You’re probably wondering where to begin.
How should you break into this incredibly fun and rewarding hobby?
Well, you need to find out what kind of projects really inspire you.
When beginning woodworking, most people draw inspiration just from seeing what’s possible from other woodworkers’ projects.
Plus, the fact that some of these projects are really basic, especially with the new popular styles like rustic, modern, industrial, and farmhouse.
This makes it much easier to break into this hobby and build things people really want.
Here’s my story… (You can probably relate)
I was getting fed up with the cheap furniture you get nowadays from the big box stores.
It’s mostly garbage. They build these pieces to last maybe a year before they start breaking?
So before starting woodworking, my options were to buy replacement furniture all the time, or get something expensive from the furniture store…
But that sucks equally! I hate spending a lot of money on basic everyday-use furniture.
Soooo,,, I wanted to make my own stuff… With real wood!
That way, I’d have furniture that would actually last.
That’s when I found myself beginning woodworking, and never looked back. I bought my first couple of power tools and got to work.
It wasn’t long after that I had built my own platform bed with tons of storage space (which we needed for our small bedroom). Then I made some of my shop projects (work benches and jigs), and even tackled a really nice entry table.
One thing led to another and eventually I found myself working on some sort of woodworking project every chance I had.
I even got into toy making, which is a lot of fun by the way. My kids sure loved it!
My first tip is this – when you’re getting started with woodworking, learn as much as you can from the wealth of knowledge available to you on the web.
But at some point, you gotta turn off all the noise!
Don’t let the big-name, popular, professional woodworking masters intimidate you.
You really don’t need a huge shop full of expensive tools to build really cool projects.
If you don’t have the right power tool for the next step in a project, find another way.
Hint >> Just about anything can be done with the right jig.
But remember this – You’ll learn mostly by doing.
That means at a certain point, you need to actually stop trying to learn, and take on a project or two.
What Inspires You?
When beginning woodworking, maybe you’re thinking of a stationary hobby that churns out many small, beautiful projects.
If that’s you, then you might be into learning scroll work. I did that for awhile, making portraits and kids toys.
Maybe you’re like me and just want to start replacing the furniture in your house.
The main thing you should be focused on then is learning and mastering your table saw, and building up your collection of shop jigs for all the various cuts and joinery methods you’ll be using.
Or do you want to make home decor and other small crafts that sell. Maybe woodworking can be a money maker for you.
Basically, here’s what you do when beginning woodworking:
Take time initially to learn some basics. And I mean just enough to get you started and that’s it.
Get yourself tooled up. Don’t spend a ton. Just get a few essentials.
Learn enough so you can safely make the cuts you need to make, in order to build something.
And then choose a project, and just go for it.
You can check out my Modern Plan Pack.
It has tons of simple projects perfect for beginners.
Check out the recommended tool list.
Gather the necessary tools (simple projects usually only require a few basic tools).
If you do all that now, then you’re going to learn so much more than you will from reading, and watching youtube all day.
So keep your research time to a minimum. Research a specific topic, and do it when you need that specific answer while your working on your project.
Don’t get caught up in 20 minute videos.
You follow what I’m saying?
Get to work. Don’t expect greatness starting out, but start anyway.
You may or may not end up with something functional and square.
But that beats being stuck in the ‘research’ phase indefinitely.
Take a moment to browse my Modern Plan Pack, find a project, and get started!
>>Click here to view the Modern Plan Pack
Good Luck!
