choose the right one for your project!
Using the right sanding tools can make or break your project! I'll show you how and when to use each type of sander to get the best results.
The Kreg Jig is an amazing tool that will help you make sturdy furniture that looks professional! There are several different models to choose from, and I've compared the two most popular ones to help you decide which one is right for you!
Once you've drilled pocket holes with Kreg Jig, you'll need to know how to use them! In this detailed guide to pocket holes, I show you how to get perfect joinery with these hidden screw holes.
If you find yourself lost in the plywood aisle of the home improvement store, this guide should help you find what you're looking for! It breaks down all the different types of plywood and other sheet goods, along with the pros and cons of each, so you can get the right wood for your project!
Here’s everything you need to know about 2×4 lumber! What are the actual dimensions of a 2×4, the best saw to cut a 2×4, what screws to use in a 2×4 and project ideas to get you started!
If you're building outdoor furniture, you need this guide! Pressure treated lumber won't rot when exposed to the elements, so your hard work will last longer!
A circular saw is the perfect first saw for beginning woodworking! It can cut pretty much anything, but getting a straight line can be a challenge. This simple DIY circular saw jig will help you get perfect cuts every time!
Plywood is a great material for making furniture, but the edges aren't so pretty to look at. Give your DIY furniture a polished look with edge banding!
No one likes seeing screws in their finished project! This handy tutorial will show you how to countersink screws so you can hide them away under wood filler or plugs.
If you're overwhelmed by all the options in the fastener aisle, check out this article! It goes over the different types of wood screws and how to use them, so you can choose the right one for your project.
Protect your eyes! You're sure to find the perfect pair of safety glasses for you in this list.
All those loud tools can do a number on your hearing. Protect it with one of these ear protection options!
There's a right and a wrong way to attach a tabletop! This simple figure 8 table top fastener is easy for even a beginner to use, and allows for wood movement as the seasons and humidity levels change!
Cutting a circle in wood seems like a simple task, but it's so hard to make it look perfect! Here are six foolproof ways to cut a perfect circle in wood, no matter what tools you have in the garage.
Learn how to use a hole saw, from assembling the pieces to removing the wood plug, in this handy article!
Ever wonder what's the difference between wood filler vs wood putty? Learn when to use these hole-filling compounds in your beginning woodworking projects!