How to make money from woodworking | Ideas with examples from youtube

Can you make money from woodworking?

With a creative mind, the right tools, and the know-how, you can make money from woodworking in your own garage. With a good design that sells and a setup for bulk production, you can make money from your woodworking projects. You might think that making money from woodworking is impossible, but with a good few ideas, you can make some pieces that can’t be found easily off the shelf at a regular store, and have amazing appeal. 

If you’re passionate about woodworking and you can build more than what you need for yourself why not sell your woodworking projects to make a profit. Additional income from a hobby is a good feeling and the reason you are here, sit back and continue reading as we feature some of the best woodworking videos from some of the best woodworking youtube channels.

The collection of videos below will give you great ideas regarding the most profitable woodworking projects to build and sell.

Tips for making money from your woodworking projects

Woodworking offers an infinite number of projects that you could sell, but the real question is, how real is the deal that you can explore woodworking for a profit? Consider these tips to make money from woodworking successful.

First, you need to design something unique that cannot be bought off the shelf easily. Second, keep your design simple enough to bulk produce. You want to create a full cutting list and set your tools up with the correct guides. 

Bulk cutting all your boards at the right lengths in one go will reduce the time it takes to think about every cut. If you’re building 20 sellable pieces that are the same, cut 20 boards at a time.

And lastly, try building materials that are affordable or free to source such as wood straight from a tree, you can use an Alaskan mill and the best chainsaw to mill the timber you need, and the best Dewalt planner tables to get the width you need for each board.

Where to sell your woodworking projects

If you have explored a bunch of ways to make money on the side and your certain woodworking is the way for you, there are a few different places where you can sell your woodworking projects. You can showcase your projects at city markets, stalls, and a city event.

Once you have found the city markets that work for you on the weekends you can also make money from woodworking by bringing your crafts onto an online platform.

Distance will no longer be a barrier when connecting and interacting with people, and you will see the potential on how much you can make as a woodworker beyond your city.

In no order below you can find a list of great woodworking projects that sell.

I recommend clicking through and subscribing to all the YouTubers listed below if you are serious about woodworking.

1. Epoxy wood cutting boards

Epoxy wood cutting boards have an eye-catching translucent and lively colored epoxy in the middle that makes it perfect as woodworking Christmas gifts than other common wood cutting boards available off the shelf. The natural marks of the wood also add up on its feature plus its flat surface.

Caleb’s Harris advice from “you can make this to” is to patiently mill each side of the wood vertically and horizontally to achieve an even or flat surface before combining them and filling up a less opaque pigment of colored epoxy to come up in a translucent color effect.

2.Wooden mushrooms

Wooden mushrooms are small yet an attention grabber woodworking project that can make its way to the local market effortlessly. It is a type of project that will sell because it can function as a room decoration or as a DIY wood gift. It is also not hard to produce, and they don’t consume much time crafting.  If you want a small project that’s easy to finish and to get started this might be the idea for you.

Although there are many different ways to make wooden mushrooms small mushrooms like what Gal Shapira from “Mr timber works” makes doesn’t require a lathe for people getting started.

3. Make a fire pit table

The fire pit table is one of the coolest projects with the combination of a table to eat and drink on and fire to enjoy. Thanks to a propane burner and epoxy, that makes it possible! It can be on display outdoors while having a coffee with your friends to bring people together perfect for gatherings.

Michael from “Micheal builds” mentions that for the ideal finish, you need to make three or four consistent mixes of mortar and plasticizer flow control to achieve a balanced and noticeably good-looking concrete top.

4. Wooden phone or stand

This easy to make wooden phone or tablet stand has a minimalist design which is perfect for quick sales, and fast production time. It can either be a phone stand, a key chain, or it can be gifted as a souvenir for someone.

Thanh Hai’s tip from “TE” is to sand all sides of the wood for a smooth surface. Its sleek and polished surface with its adorable size can attract customers.

5. Wooden laptop stand

A wooden laptop stand is an ideal project for people who would want to get away with the typical metal laptop stand available in the stores. You can also offer a personalized wooden stand with the preferred length, height, and additional design features for a buyer rather than the ready-made ones that shops offer.

For a more natural-looking laptop stand, Simon from “Simon says DIY” recommends applying a coat of boiled linseed oil to protect the wood from any possible damage from insects and outside scratches. The coating will also make the final product look amazing.

6. Turning Bowls

Bowls are one of the most affordable woodworking projects since they can be made from a firewood log that you can find in your backyard. It is a product of woodturning skill and ideal for homeowners interested in adding some wooden bowls to their kitchen collection. When finishing the bowls,

Johnny from “Crafted workshop” suggests applying a food-safe finish to protect it and make it look even more natural. FDA approved the use of food-safe finish as long as these are unpigmented finishes that do not contain toxic colorants, lead or mercury, and can be applied in reasonable amounts.

7. Planter boxes

Planter boxes are an appealing woodworking project that can hit the market because of the increasing demand for backyard planters. There is a growing population of people interested in growing their own food today. People are looking for planter boxes that look good and are safe for edible food to grow. It’s important to make sure treated or tanalized timber does not touch the soil.

Johnny from “Crafted workshop” recommends using a miter saw rather than a circular saw when building planter boxes since you will need to cut multiple boards.

8. Solid timber table

A solid timber table is considerably more durable and sturdy than other tables you can find in a store. A tree trunk table is rustic and with a glossy tabletop, it is easy for cleaning. Materials you can use are also easy to find, other than that, there will be not many expenses.

Gavin from the “Gavin Clark” youtube channel advises that a chainsaw is essential as it will do the entire job, and a rustic finish looks best when it comes to wooden tables.

9. Custom wooden speaker boxes

Rebuilding wooden speaker boxes from old speakers are just too wise to ignore for smart buyers. A damaged or neglected old speaker can have its upgrade by tearing it down and sticking with the original electronics for a new timber box. This project promotes fewer expenses. You can take an old speaker, pieces of wood, combine the two, and you can sell them at the market or online at a reasonable price.

David from “Make something” recommends that when rebuilding a box from an old speaker, stick with the original box size as the size is essential for the quality of the sound.

10. Custom Bluetooth speaker boxes

This do-it-yourself wooden speaker box is one of the cool wood projects for guys, especially those who enjoy music from a Bluetooth speaker. Speaker boxes are hard to find in shops as there are lots of speaker sizes and styles. A more personalized speaker box will surely catch lots of attention once it is launched on the market.

King Minhvuong’s take with this speaker box is that strong adhesives and clamps should go together and are the most effective way to combine pieces of wood rather than just nails or screws. Adhesives provide resistant strength, and it helps to maintain the bond of the structure.

11. Decorative mailboxes

A beautiful front of the house landscape deserves a nicely crafted and creative mailbox. Wooden decorative mailboxes are the new trend for homeowners, as people will discard a traditional metal mailbox for a better design.

Mario from the “Wood father”  has a dovetail-like feature on four sides. His advice is to apply a coating on the final product for protection as it will be exposed to direct sunlight and rain.

12. Parcel delivery box

A parcel delivery box outside your gate or house can be useful nowadays since online shopping is the new trend as, UPS, FedEx, and USPS will take responsibility for online deliveries. Essential packages need to be kept safe, especially from bad weather. A parcel delivery box will also signal to the delivery man how to take care of the parcel if they saw an allotted space outside.

Dons advice from “Homestead handyman”  is to use hinges on the connecting top part of the box to its body so it can be opened quickly by the delivery man, and another hinge on the vault part where you will get your parcel.

13. Secure delivery box

Having a secure delivery box outside can save your packages from thieves and other hassles like rain or direct exposure to sunlight. This is quite an investment for those who have experienced stolen parcels and tired of reordering and waiting for replacements for another week.

Catch this woodworking project for your packages, and put your mind at ease. Vicki from the “Vicky Liston” channel recommends spraying paint on the outside body of the box for added protection against sun and water, paint can give excellent protection and a stunning finish.

14. Wooden light shades

Instead of a naked bright bulb in your room, you can have stunning lighting while protecting your eyes at the same time through the use of a light shade. Light shade usually comes in just a plastic material, but if you want to give your room both style and light, a wooden light shade is for you.

Matt from the “Matt Jorden” channel wants to point out that insect holes in wood can sometimes be inevitable. One thing that will help you level up is to look at adding a furnishing like Danish oil to both the inside and outside of the final product.

15. Wooden rocking horse

If you are looking for DIY wood gifts, this wooden rocking horse is perfect. Aside from it being a nostalgia from childhood, it is also be made sturdy through the use of Tasmanian oak and specific woodworking techniques such as dowel joinery.

Rob from “Robin Lewis Makes” pointed out that some woods like Tasmanian oak have a distinctive ingrain, so the boards need to be placed alternately for a wave-like design to produce a visually pleasing look.

16. Carving rock basins

This carve rock basin can be added to your bathroom and can even be a sink. If you are getting tired of the usual white sink, this perfect carve granite rock basin will add a natural look in your bathroom.

Jesse from “The Samurai Carpenter” found out that carving out a granite rock is a little bit hard, but with the help of a cut off saw, hammer drill with a chisel bit, angle hand grinder, coal chisel, and a laser level (more infomation here), you can get it done. Granite is one of the hardest stones second to diamond, the reason why it is hard to carve, but it is guaranteed durable, so it will not break or wear down over time.

17. Custom work desks

If you are going to buy a desk, you will surely buy the one that can do more rather than the one with a single function. This custom work desk is ideal not only for office work but also for school use. It can be a computer table and a workbench while saving your space and your money spending just below $75! On materials.

Chad from ” Green Light Life” recommends when you are at the lumber store, make sure to choose the straightest and flattest boards as it can save you a lot of time and effort later. Look at the boards vertically and horizontally to ensure that the surfaces are flat and not veering in other ways too much.

18. Bar bench or countertops

A countertop is one of the most impressive features that can be improved in a kitchen. It can be cheap to make and requires only a few tools and skills to keep it sturdy. All you need is some lumber from a fallen tree, a chain saw, and an Alaskan mill. I also recommend sanding any edges of any solid timber countertop with your makita belt sander to save a lot of time.

Your countertop can become popular by giving it a unique natural finish or adding an engraved design. Jesse again from “The Samurai Carpenter” has a method of joining timber cracks using cut timber pieces, and shows how good black steel and natural timber go together.

19. Chicken coops

You can raise chickens with a chicken coop in the backyard. A chicken coop can provide chickens with protection from direct sunlight and rain, enough space to roam, and lay eggs should be available if you need to lock them up overnight. Nets give excellent ventilation, hinges and latches will also need to be utilized, to make the coop more accessible.

It’s important to design nesting boxes the right size so chickens will prefer to use them if the chickens are also free-range and the coop is just an easy place to collect the eggs.

Amanda’s video on “Rated Red” shares some tips and how easy it is to build a chicken coop.

20. Jewelry boxes

For people who have jewelry collections, a wooden jewelry box will do it. A pure wood box with round and smooth edges, and not metal, means you don’t have to worry about rust ruining the jewelry.

Je’s advice from the “Young Je” channel is to glue each side of the box, and the top carefully. You can also add designs like curves on the sides to get away with the regular straight edges before applying the final coating.

21. Wooded signs

Wood signs can communicate what homeowners want to say to their visitors. A simple wood sign greeting can change a lot of impressions, plus it is considered a superb aesthetic design in a room. The impressing and practical feature of the best-selling wood signs is that they are reversible. You can have a holiday greeting on one side and a welcome greeting for a normal day on the other side.

Michelle from “Around the House” recommends using 1200 grit sandpaper on a white background sign to smooth it out because of a rough paint surface while leaving the black signs just as it is.

22. Build a wood puzzle

Wooden puzzles are beneficial for children because they can improve their hand and eye coordination. But harder puzzles can also be made to challenge adults. This project is made from scraps of wood, but can you make money selling puzzles? Yes, you can introduce it to various educational institutions and to parents instead of letting their children hold gadgets for an extended time.

Neil from the channel “Pask Makes” takeaway from his project is to ensure that each block of wood is to accurate measurements since it is a puzzle. You can also add a coating on the final product to protect it from scratches and to add to its durability.

Conclusion

You should now have plenty of ideas for an exciting DIY project to start on, you can bulk produce something you like, and sell it on the side and you can add your own twist and design to any idea you find to make your work unique.

Tip; start with a project that will cost you less in resources but introduces a new style that will engage more people. And dont hesitate to open new doors if you are just starting on your woodworking journey!