We’re already bang into the season of giving gifts. As always, handmade gifts are more appreciated than store-bought items. So, here we present 7 woodworking projects perfect for gift giving for all seasons or events.
Here you go:
- DIY Spice Rack
For anyone who loves rustling up a good dish for dinner, this spice rack is going to be the perfect gift. You can use scrap wood to make it and your friend or relative who receives it can place it on his or her kitchen countertop or mount it on the wall.
This rack is large enough to accommodate about 40 spice bottles.
Materials Required
11 1×4 boards
1¼” finish nails and hammer
Stain or paint
Spice rack printable plans
Wood glue
Wood List
4 1×4 boards @ 17¾”
4 – 1×4 boards @12″
4 1×4 boards @ 4.25″
Tools Required
Table Saw or Jigsaw
Brad Nailer
Instructions
- Make the cuts and slits in the wood. Use a jigsaw or table saw for this.
Once you’ve cut the slits, put them together using wood glue. Ensure that they are aligned and square.
- Also, use wood glue along with finish nails to attach the end pieces.
- Use a brad nailer to attach the boards and your spice rack is ready!
Ref: DIY Spice Rack
2. DIY Wood Cheeseboard
Usually, a cheese board is the simplest and fastest to create. So, when you’re stuck for a DIY gift idea, hop on and make this amazingly simple but awfully useful cheeseboard. You can make it in about an hour.
Materials Required
Basswood round wood slice
Tools Required
150 grits and 220 grits sandpaper
Butcher block oil or mineral oil
Stiff brush
Instructions
- A good starting point is to look for a good-sized wooden slice for a cheese board. Choose from dried or well-seasoned wooden stumps or go to a craft store and locate a basswood slice. Either would be perfect.
With your slice ready to use, you can proceed.
- Take a brush with stiff bristles and clean the bark of your soon-to-be cheese board. Take care to remove any traces of lichen or loose debris or bark. Blast compressed air over it to remove any dirt or debris.
- Using 150 or 220 grit paper, sand it thoroughly. Ensure that the sandpaper lies flat against the cheese board’s surface so that it does not touch the edges or play havoc with the bark.
- Give a finishing touch to the cheese board by applying mineral oil. Alternatively, use butcher block oil. The right way of applying the oil is to use a clean cloth to wipe it with.
Apply a second coat and wait till the wood soaks in the oil—this may take till the next day. Consider applying a third or fourth coat, if required.
Ref: DIY Wood Slice Serving Board
- DIY Wooden Jewelry Holder
If you’re gifting a young lady, you’ve got her hooked with this amazingly simple yet effective jewelry holder.
Materials Required:
(2) 1 x 2 x 6′ wood
(1) ½ Sheet Plywood
(5) Small Cup Hooks
Wood Glue
Wood Stain
Tools Required
Miter Saw, Table saw, and circular saw
Nail Gun
Sander
Drill and Small Drill Bit
Tape Measure and Pencil
Instructions
- Cut your main pieces. They should measure:
(2) 20” large sides
(1) 16” large top
(1) 16” large bottom
(4) 3¾” small inside inserts
(2) 3¾” inside divider inserts
(2) 9½” small box sides
(1) 8½” small box top
(1) 8½” small box bottom
The final dimensions of your DIY jewelry holder should be 1 x 17½ x 20″.
- Dry fit your design.
- Create guides with your pencil so that you know where to fit your pieces.
- Mark and label your pieces so that you place hooks correctly.
- Make pilot holes to house the cup hooks. Drill the area and use your small bit too. Sand your pieces, then attach them.
- Assemble them correctly and attach them using brad nails and wood glue.
- It’s time to cut the plywood backing measuring 17 x 20″. Sand the backing and ensure that all parts are stained before the back is attached.
- After it dries, attach the back panel and then the screw on the cup hooks.
- Hook up your back panel to the holder.
- Fix hooks to the back and get it ready for hanging beautiful jewelry.
Ref: DIY Wooden Jewelry Holder
- An Indoor Herb Garden
Here’s a simple but practical way of growing your mini indoor herb garden. While the herbs will enrich your food and give you health benefits, the wooden countertop can be a part of any home, big or small.
Materials Required:
3 medium-sized terracotta pots(4 small, 3 medium)
4 small terracotta pots
1 x 8 board
1 3/4 x 3/4 board
Natural stain
Tools Required:
2 1/8″ hole saw
2 1/2″ hole saw
Table saw
Mitre saw
Sander
Wood glue
Clamps
Instructions:
- Cut the boards according to your design plans. Sand the boards.
- With the help of your hole saws, create holes in the wood large enough to accommodate the pots.
- Attach small feet to the underside of the countertop so that it stands off the floor.
- Glue and clamp them. Once the glue dries, stain the piece. Your indoor herb garden is ready.
5. Black Wood Wall Clock
This striking and dramatic wall clock will heighten the look of any drawing room or office. Gift one today and see how much it’s loved and appreciated.
Materials Required:
¼″ Plywood
Black paint
Small scrap wood
High torque clock kit
Tools Required:
Hand saw, jigsaw or chop saw
Palm sander
Instructions
- On your piece of plywood, draw a circle of the size of the clock you want. Generally, a 24” diameter is preferred.
- With the help of your jigsaw, cut the circular shape gently.
- Use sandpaper to smoothen out rough edges and the palm sander to smoothen the dial.
- Paint the dial black. Use only one coat of paint.
- Drill a hole in the middle of the dial. Cut small bits of scrap wood.
- With a scale, draw lines circling the dial.
- Stick the wood chips with glue on the lines you just drew.
- Follow the instructions given on the clock kit to install the clock mechanism.
- You can use the hanging spot at the back of the clock to hang it up on a nail.
6. Wooden Bookends
Have you got a book lover among your friends or family? He or she’s going to love receiving this elegant set of bookends. With very basic and straight cuts, you can put together a highly usable and reliable set of bookends, using just a few tools.
Materials Required:
(1) 1×6 project board
(4) 3-inch L-brackets
(8) Self-adhesive rubber bumpers
Wood glue
Glue sticks
Tools Required:
Tape measure
Miter or Hand saw
Drill/Driver
Hot glue gun
1¼ inch wood screws
Sandpaper
Cut List
1×6 – 2 @ 4 ½ inches
1×6 – 2 @ 7 inches
Instructions
- Use the cut list to cut the 1×6 board to size. Use sandpaper to smoothen the corners and edges.
- To your 7” wooden block, apply glue on its surface and bottom. The glue should stay within ¾-inch of the bottom part. Now, take a 4 ½ inch block and press its back edge onto the glue. Repeat on the next set.
- Hold the pieces in sync with each other and drill pilot holes from the backer portion and into the horizontal piece’s rear edge. Repeat with the second set.
- Pass 1¼ inch wood screws through the already made pilot holes so that each bookend now stands in place firmly. Now’s the time to paint the wood or stain it according to your wish before you can attach the hardware in the following steps.
- Measure out 1½ inches from each end of the backer boards and place a couple of L-brackets there. Ensure that they are flush with your table.
- Now, drill a shadow pilot hole through the bracket hole so that it enters the backer board. Don’t pass the drill through the width of the board. Instead, pass the L-bracket screw into the pilot hole and tighten the screw with the help of a drill. Do the same with the second assembly.
- Take each of the assemblies and place them upside down. Glue a rubber bumper on each corner so that the bookends remain in place when the books are set there.
- Put the swans on the surface of each bookend. If the swan ornament is wooden, pass a screw through it through the bottom of the bookend for greater strength.
Ref: Wooden Bookends
- Kids’ Scooters
What special gift can you give a child? A woodworking gift would be best and among them, a scooter for a child would make an unforgettable gift.
If you happen to have a piece of 2×12 scrap wood lying around then this project was made for you. The chunky 1 1/2″ thick material is solid and sturdy and can be painted any color you choose.
Materials Required:
1 – 2×12 @ 11 1/4″ Scrap wood
1 ½ inch Chunky wood
4 Rotating casters (2″ wheels)
2 Handles
Small Paint Can
paint
Tools Required
Jigsaw
Sandpaper
Drill
1 1/4″ Self Tapping Screws
Measuring Tape & Pencil
Instructions:
1: Take a square wooden piece measuring 2×12 (11 1/4″ x 11 1/4″). Place the small paint can on the wooden piece and trace a circular shape. Mark the curve of its corners.
2: Use a jigsaw to trim the curved edges. Drill through the thick wood 2x material. Turn the piece over if you’re keen to get a good cut on both sides. Sand well so that all edges are smooth.
3: Paint it with the colors of your choice.
4: Add the casters, setting them in position with 1¼ inch self-tapping screws.
5: Attach a handle in the middle on both sides.
Ref: Kids Scooter
Conclusion
If you enjoyed reading the above gift ideas from woodworking, go ahead and make the ones you like. If you know who you’re going to gift them to, so much the better.
