While woodworking is not the easiest or cheapest hobby out there, it's surprisingly gratifying and fulfilling. Many are starting to take it up as a way to reconnect with themselves, put their hands to work and create something tangible along the way. Being able to take a meaningless piece of wood and turn it into something beautiful is a perfect combination of skill, creativity and patience.
Just take a look at the subreddit called r/Woodworking. With over 3.5M members, it’s a home "for furniture, toys, tools, wood, glue, and anything else that has to do with woodworking as a hobby or profession."
Bored Panda has collected some of the most unique hand-made projects from this page. Check them out below, upvote your favorites and don’t forget to check out more "things made from trees" right here, here and here.
#1 Made This Rocking Chair In ‘97 Wood Shop Class When I Was 14. Had No Idea Why I’ve Kept It For 24 Years. 38 Now And I Have Finally Realized It Belongs To My Son. Might Be A Dumb Post, Sorry, But His Face Makes All Those Years Worth It
Image credits: coffeelushed
If some people say that woodworking is a dying craft—don’t listen to them—rather show them the Woodworking subreddit to prove otherwise. Since its creation in 2008, it has grown into one of the most prominent craft appreciation communities on Reddit. From sturdy tables to unique home décor pieces, this is the place to find inspiration, advice and support.
Woodworking is one of the oldest crafts in the world. Since the start of civilizations, it has been used for constructing houses, furniture and tools. Usually, the craft is passed down through generations but today not everyone is willing to learn.
It’s a skill that requires enormous patience and dedication but if you add a little precision and skill to the mix, there’s no limit to what you can do with just a couple of tools.
#2 I Carved This Hellboy Pipe Out Of Briar Wood For Ron Perlman And He Sent Me A Photo
Image credits: RadonLab
For most of us, our experience with woodworking probably began and ended in our high school crafts class, and people often have some doubts about taking up such a hobby later on. Feeling threatened by different tools and countless rules, or thinking that you won’t be able to measure right or cut a straight line. Regardless of the excuse, there are plenty of reasons to at least give it another try.
Even though it might not look like it at first, becoming a woodworker is actually easier than you think. If you enjoy working with tools, learning the basics is quite cheap and simple since you don’t need much higher-priced equipment. With enough dedication, everyone can master this craft and get a taste of what it has to offer.
#3 Custom Made Bed For My Son. He Is Beyond Excited
Image credits: Schmxdt
#4 Me - Carving Nezuko Out Of Wood - The First Female Character I Ever Made
Image credits: DWoodartstudio
According to Sam Richards, there are some really great long-term perks that come along with being a woodworking enthusiast. To begin with, it significantly improves your physical and mental health. This craft requires strength in order to be able to do some heavy-lifting, so pursuing it will give you some useful exercise. "This work can also help reduce illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes," he wrote.
When it comes to your mental well-being, working with wood requires patience and focus. Just imagine, everything needs to be designed and measured perfectly just to be cut and formed with extremely sharp tools. Being able to concentrate on one thing only grounds you in the present and removes your worries and anxieties. It also helps you to enjoy the satisfaction you get after creating an entire piece from scratch.
#5 I Built This Crib For My Son. The Most Meaningful Project I've Made
Image credits: builtknotbought
#6 Bear, Raccoon, And Fox Bench
Image credits: BerkshireMtnSculptor
One major benefit of creating bespoke furniture production—you will never have to buy expensive goods. If you want to have something original that's not a cheap mass-produced piece of furniture, this is a great hobby to try out. And you can do it all from the comfort of your home. Once you learn the nooks and crannies of this craft, you will be able to save money and know that every piece you’ve created is of a higher quality and made with care.
#7 My First Work Out Of Birch With Dremel Since I Got Paralysed, Im Actualy Quite Proud With The Results
Image credits: Rolingmaniac
#8 My Proudest Project So Far. I Built A Canoe For My Father In Law
Image credits: Vercauteren
#9 I'm Not A Carpenter, But I Am Proud Of How This Turned Out
Image credits: _Adamgoodtime_
One of the reasons why working with wood is considered so rewarding is because it makes us feel at home. Since the beginning of human existence, people have lived in natural environments, so it is considered that our bodies are adapted to such natural settings. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the relaxing effects of wood on people, and there’s a study that can prove it.
#10 I Was Asked To Make A Memorial Chest For One Of The Soldiers Killed At Kabul Airpot
Image credits: NorthMtnStudios
#11 My Wife Wanted New Cabinets For The Laundry Room. Instead Of Going To IKEA, I Spent 6 Months And Double The Money Building These
Image credits: Ginger-Engineer
#12 Custom Hand Made Catscape / Catwall By Happy Happy James
Image credits: happy2james
It seems that highly urbanized environments cause high levels of stress and increase our blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormone. Researchers carried out an experiment based on the hypothesis that "humans would be more relaxed after touching the wood than after touching the other materials." Eighteen female university students participated in the study. They had to touch plates of uncoated white oak, marble, tile, and stainless steel with the palm. After sitting at rest with their eyes closed, participants touched the materials for 90 seconds.
#13 New Set Of Comfort Birds. Made From Various Scrap Wood And Epoxy Giving New Life To Material Destined For The Trash Bin
Image credits: YouKnowWho2016
#14 Although An Instrument, This Is My First Guitar I’ve Ever Built. This Was Built With Almost All Hand Tools. Used A Router For The Electronic Cavities And A Drill Press For Any Holes That Needed To Be That Perfect. Thank You For Stopping To Look At It
Image credits: itstophhh
#15 Made My 3 Year Old Her First Big Girl Bed, Just Needs Paint Now
Image credits: Thecobs
The study revealed that "touching wood with the palm calms prefrontal cortex activity and induces parasympathetic nervous activity more than other materials, thereby inducing physiological relaxation." In other words, touching the white oak plate was believed to cause much more comfort for the participants than by touching other materials. When we enter natural environments, we are more relaxed and closer to our original state as human beings.
#16 Made A Tension Table As My Last Project In 9th Grade And Would Like To Share It
Image credits: smartgoose78
#17 11' X 6' Teak Headboard Carving V2
Image credits: CutestNudistBuddhist
That’s why working with wood or any other material connected to nature is receiving more and more attention these days. If you’re feeling intrigued and want to learn more, make sure to check out the Woodworking community, the perfect place to get some incredible wood inspiration.
#18 An 80 Drawer Apothecary Cabinet I Recently Finished. Solid Oak, Mahogany, And Maple
Image credits: PillPod
#19 I Was Told By The Fellas In Daddit That Y’all Would Appreciate This Bed I Made For My Son
Image credits: Havarti_Rick
#20 Louis Xiv Style Barrel Top Desk. Walnut And Walnut Burl With Kingwood
Image credits: woodenheadache
#21 Hotwheels Display For My Grandson
Image credits: FoldDowntown
#22 Wife Wanted A Study/Hobby Table And I Wanted To Experiment With Epoxy Resin. This Is My First Epoxy Resin Table And There Are Lots Of Mistakes Up Close, But All In All Not A Bad Build
Image credits: jomski85
#23 I Started Woodworking Two Years Ago Today. Here Some Of My Projects And Joinery
Image credits: kdannen
#24 Just Finished! Working On An 8 Foot Live Edge Piece Of Walnut Now!
Image credits: houseoffloravana
#25 Is This A Good Design Of Dog House?
Image credits: Gieneusz
#26 Long Time Lurker, First Time Poster. Trying My Hand At Carving Lime Wood
Image credits: Hot_Bluejay_8738
#27 Sometimes Small Projects Are The Most Important
Image credits: yuccaknifeandtool
#28 I Made A Ramp For My 13 Year Old Dog To Get On My Bed
Image credits: nickertot
#29 As Requested, A Picture Of The Entire Side Of The NYC Chess Set I’ve Been Working On!
Image credits: davejopen
#30 Here Is A Very Classy Looking Keyboard Build That I Made! Case Is Made From Walnut
Image credits: BarrettCreative
#31 New To The Forum. Wanted To Show My Graduate Project. Palladian Roman Doric Colonnade
Image credits: JSquared-Designs
#32 Rocket Ship Bookcase I Built For My New Son
Image credits: FirthFabrications
#33 Mohican Scout
Image credits: BerkshireMtnSculptor
#34 Backyard Bridge 6’ X 50’
Image credits: Michael5700
#35 Honeycomb Shelf With A Twist
Image credits: EricEichstaedt
#36 I Made Minimalist Christmas Trees To Celebrate The Holidays (Early) !
Image credits: OyymoF
#37 Spalted Maple Bench
Image credits: tger800
#38 Christmas Present For My Two Boys
Image credits: mw33212
#39 I Made 90 Bottle Openers Out Of Recycled Skateboards For Our Wedding Favors...yes, There Was Quite A Bit Of Sanding
Image credits: jetpream
#40 I Built This Shield From Ply Wood, Inspired From The Legend Of Zelda. I Tried To Go For Realism. This Is My First Wood Working Project, Criticism Is Welcome!
Image credits: RickTrilogy
#41 Built My Deck This Summer
Image credits: abk48
#42 Made A Slim Version Of My Mechanical Iris Ring Box
Image credits: kezalo
#43 My Wife Saw A $30 One At The Store. I Spent 10 Min Picking Up Sticks
Image credits: ipsomatic
#44 I Carved My Forearm!
Image credits: uniqueperson22
#45 We Did A Best-Chair-In-An-Hour-Out-Of-A-Single-2x4 Challenge
Image credits: KingofCandlesticks
#46 Solid Maple Bedside Table. All Cut By Hand. Definitely Over 100 Hours Of Work. Really Wish We Had A Cnc
Image credits: MayestDesign
#47 Stuck In The Shed During Covid Lockdown. Another Project
Image credits: randomword66
#48 Latest Creation
Image credits: troutmaster69
#49 Custom Kitchen By My Husband And I - From Rendering To Real Life
Image credits: lucybear123
#50 My Stepdad Asked Me To Make Him A Gavel For When He Becomes Worshipful Master Of His Lodge Next Year. I Know Nothing About Freemasonry, But I Tried My Best
Image credits: Pr1zonMike