With the weather turning cold and outside activities cut to a minimum now is a perfect time to start working on a home project that you can do in your garage or basement. If you have been wanting to start a home project and just need a few good woodworking ideas for inspiration here are three you might want to try. These are woodworking projects that you can build at home in an afternoon or a weekend that are relatively simple and low-cost.
Chests and storage boxes can be a simple and fun project to try. Depending on the design, you can build a chest or box fairly easily. It's basically four sides a bottom and a top. The sides and bottom can be put together with the various types of woodworking joints such as the butt joint, miter joint or lap joint then fastened together with glue, screws or nails. The type of wood you want to use can range from softwoods like pine or hardwoods like oak to cabinet grade plywood. Plywood is a good choice, it is relatively inexpensive and does not warp or cup like lumber. A toy box for your kid's room or a blanket chest are just a few you may want to consider.
Adirondack Chairs are another easy project that you may want to try. The Adirondack chair is a fairly simple design and relatively easy to build. With Just a few basic tools and a good set of plans you can build a set of these chairs in an afternoon. This outdoor chair should be built with lumber that is resistant to rot and insects. cedar, cypress or pine are some of the more popular lumber used for the Adirondack Chair. Pressure treated pine is an economical lumber choice for this outdoor chair. It can be sanded smooth to be splinter free and holds up well for many years in harsh outdoor weather conditions.
Building a desk is a great woodworking idea that can add functionality to any space in your home. A simple desk design can usually be completed in a weekend from start to finish. One of the easier desks to build is a computer desk. The simple computer desk does not use drawers and has an elevated top shelf above the main desk top for the monitor and additional storage. This desk can be built from cabinet grade plywood and 2×4 lumber some designs even have the main top slightly angled for a more ergonomic design. It can either be painted or stained to suit your taste or room decor. To ensure that you get the best possible result be sure to get a good set of computer desk plans before you start. There are many computer desk plans available online, you might even find some free plans that suit your needs.