28 Easy Wood Projects for your Home
Looking for some easy wood projects that you can finish up in a day? Or how about an hour? And with basic tools? And inexpensive wood? Or even free pallet wood?
Well today, I’m rounding up some of my favorite small wood projects that you can make for your home. All these woodworking projects can be completed with some basic tools, which I’ll highlight below.
Oh, and most of them require nothing more than scrap pieces of wood. Call me plain and simple but I really like working with Pine and I think it stains beautifully.
I hope these projects inspire you to try and make something beautiful for your home. Trust me – the hardest part is metaphorically “picking up the hammer.” Just start and things will start rolling from there.
Related Post: How to Make Wood Look Old
In fact, last year around this time, I rarely picked up a drill. Anything that needed to be done around the house, I usually called my hubby in. But not anymore! In just under a year’s time, I’ve built up the confidence to complete projects and fix things around the house myself.
Now, I keep a running list of projects that I want to make for the house. And of course, share with you here! So let’s get going.
Recommended Woodworking Tools and Supplies
- Table Saw / Power Hand Saw / Circular Saw
- Drill and Drill Bit Set
- Forstner Bit Set (Or Spade Bit Set)
- Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
- Orbital Sander
- Wood Clamps and Can-do Clamp
- Tape Measure – (see how to read a tape measure)
- Wood Glue and Construction Adhesive Like Liquid Nails
- Hammer
- Brad Nailer and Nails
- Pneumatic Stapler
Easy Wood Projects
1. Simple Wood Bench
This wood bench will take you a few hours but once you know how to make it you open up a world of possibilities for more benches in different sizes! Make one for your entryway or the end of a bed.
2. Spice Drawer Risers
You can buy spice risers but I’m kind of partial to the pretty wood ones that are custom made for your drawer. Grab some cheap pine wood and get organized!
Get the full tutorial for spice risers here.
3. Kids Toy Box
These toy boxes are perfect for organizing stuffed animals, blocks or any other toy that needs to be corralled in your kids rooms. It’s on caster wheels so it can be pulled around the room to make clean-up a breeze.
Get the toy box tutorial here.
4. easy Board and Batten Walls
This tutorial calls for garden lattice – yes, you read that right. Cheap lattice can transform boring walls into stylish molding. This is not hard! Very minimal cuts and mostly attached with construction adhesive.
Get the full tutorial for board and batten here.
5. Small Wood Stool / Plant Stand
I love these stools! My dad and I put this one together and while this is the most challenging project on this list, it’s still very doable and sturdy as heck. There are so many uses for stools; seats, step stool, plant stand and more!
Get the full wood stool tutorial here.
6. Wood Pedestal
Not a stool – a pedestal. And a stylish one that doesn’t cost a fortune. I made one for my bathroom and one for my kitchen. Life feels a little more luxurious when things are elevated on a pedestal.
Get the wood pedestal tutorial here.
7. Succulent Planter Box
Someone on Instagram asked me if my succulents were still alive and they actually are – which is kind of amazing since I neglected them for a good bit. The planter box is also still holding up and adds rustic charm to your tables. Don’t want to worry about plant life? This project is also perfect for faux succulents.
Get the full tutorial for this succulent planter box here.
8. Farmhouse Coat Rack
Sometimes the easiest projects can be the most charming. Aside from the stool, this is one of my favorite projects. I took a cheap piece of pine and attached some old hooks.
I love how antique this looks and it’s functional too. Whether you want to actually hang coats on it or just use it for decor (like me!) – you will love this project.
Get the full coat rack tutorial (plus those awesome old coat hooks source) here.
9. Peg Rail
If you are into rustic/farmhouse decor, I’m a firm believer that you can put a peg rail in any room and it will look great. This tutorial shows you two ways to make one (including one with screw in pegs – did you know those exist!?)
Get the full peg rail tutorial here.
10. Wood Bookends
This was one of the first wood projects I ever made and I was so proud of myself afterward.
These bookends came together with two pieces of molding from the hardware store. You can decorate and paint them to fit in with your decor.
Get the DIY wood bookends tutorial plus some ideas for jazzing them up right here.
11. Garden Trellis
Apparently I can’t stay away from garden lattice. A simple garden trellis tutorial that will give you privacy as well as place for your climbing plants to grow.
Get the full tutorial for this garden trellis right here!
12. Kids Activity Table
These kids’ activity tables can cost a fortune! But I made mine out of some plywood and premade legs that you can pick up at the hardware store. This table is perfect for legos, drawing, reading, and eating!
Get the kids activity table tutorial right here.
13. Simple Wood Lanterns
You can totally make these charming, rustic wood lanterns for your porch and decor out of scrap wood! We used old pallet wood that we took apart and then made square dowels with a table saw. You can also make it easier on yourself by buying the square dowels already made, then just cutting them to the dimensions you want.
Get the full tutorial for these wood lanterns right here.
14. Shaker Peg Rack with Shelf
This shaker peg rack with a shelf is a bit of a play-off of the traditional peg rail. An added shelf is perfect for holding layered artwork, greenery, and more. And yes – this can be made with all scrap wood!
Get the full tutorial for the shaker peg rack with shelf right here.
15. Wood Laundry Countertop
If you have a front loading washer and dryer, you can make a fully functional counter for holding laundry accessories and folding your clothes. This countertop was made from 1×10 boards and a piece of plywood.
Get the full tutorial for this DIY Laundry Room Countertop here.
16. Vintage Cutting Board
Those beautiful vintage cutting boards are actually not so hard to construct yourself. They add so much character and warmth to your kitchens and can look pretty cool hung on the wall or from a peg shelf.
Get the tutorial for making a vintage cutting board here.
17. Armrest Table
This project is super handy for your living room! If you are in a need of a little table for drinks and things but don’t have the room, you can make one of these armrest tables. They fit over the arm of your sofa.
Get the full tutorial for this armrest table right here.
18. Bathtub Tray
This bathtub tray is a cinch to make from a cedar board. It adds so much warmth to your bathroom and it’s practical too. Use it to hold soaps, a wine glass, books and more.
Tutorial for Bath Caddy can be found here.
19. Wood Frame for Canvas
You can totally make your own frame for a canvas. I did this with cheap pine wood and stained it my favorite wood stain (Early American). It definitely elevates the look of your canvas. Try this DIY spackle art while you’re at it.
20. Long Landscape Art Frame
These long landscapes are all the rage right now, but finding the perfect frame for them can be kind of tough. Well – you can make your own! I used pine lattice and piece of plywood to construct this one. No glass it needed on the front.
21. Laptop Stand
We all know it’s better for our posture and neck to look at things at eye level. This wood laptop stand is the solution! I made this simple laptop stand out of a scrap project panel I had lying around in the garage.
Get the full tutorial for the wood laptop stand here.
22. Entry Table
This is one of my favorite projects ever because it’s so practical and can be completed for less than $40 in lumber. This entry table was constructed out of pine, put together with sturdy pocket hole screws and then stained True Black. I love that similar tables to buy cost over $200!
Get the DIY Entry Table tutorial right here.
23. Drawer Dividers
You can easily create your own drawer dividers with inexpensive pine wood and pocket holes. This has made a world of difference in our kitchen drawers, and we got a custom look for low price.
24. Blanket Ladder
I wanted a simple blanket ladder that was tall to bring the eye up and fill an empty wall space in our bedroom. This was so incredibly easy to make – just 2x4s!
Get the blanket ladder tutorial here.
25. Lidded Wood Box
These wood boxes are super practical, allowing you to stylishly hide those ugly remotes and charging cables.
Get the DIY Wood Box tutorial right here.
26. Side Table
I created a custom side table for our screened in porch. I made it to fit directly over our ugly, bulky outlet. Now it’s out of sight and we have a beautiful table to boot.
Get the DIY side table tutorial right here.
27. Grid Wall
We completely transformed our front office area into a sleek office with this accent grid wall. This is a high impact, easy and inexpensive project.
28. Storage Cabinet
Truth be told, this one requires a little more – but it still uses the same basic and simple practices I use with ALL my wood projects. Pine and Pocket Holes! I hope a project like this inspires you to try. Once you learn the basic skillset, you can easily knock this out!
Favorite Resources/Inspiration for Woodworking
While I learned a lot about woodworking from my dad and my husband, here are a few of my favorite resources for learning even more.
- Woodworking for Mere Mortals – easy to follow and so many great tips! He has a great teaching style.
- Ana White Woodworking – she is amazing! I think she has a tutorial for just about everything.
- Pretty Handy Girl – You will love Brittany as much as I do. So many amazing projects on her site and she has a great way of teaching beginners.
I tend to make things that I want to buy. If I see a pretty side table or stool, I try to figure out a way to make one first. Or, I see if I can thrift it. Sometimes that can be the cheaper option since lumber prices are a little insane right now.
I’ll be sure to add more easy wood projects to this list as I complete them. And trust me, I have quite the list of things I want to try out. I encourage you to give it a go!
Thanks for visiting today,
Xo Karen