When it comes to getting started with woodworking projects, one of the first thing that many beginners realize is just how expensive materials can be. This doesn’t always have to be the case. Below, you can find a few ideas to help you select some great scrap wood projects that will help you jump into woodworking without spending a small fortune to do so.
Scrap wood is a great way to get started with woodworking for a few reasons. First, it’s available all over the place, and it’s often available for free. One great source for scrap wood that is frequently overlooked are used pallets. You can get used pallets for free in most areas, if you just know where to look. Many people will begin their pallet acquisition at large retailers like Walmart. Normally, this is the wrong approach as many of these larger retailers will already have a pallet recycling program in place.
Start your pallet search with smaller “mom and pop” locations such as local hardware stores, greenhouses, grocery stores, and small retailers. You will find that you are often more successful, and the businesses will happily let you take broken pallets off their hands.
Once you have a bit of scrap wood stacked up at home, you can quickly turn it into some impressive projects with ease. One of the easiest projects that you can complete with scrapped pallet wood are picture frames. These are great rustic style pieces, and with just a little bit of paint or stain, you can quickly create a very desirable, rustic looking custom photo frame that you can easily sell for around $10 to $15 each.
Another great scrap wood project that will only take a couple of hours are planters or raised garden boxes. If you’re living in a suburban area, garden boxes are great projects that will often fetch premium prices. Best of all, you can often build them in just a few hours.
One final scrap project that you may want to consider is building small end tables, or larger coffee tables. This is another one that you can often complete in just a few hours, and they will sell well at local craft shows and farmers markets. When it comes to building these small tables, it is important to remember that you will need to sand them to reduce the risk of splinters.
As you can see, scrap wood projects are a great way to get started in the world of wood working, and they can be completed for next to nothing.
If you need to find some sample plans, you can quickly find several different ones online for free with just a little searching. By completing these projects, and reinvesting the money you can make with them, you will quickly be on your way to getting more of the tools and materials that you will need to complete some more expensive woodworking projects.
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