Although most people furnish their homes with store-bought furniture for reasons of time or convenience, woodworking is a great way to make furniture for your home. Not only is it often less expensive than buying furniture, but there are also added elements of customizing items to specific preferences, having a handcrafted heirloom to pass on, and the overall playfulness and creativity that they appreciate so much that comes from woodworking. There are many possibilities to incorporate carpentry into home furnishings.

For the beginning woodworker, a small bookcase for a home office or study is a great way to gain experience. Since a small bookcase allows the carpenter to use and work with standard wood plans, this project keeps it simple for the woodworker-in-progress. For experienced woodworkers, a bookcase can be a more complex project when building a bookcase on a larger scale or adding creative touches. These may include adding crown molding, hinged doors, or carved designs into the wood. Once the bookcase is complete and new carpentry skills are acquired, a roll-top desk would be a great addition.

A good wall hanging coat rack for an entryway is another simple home decor project that a less experienced woodworker can get started with. All that is needed to complete this project is a sturdy piece of wood, a good wooden dowel, and some staining supplies. Again, however, a more experienced carpenter may consider intricacies, such as wood carvings, to make the project more satisfying, challenging, or to get the design he envisioned.

A beautiful jewelry box or a sturdy quilt holder for a bedroom are other simple pieces of furniture to consider.

Dining table chairs are another possibility of handmade furniture. Simple chairs can be made using small planks of wood for the seats and hardwood dowels for the back. A rocking chair for a nursery or reading nook is another consideration.

You can also use your carpentry skills to improve existing furniture, such as kitchen cabinets. Wood dowels and caps can be added to the backs of kitchen cabinets to hang items like coffee mugs or measuring cups, taking advantage of all available cabinet space by implementing hanging space and freeing up the bottom of the cabinet. Or consider using dowels to make shoe racks to free up space in the back of bedroom closets.

Woodworking furniture for the home can also include outdoor spaces. Small projects might include a birdhouse, mailbox, or planter box, and larger projects might include a picnic table, porch swing, or Adirondack chairs.

Whatever your skill level, there are many woodworking projects you can complete for your home, both inside and out, with the furnishings and styles of your choice.