9 Best Beginner Woodworking Projects

Choosing the right beginner woodworking project can make or break your future success as a DIYer. Overly dramatic??  Maybe.  But it is risky if you choose something too tough as your first project, screw it up royally, and then never attempt another project.  So it’s important to start simple and work your way up.  I’m going to give you the 9 best beginner woodworking projects to learn new skills while finishing quickly and not spending a ton of money.  Plus, they are super cute and functional too!

All pics are linked to either the source article or a pinterest board (which is then linked to source articles) that you can follow to get building instructions.

Wooden Tray

First up, the wooden tray.  With this project you will need basic straight cuts and can attach the side boards using just wood glue and nails.  The second option requires no assembly at all!  Just one board with some stain/paint and handles attached. So super easy but it looks amazing!

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Coat Rack/Picture Ledge

Next up, try a coat rack or a picture ledge. These projects are oddly similar in their construction and just need a few basic cuts and can be assembled using either nails, screws, or pocket holes. The last one pictured here actually has no assembly at all other that attaching the hooks and it still looks great!

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Home Decor

There are also a ton of easy home decor options like picture frames or wooden arrows. The arrows have a couple of more challenging angled cuts but are still super simple. And no complicated joinery here for either!

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Wooden Box- Centerpiece or Floating Shelf

Lastly, I recommend trying (after maybe trying one of the other above projects to get your feet wet) either building a wooden centerpiece box or floating shelves. Both projects are pretty similar actually! The floating shelves just have one more step you need to build to hang it on the wall. Again, all straight cuts and most can be assembled with just wood glue and nails! Super easy!

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I sincerely hope this compilation of super simple beginner DIY woodworking projects gives you some inspiration and motivation to try something new! Happy beginner building!