Indulging Your Creative Side This Summer

It’s that time of year again; summer is long gone and autumn is rapidly turning itself into a chilly winter. It’s time to retreat to a cozy place, batten down the hatches, and get to work on your next project.

Ok, so this might only be true for those of us north of the Mason-Dixon Line. If you are a resident of Southern California, or it is Miami Beach that you call home, your experience of summer might be a little different to that of someone from Colorado, but a warm summer is no excuse to slack on your woodworking projects! Wherever you find yourself in the U.S., it is time to take up the tools and get creative.

So, you’re all set up at your workbench, the electric lathe is plugged in and you’ve just put a new blade on your hacksaw; now what? What is going to be your first winter woodwork project? Woodworking is all about letting that initial spark of inspiration take root, so take a look at our five ideas for winter woodwork projects. Get inspired and get to work!

Desk Organizer

Who decided that cabinets should be confined to kitchens and bathrooms? Every room in the home has a whole range of stuff that needs to be neatly packed away, and can you think of a better way to keep things neat and tidy than in a cabinet? We certainly can’t.

By all means, think of all the additional storage space you will have as you create precise angles with your miter saw, think of all the extra tools and treats you will have room for as you use your handheld planer to create the perfect finish, but please, for the sake of health and safety, try to keep your mind on the job at hand!

Once complete, your festive garage cabinet serves an important purpose; it acts as a handy hint for your family and friends that they need to get you more power tools for Christmas!

Bird Barn

It’s easy to forget about our feathered friends when the holiday spirit kicks in, but for neighborhood birds, a tough winter can be devastating. It’s always nice to feel that your woodwork project is making a difference, so why not set about designing a birdhouse to help these little creatures through the winter months.

Garden birds aren’t so different from us; feed them and they will love you! You will be amazed by how many of these cute companions you will attract to your garden simply by constructing a feeding tray and leaving out some food for them to nibble on.

Once your birdhouse project is complete, it is time to sit back and watch your creation do its thing, safe in the knowledge that you have done some good work for nature. If you want to take up birdwatching for a little while, be our guest, but don’t let it delay your next project by too long!

Cook Book Shelf

One of the best things about woodwork and crafts is books. The internet is great for getting tips, inspiration and for buying tools to help you develop your passion, but can there really be any substitute for settling into a comfy chair with a good, old-fashioned hardback craft book?

We don’t think so. But books need storage space, so building a bookcase is an ideal woodwork project for the holidays, particularly if you are hoping to get some extra craft and woodwork books for Christmas.

You can think of this project of your way of giving something back to the books from which you have learned so much. As you mark out the lengths of wood on your workbench, ready for the table saw, think about how the techniques you picked up from a book are now being put into practice, and making a home for more books. The process has come full circle; doesn’t that make you feel all warm inside?

Patio Cart

Once upon a time, every household had its own Thanksgiving garden bench. Every year, after the turkey had been gobbled up and everyone was feeling a bit woozy from too much food and good cheer, the whole family would gather around the Thanksgiving garden bench and discuss wholesome things. You won’t find any reference to this in history books, or on the internet, or anywhere for that matter, but take our word for it; it’s true.

Now’s the time to bring back this long extinct tradition, and fly the flag for the re-introduction of the Thanksgiving bench into the gardens of America. As you lay out your carefully measured boards and use your handheld sander to buff them to a satin smooth finish, you will be heartened by the knowledge that your actions are helping to reignite a vital part of our nation’s rich culture.

Giant Snowman

“A what?” you say, “you want me to craft a Merry Christmas? Seems a bit abstract to me!”

Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting that you whip up the concept of a Merry Christmas on your power lathe (although if you are able to do this, more power to you! We love an ambitious project). Instead, we are simply pointing out that turning your Christmas preparations into a woodworking project is one of the most rewarding ways to spend the run up to the holidays.

Christmas decorations such as nativity scenes, lamps, angels and other festive ornaments really lend themselves to a wordworking project, and the beaming looks and impressed noises that come from your family when you unveil your handiwork will truly make it a Merry Christmas. So, you see, it is possible to construct a Merry Christmas from resistant materials after all!

Whatever project you decide to put your time, effort and skills into this winter, we wish you the best of luck. Don’t forget to get in touch and share some pictures of the finished articles with us, and don’t forget to add your own inspiring comments below!

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