Easy Woodworking Projects

A few easy woodworking projects I have made over the years. Most of them are made from scrap wood, bits left over from other projects and my "one I will make something with this" stock pile of useful bits.

A few gift project ideas

Novelty lamp easy woodworking project

easy woodworking projectNovelty Lamp

I have found quite a few examples of this really cute novelty lamp. No plans, so I decided to make a Sketchup model.

The dimensions I have included are nominal, just to give you an idea of the size of each piece.

The thickness of  the wood for this project would be anything from 6mm to 9mm mostly depending what I have at hand.

novelty dog lamp explodeExploded View

An exploded view of the easy woodworking project novelty dog lamp.

novelty dog lamp head on viewHeadlamp

I guess we could call this part the headlamp.

I have tried to show how the head is assembled.

We are looking directly down the barrel, so to speak. This is where the low voltage USB LED light is mounted.

Whenever I make a square box, I cut all sides the same size, and assemble them in a follow-me pattern. That is if you want to make a square head.

novelty dog lamp head patternPart 1

The pattern for the head.

Cut four of these.

Note one of the pieces would have a slot cut into it for part 2.

novelty dog lamp neck patternPart 2

Part 2 is the neck. It passes through the slot made in the base of the head.

novelty dog lamp bodyPart 3

Part 3 is the body. Make two of these.

novelty dog lamp legsPart 4

Part 4 is the legs. Make 2 pairs.

novelty dog lamp ears and tailPart 5

Part 5 is the ears and tail. Make 2 ears and 1 tail.

Warning.

Using a traditional incandescent light bulb is a fire hazard because they can get really hot. There is also the risk of electric shock because they work on a high voltage.

So it is important is that you use an LED light.

I had a look on eBay, and found a portable USB powered camping light. It costs less than AU$10 with free shipping. In the interest of all that is fair, I have to let you know I may earn a small commission if you actually buy this item.

A LED torch may be another option.

Guard dog door stop

Free scroll saw patternsFree Scroll Saw Pattern

Inspired by part of an article I found in an old magazine.

I made a SketchUp model first, then printed the page views to scale, pasted the prints onto bits of off cuts left over from other projects and the “one day” wood pile. 


guard dog door stop01Pattern 1

Pattern for the guard dog.

guard dog door stop02Pattern 1A

Another pattern for the guard dog, this one just a puppy.

guard dog door stop03Pattern 2

Pattern for the scalloped fascia board.

guard dog door stop04Pattern 3

Pattern for the front of the kennel.

guard dog door stop05Pattern 4

Shape of the base which acts as the door stop. Dimensions are nominal.

If you download the free scroll saw patterns, you will discover that I have included another guard dog template, because what’s better than one dog is two guard dogs.

It has just occurred to me that Siamese cats also make very good guards.

A pair of bookends

Easy projectsBookends Template

Keep your books organized with this cute pair of bookends woodcraft project.

Something that is easy to make with a scroll saw or even a jigsaw.

Tea light candle holder

Gift project tea light candle holderTea Light Candle Holder

How to make a decorative tea light holder. 

A Sketchup model inspired by a photo I found on Pinterest.

An easy project I hope to make one day with bits of scrap wood left over from other woodworking projects.

tea light explodeExploded View

Exploded view of the tea light candle holder.

Tea light part1Part 1

Part 1 make 1

Tea light part 2Part 2

Part 2 make 3

tea lightPart 3

Part 3 make 3

Plant stand

easy woodworking projectsPlant stand

Another easy woodworking project. A three leg stand for a candle or a small pot plant.

easy woodworking projects02Legs

Pattern for the legs.

easy woodworking projects03Base

Pattern for the base of the pot plant stand.

Decoupage container

woodcraft plans decoupage projectWoodcraft Project Decoupage Container

Another useful handmade gift item you can make.

This handy woodcraft project container, with a decoupage finish and would be a valuable addition to any home.

I made it using 6mm MDF and a few hand tools including a jig saw, hand plane and an electric drill.

I spray painted the inside dark blue, and finished the edges in artists gold paint with a ruling pen.

easy woodworking project02zbStep 1

Cut the panels, and Here I have stacked the four panels and trimming them with my trusty hand plane.

easy woodworking projects03zbStep 2

Cutting the curve with a jigsaw.

easy woodworking projects04zbStep 3

Smooth the edges with a sanding drum mounted in my electric drill.

easy woodworking projects05zbStep 4

The base of each panel has to be trimmed so that it sits flat on the base plate.

Here I am using a sliding bevel to check the angle.

easy woodworking projects06zbStep 5

Gluing two sides to make 2 L-shape component parts.

Using duct tape along the corner and a carpenter's square.

The spring clamp on the top keeps the vertical side from falling over.

I am using PVA wood glue, and I am pleased with the relative strength of the joint. Bear in mind that butt joints are the weakest joints in woodworking.

This is more of a woodcraft project because I am using MDF panels.

woodcraft plans dustbinStep 5A

A SketchUp image in colour to show the two L-shape parts ready for final assembly.

easy woodworking projects07zbStep 6

A top view of the final assembly with the base showing the nose to tail method of making a square box.

Follow this link to download a free printable PDF template file to make this woodcraft project decoupage project.

I used 6mm MDF project board 1200mm by 900mm, enough to make three of these containers.

Desktop easel photo display

desktop display easel plansDisplay Easel Plans

Here is a perfectly simple and easy woodworking project you can make in less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee.

I made this display easel with bits of wood rescued from an outdoor umbrella. 

Artist easel display stand

Free artist easel plansFree Artist Easel Plans

Another useful project you can make on a budget is this artist easel display stand. 

I made this with lengths of 65 x 19 project timber and a piece of cord.

Make a spice rack for your kitchen

spice rack plans easy woodworking projectSpcie Rack Plans

Another easy woodworking project for beginners that you can make using scraps of wood.

Every kitchen needs a spice rack, and you can make this one using hand tools.

Make simple toys with a scroll saw

Free Desktop Rocking Horse PlansFree Plans Rocking Horse Ornament

Free plans to build a rocking horse ornament - a small scale version of Andy. Easy scroll saw project.

I made this one using scraps of MDF and painted it with acrylic paint.

Motorcycle Rocking Horse OrnamentFree Plans Vespa Rocking Horse Plans

A doll size rocking horse in the shape of a Vespa scooter. A simple scroll saw project. 

Also made it with MDF scraps, looks pretty in pink.

More Easy Woodworking Projects

More easy woodworking projects Sketchup modelsSketchup Models

See my collection of Sketchup models for more ideas.

How to build a corner bookshelf

Click on the image to enlarge. The first image shows a screenshot of the request from Reddit.

The second image shows the cut list from one board. you could show this to your local timber supplier and ask them to cut the board to size.

The third images shows you how to measure the angle. This is what I would do:

Step 1. Mark the sizes of the squares. Because the sizes shown are nominal, your board dimensions  may vary slightly. Make allowance for the width of the blade. Cut the board in half.

One thing to bear in mind when laying out the measurements is that the ends of the board may no the a square as it should be, so you may need to square that up.

Step 2. Rip the remaining board in half. If you are using a table saw, it is entirely within the realms of possibility that the cut will be quite clean, unlike using a hand saw, which will need a hand plane to clean up the saw marks.

Step 3. This is where the third image should be self explanatory. Here is where I would use a sliding bevel to record the angle and transfer it to the other boards.

shelf woodworking plansShelf Woodworking Plans

Make something useful for the home with these shelf woodworking plans.

Ask me anything, share your project

Here you can ask me anything, share up to 4 photos of your projects.

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