If you’re into woodworking or maybe you want to get into it, then you may be thinking of turning it into a lucrative side job/hobby. Or, maybe you want to turn it into a full-time career.
Whatever your goals may be, let it be known that there are a ton of ways to make money from your woodworking skills, no matter how great (or bad) they may be. You just need to know which items sell on the market as of today.
In today’s post, I want to talk about the many projects you could consider if you want to put your skills to work. And, no, you don’t need to be a master, either, as many of these options can be completed by someone who has very little experience. Some are easy, while yes, some are hard. And, yes, you could get started as early as today.
Below, I will talk briefly about the projects as well as link out to some plans to help you earn some cash on the side. I will also talk a pinch about how you can succeed both online as well as in person.
How to Make Money Woodworking
Before I get into the many items you can build for a profit, I first want to share a few tips that you can use to hopefully maximize your time and profits. In following these tips, it can hopefully help you pick out a project that fits your budget and time spent.
Research to See What’s Hot
Before you build anything, you will first want to make sure there’s a market for it.
Thankfully, the internet offers a ton of free resources to help you figure out what’s hot as well as what’s not.
Start with Etsy and eBay, paying close attention to the most recently sold items. This should give you a good idea as to what’s selling. If using eBay, pay attention to the number of bids as well as watchers since this can be a great indicator as to how hot that project may be.
As for Etsy, take a look at the trending and/or popular items on the platform and look for items with a lot of feedback. While you can’t look at the most recently sold items on Etsy, the feedback number can often point you in the direction of a good product.
There’s a lot of data here, so make use of it!
Start Simple
Even though the product seems hot, you won’t want to waste 10 hours of your time, only to find no one wants it.
If you’re going to get into woodworking to make a profit, start with some smaller items and test the market to see if you can get any bites. In simpler terms, try to find something that will only take you a few hours to create at a max.
Simple products will save you time and can help you become very profitable if you find the right items.
Know Where to Sell
If your items are small enough to ship, then Etsy and the many Esty-like websites are one to consider.
However, if your item is much larger, such as a bed frame or picnic table, for instance, then you will need to use a local approach, when, unfortunately, can limit your market. It doesn’t mean you can’t make money, though.
Refer to both of those guides I linked to and see which one could work for your project. While Etsy, Facebook and eBay are considered to be the leaders, there are other companies that you can benefit from as well.
Learn How to Price Your Work
As a rule of thumb in pricing your work, you need to factor in the time spent, the materials as well as the complexity of the project in question.
If you value your time at $20 per hour and feel the work you’re doing is quite complex and took you some time to learn, then you could say your time is worth more and you could charge more.
Pricing is going to be tough as your project will be much different than someone else. While you could be competing with other coaster sellers, do you want to undercut them and be the cheapest option? Sometimes, the cheapest option isn’t always looked at as being the best.
To price your work, I highly recommend you check out your local and online market to see what others are charging. With these numbers, you can then take the average, sell for less or even increase the price. It’s up to you to play around with the pricing until you find something that’s profitable for you. You will just have to learn through trial and error.
Most Profitable Woodworking Projects to Build and Sell
TIP: I just linked out to some of my favorite woodworking plans. As you can imagine, there are many more. Also consider using Pinterest, YouTube as well as Google to find hundreds of ideas. If you find a good one, be sure to let me know in the comments below!
I offered a few simple tips as to how to get started above. Now, I will mention/link out to a handful of my favorite woodworking ideas.
Bedside Box
Similar to that of a nightstand, a bedside box can be constructed in all sorts of sizes. Plus, they are quite cheap to construct. This is a good starting point if you’re just starting out with woodworking projects.
These wooden boxes are cheap to construct and be can used to tote around bottles of any type, including beer, soda, etc. It can even be used as a decoration around the house or to store your empties. Measurements are important, however, as you have to ensure the slots are just big enough to comfortably fit a bottle.
Yes, bottle openers are sometimes made of wood. They are small, simply meaning they won’t require much of your time. Not only that, but it’s small enough that it won’t eat into your postage costs.
A pinch more complicated to make, but if you have the right tools, a wooden candle holder can be one to boast about. The materials are cheap, and in many cases, it won’t eat up a lot of your time.
Probably one of the simplest options to make, coasters could be a great starting point that can earn you a decent profit. Consider this option with a lot of the scrap wood you may have leftover from other projects. To maximize your profits, consider selling it as a set.
A corner wall shelf can add a unique feature in any home setting. This woodworking project is fun to build and can cost next to nothing. The design ideas are endless.
This popular game doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, at least yet. There are plenty of tutorials online, most of which you can customize to cater to a specific audience.
This is a huge one that could yield some nice profits. After all, pet owners love to spend money on their beloved dogs and cats. The ideas are endless, with blueprints for all skill levels.
Everyone has some sort of jewelry, right? Whether it’s an extravagant box or something extremely simple, a jewelry box is inexpensive to make and very versatile. There are a ton of blueprints out there, giving you a ton of ideas.
Every kitchen has a set of knives. Whether you want to build the blocks for the knives you buy or just build the block in itself, this is a must-have tool for every kitchen. I don’t think we can argue that one.
Who doesn’t love to showcase their pictures inside of their home? Wood picture frames can often be expensive at a local retailer, allowing you to potentially create one for less. Consider creating a customized version or something basic. There are a ton of blueprints online.
When you think of a bowl, you probably don’t think of wood being a material. I’m with you, but a wooden salad bowl can be of consideration simply for its beauty and durability. If considering this option, a hardwood that produces fruits and nuts is one to consider.
Sticking with the dinnerware theme, a salad bowl spoon, chopsticks or even tongs could be one to consider, especially if you want a smaller project. The ideas are endless; it’s up to you do decide what you want to do.
Whether it’s the entire bed frame, equipped with storage drawers beneath or just the storage itself, everyone has a bed and most love to maximize their space. There are a ton of plans out there, from king-sized beds with six drawers to a twin bed with bookshelves beneath.
This one will take more work but could lead to great profits due to the time involved. If you have a porch, a swing is almost a necessity but only consider if you feel you can sell locally.
A caddy of any sort can always come in handy for almost anyone. From kitchen utensils to cleaning supplies, the ideas are, once again, endless. This may not be the most profitable woodworking idea on this list, but it could sell if you have the right design.
This is broad, I know, but there are a ton of ideas out there, such as rocking horses, doll houses to something as small as a car. The ideas are endless, so I went ahead and linked out to websites that post woodworking toy plans online.
Wall planters can add a lot of character to a backyard or even a room. The ideas are endless, from planters that attach to a privacy fence to a smaller one that simply attaches to a wall.
The ones I linked to above I liked a lot and figured you could make quite the profit in creating them, especially if you used the blueprints I linked out to. However, I did come across some ideas, but I felt the profit wasn’t there, but you may still be interested in the idea.
Listed below, I went ahead and wrote down some ideas, but I didn’t link to any blueprints. If any do seem of interest, a quick search can yield a ton of results.
Bathtub Caddy
Bed Frame
Bench
Bookend
Bookshelf
Business Card Holder
Chalkboard
Chess Board
Clock
Docking Station
Dog Bed
Headboard
House Number Sign
Mail Organizer
Mug Tree
Nightstand
Picnic Table
Sand Box
Personalized Signs
Spice Rack
Table
Toy Cars/Trucks
Trellis
TV Stand
Vanity
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a ton of ways to make money with your woodworking skills, no matter how experienced you are.
Take the time to check out the many links I linked out to above as well as look at Pinterest, YouTube as well as Google if something is of interest and you want even more plans. There has to be something that is of interest to you on the list.
For now, you can consider a myriad of options when it comes to selling. Once you complete a project, you can do it on one of the many Esty-like websites or you can even consider connecting online to meetup locally, kind of like a garage sale. The internet has made it very easy to sell just about anything, even if you have do so locally.
As mentioned, if you know of a cool woodworking site or even some plans that should be linked above, then I’m all ears. You’re more than welcome to link out to anything you feel that’s appropriate. Feel free to sound off as well.
Now, it’s up to you to dust off the tools and start getting to work. In doing so, I can only hope you make a few hundred dollars in the upcoming weeks!
Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.
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