65 Profitable Woodworking Projects to Sell

Are you looking for the most profitable woodworking projects to sell? Whether you are starting woodworking as a beginner or you already have an established woodworking business, knowing what items are good to sell is a great place to start. Today we’ll share our 65 top bestselling woodworking projects so you can be successful in your woodworking endeavors!

Each of these projects are fairly simple to create and easy to scale as your business grows. If you want to make money woodworking as a full time business or maybe just want to support your hobby with some extra cash to buy some new tools and supplies this post will walk you through all of our proven projects that sell well.

Some of the wood crafts and projects on this list may seem intimidating at first, but most of these are pretty simple. Some of these projects are large in size, while others are smaller. All of them are much more simple to build than they may seem! With this list, you’re sure to find a niche for your woodworking business – and we’ve included some of our favorite project videos from YouTube that show how to make each of these step by step!

1. Wall Signs

Wall signs are a great option for something to make, and they are very easy and customizable as well. You can take a piece of wood, such a 1×8 and then handpaint different quotes and sayings on it, or you can affix decorative items to it. You can often find a lot of decorative things in the craft sections of stores. Then, all you need to do is attach some hanging hardware to the back and it is ready to go on the wall.

The best part about these is they don’t take up a lot of space, so you can make several signs in a week and store them all even if you don’t have a large space for storage. These look fantastic on display at craft shows, or you can sell them online very easily because it is not cost prohibitive to ship since they are smaller in size.

You can also play around with different shapes and sizes – making them long rectangles, or making them squares, or even getting oval plaques at the store and decorating them to suite your market.

The only disadvantage to wall signs is this space can be competitive, so it’s a good idea to make sure your signs are unique that stand out from the crowd or keep scrolling to find even more ideas for woodworking projects to sell.

2. Rustic Log Candle Holders

These rustic log candle holders are really easy to make with hole saw bits for your drill. Simply take a log or piece of wood, and drill in holes large enough to hold a standard pillar candle or tea light. Pillar candles and tea lights are very inexpensive to buy in bulk, and you could easily make several of these in one day to sell online or at craft fairs.

3. Phone Charging Station

Almost everybody has a smart phone that needs charged, and a charging station is the perfect way to keep those devices and their cords organized. These are easy enough to make – simply create a space for a surge protector to plugin devices and holes for cords to easily go through.

You could also make a wireless phone charging station but that is a little more complicated as it requires putting in the proper wiring and some soldering, but it can be a very lucrative option if you can make one.

4. Wooden Clock

Clocks are not difficult to make, especially with many clock making kits available to use for the hands and gear mechanism. You can make all sorts of wood clocks, from very simple and rustic to more decorative and advanced.

5. Wooden Lantern

Wood lanterns are also a great option to consider, and you can include a flameless pillar or votive candle with the lantern. These make fantastic centerpieces and are often in high demand for weddings and other special events.

6. Wine Rack

Wine racks are simple enough to build and are a great way to display bottles of wine in the home. The one shown above doesn’t require any difficult cuts {you can always make the sides square instead of rounded if you wish} – and features an area below the bottles for hanging wine glasses.

These are a great item to make and partner with a local winery to sell on consignment in their shop, or of course you can easily sell these online or in your local market.

7. Bottle Opener Wall Hanging

All you need is a wood board and a metal bottle opener and some hanging hardware and you have a great home bar or kitchen accessory for someone who enjoys drinking different bottled beverages.

To add a decorative touch, you could customize with engraving or paint it with different sayings or quotes. These are definitely a great gift idea for many people, especially around father’s day and the holidays.

8. Coffee Mug Trees

Finding a way to store and organize coffee mugs can sometimes be a challenge, and building coffee mug racks provides a solution for many people looking to cut down on clutter while at the same time organizing their coffee mug collection. These can be freestanding racks that sit on a counter, or you can build a simple coffee mug rack that hangs on a wall or cabinet to hold the mugs.

9. Wooden Coasters

If you’re looking for a really small project to start with, wood coasters are simple to make and look great to hold drinks and protect other surfaces. You can make these as simple or as intricate as you wish – and don’t forget to build a caddy to hold the coasters and keep them organized when not in use.

10. Wood Cutting Board

Wood cutting boards are very popular for preparing and serving food. If you are making these, it’s a good idea to use a wood that is food safe and well known for being able to withstand the rigors of being a cutting board. See our post on types of wood for some ideas if you need help selecting the right type of wood for your cutting board project.

The nice thing about wood cutting boards is they don’t take up a lot of storage space. If you’re just getting started in your woodworking hobby or business and space is an issue, you can easily make several of these and store them without worrying about them taking up too much space.

11. Wooden Kitchen Utensils

Wooden spoons and scoops are always a popular item and are actually a lot easier to make than you might think. While a little more complicated because they do require a bit of carving, they always come out beautiful and people love to buy them to support a local business.

12. Napkin Holder

Napkin holders are still something people use and need, and there are a lot of different ways you can design them to match a number of different kitchen decor themes. You could also create a place for people to set down their salt shakers or even include a pair of salt and pepper shakers with the napkin holder. These make for a great practical centerpiece on any kitchen table.

13. Serving Trays

Serving trays are similar to wood cutting boards, and are as just as simple to make. The only main difference between a cutting board and a serving tray is that serving trays often have handles or they have an edge on the sides so items do not fall off the tray. Serving trays have a number of different uses, from holding decorative items on an ottoman to being used for entertaining guests.

14. Wood Trivets

Trivets are great to use when you have hot serving dishes you want to put on the table but don’t want to risk damaging the table. You can make a lot of different shapes and styles, from a simple slab of wood to even using rough cut lumber to give them a rustic feel.

Since these may come in contact with food {although minimal} – be sure to use a non-toxic food safe varnish with these.

15. Farmhouse Kitchen Table

Farmhouse style has stayed popular for some time and doesn’t look like its going anywhere anytime soon! A farmhouse table is very simple to build and you’ll have the double satisfaction in knowing this is where a lot of families will enjoy quality time together making memories.

Like some of the other larger pieces we’ve mentioned in this list, the main disadvantage to building and selling these is they do take up a lot of space and require a decent sized workshop to be able to easily build them. If you have the space, these are a great option that can give you a good profit return on supplies and labor.

16. Stove Cover

Many people don’t know what a stove cover is, but these are actually quite good sellers. You can easily make several per week. They are fairly popular, easy to build, and small so they don’t take up a ton of space in your woodworking area. They are especially popular in farmhouse style kitchens.

So what is a stove cover? It is very similar to a wood cutting board or a serving tray: basically a piece of wood that goes on top of a stove to cover up the stove burners. They are ideal for people who don’t use the stove very often, or are looking for a way to add extra storage to the kitchen. They are very portable and can be easily moved when someone does want to cook. It is important however to tell your customers that they are made of work and can burn: You don’t want to put them on top of a hot stove!

These can also double as serving trays, TV trays, and ottoman trays. There are a lot of ways to use this product and that can be a great way to help you gain new customers.

17. Spice Rack

People are cooking more at home than ever with so many closings of restaurants and a spice rack is a great way to organize and store all of your spices neatly and efficiently.

There are a number of different designs you could make, from a spice rack shelf that is freestanding on the wall or a spice rack that goes inside a cupboard door.

18. Magnetic Chalkboards

A simple magnetic chalkboard can be a great way for families to stay organized, and it adds a nice decorative touch to any kitchen, office, or kid’s room. To create these, you simply paint a piece of galvanized metal with chalk paint and then either affix to a piece of a wood or insert in a wood frame you build.

19. Message and Mail Station

A popular item for busy households, a message and mail station is a great way for everyone to stay organized and communicate with each other effectively. This item serves as a mailbox for each household member, a place to keep postage and envelopes and attaching a cork board or chalk board allows for people to easily leave messages for each other.

20. Rolling Cart

If the idea of building a rolling cart seems intimidating, don’t fret – it’s very simple to attach the rolling wheels to the legs. People love to use these for storage, as a drink station, a microwave stand or as a way to keep commonly used items portable.

21. Wooden Shelves

The options for shelving you can build is truly unlimited. You can build floating wall shelves, you can build a bookshelf….people always need shelves and they always appreciate shelves made out of real wood. If you’ve ever noticed how fast the laminate wood shelves break and fall apart {especially when moving them!} – you can understand why real wood shelves are high in demand and people are willing to pay well for them.

Most shelves are a basic box frame built out of wood. You can make them a number of different heights and widths. The only main disadvantage to selling bookshelves is they can be difficult to deliver and/or ship. One way to deal with this is to build it in a way where all the pieces are pre-drilled and you can offer on site assembly. You could also just sell shelving kits, where everything is sanded/stained/pre-drilled and your customers simply need to screw it all together.

22. Rustic Desk

This rustic desk is simple to build and you don’t even need to worry about drawers, since the open design allows for storage without worrying about drawer slides or door hinges. Made with simple cuts, you can easily build these and sell them for the home office, something that’s become more in-demand than ever with so many people working from home.

23. Vinyl Record Holder

Records are actually more popular than CDs now – I even saw records for sale at our local Target store! Many people want to keep their records neatly organized, and a record holder is the perfect way for them to do this!

This can be made as simply or as elaborate as you wish – from a basic wood box frame to simply creating something similar to bookends.

24. Blanket Ladders

Another easy woodworking project to make that is a beautiful accent for any home are blanket ladders. Blanket ladders aren’t functional ladders to stand on, but they are the perfect way to hold blankets, towels, or even clothes. They look fantastic in a bedroom and are also popular in bathrooms for holding towels.

Many people who collect quilts or have a shabby chic rustic style of decorating also use these to display different things and to soften the look of the room. Some handmade quilts are just so beautiful that it seems like a shame to put them in a closet when not in use – a blanket ladder solves that problem.

25. Rustic Bathroom Cabinet

The bathroom is sometimes a neglected place to decorate for some people, and a cabinet with a bar for towels is a great practical way to add some interest to a blank wall while being practical for holding items such as toiletries and even offers a place to hang a towel or shirt.

This shelf could also be used in a bedroom or even as an entry way item. Easy to build and versatility makes this a great option that can be sold for many different purposes.

26. Wooden Bath Mats

If you have a lumber supplier near you who can source bamboo, teak, or cedar, these wooden bath mats are very popular and are a beautiful aesthetic for any bathroom. Not only do they look nice, but they are better for most people, as they allow for water and moisture to evaporate and are easy to clean and care for. They’re definitely a big step up from rubber or cloth mats.

If you are worried about the mats slipping, you can get adhesive anti-slip rubber grips that go on the bottom of the mat so it doesn’t slide on surfaces such as ceramic tile or hardwood floors.

27. Soaking Bathtub Caddy

Is there anything more relaxing than a bubble bath? A bathtub caddy is in its most simple form a plank of wood that serves as a tray to hold items while someone is soaking in the bath. These sell for anywhere from $50 to $100 and are easy enough to make with minimal supplies.

The important thing in making these is making sure they will fit over a standard size soaking tub securely. You may also wish to offer these in different sizes, or do these on a custom order basis.

28. Wooden Hamper

Everybody wears clothes, and everybody needs a place to put their dirty laundry that looks neat and tidy. These wood hampers have a tilt out feature that makes it easy to move the clothes and sure do look a lot better than a pile of laundry on the floor! Make it so you can easily lift the laundry out with a heavy duty mesh laundry bag or tub and you’ve got a great product that people will be glad to have in their bathroom or bedroom.

29. Step Stools

One of my first woodworking projects that I was really proud of was a simple step stool I created in my 8th grade woodshop class. Stepping stools have a number of different uses and are especially popular for parents of small children who might need help reaching the bathroom sink or other places.

When building a stepping stool, it’s most important that it is sturdy. Putting anti-slip rubber grips on the bottom is also a good idea to prevent it from sliding on potentially slippery surfaces.

30. Natural Wood Soap Holders

It’s possible you’ve never seen a wood soap holder, but they are becoming more and more popular and there is not a whole lot of competition with this product. These are very simple to make and prevent bars of soap from becoming all slimy and sticking to the sink or tub.

One way to promote these would be to partner with a local soap maker who could buy them wholesale from you to package in with handmade soap sets. Of course, you could always buy the soap wholesale and sell the sets as well!

31. Essential Oil Shelf

https://youtu.be/N0c_eTXHC1w

Essential oils are all the rage, and no wonder – they have a lot of great aromatherapy benefits! People who use essential oils often find their collection grows pretty quickly {there are hundreds of different oils!} – and so having a nice shelf or rack to organize the oils to have them on display and easy to reach can be a huge benefit.

These are relatively simple to make and offers the perfect solution to keeping essential oils in place. This shelf could also be used to store nail polish or other items.

32. Table Lamps

Before the idea of wiring scares you off, these lamps are super simple to make with lamp wiring kits. To make these, you simply start with a wood base of your choosing, follow the directions of the kit and voila! you have a working lamp in no time at all.

Right now, the mason jar and fairy style lamps are super popular, you can also make upscale table lamps for a variety of other styles and tastes. Who knows? You could even make night lights or holiday light-up decorations.

33. Farmhouse End Tables

End tables are another simple woodworking project that are often high in demand, especially with farmhouse decor being quite popular for a lot of people. End tables sell extremely well and is a great way to get started in your woodworking business.

The simplest example of an end table you can build is this one which is built only out of 2x4s with some shelves for storage on the bottom. You can make them any size, ranging from 20 inches to 14 inches. They can easily fit in a number of different sized spaces. You’ll want to make them standard end table height, which is between 25 to 30 inches tall.

34. Coffee Tables

Coffee tables are another bestselling woodworking project that does very well. They come in a number of different sizes and shapes. You can build a really big square one, or you can build a rectangle shaped one. Oval ones are popular also, although that is not always an easy project for a beginner to start with.

One of the disadvantages to selling coffee tables is they are a lot larger than the other items we’ve talked about on this list, so you will want to make sure you have a good place to store them indoors while you wait for them to sell. If you don’t have a lot of storage space, this probably isn’t the best project for you, but if you do have the storage space these do sell very well and for a decent profit margin.

The nice thing about these tables is they are usually all square cuts, so you don’t have to worry too much about difficult angles or cuts. These are all very popular items to sell and do very well when listing on local marketplaces for sale.

35. Hanging Coat Rack

People need a place to hang their coats, and a simple hanging coat rack shelf is an easy DIY woodworking project you can sell without a lot of skills. Stain it or paint it and you have a functional piece with style that people can keep in their homes to organize coats, purses and more.

36. Mudroom Entry Way Bench and Hall Tree

Another popular item to make and sell out of wood are these mudroom entry way benches. These are a great item to have in your home and are perfect for an entryway or mudroom. They give you a nice place to sit down and take your shoes off and there is storage on top to place bags or a coat. They are a great solution for families and provide both style and function.

These are very simple to make and don’t require any complicated joinery. When finished, they measure about 18 inches tall and 48 inches long. These are made from a 2×4 or a 2×6 and a couple of 1x4s. That’s really all there is to these. You can then paint it or stain it.

37. Console Tables

The next popular best selling wood working project on our list are console tables. Console tables are a very versataile piece that can be used in narrow spaces in a home. You can put one in an entry way, you can put it behind a sofa, you can even set it up in a hallway or kitchen. Many people like to put them in the kitchen to hold appliances or to use as a beverage station for coffee and tea.

In entryways, they are a popular item to use to hold things like mail, keys, and other objects you might want or need as you walk in and out the door of your house.

These do especially well because they are beautiful and really add a nice touch to any space. You can also design them with drawers or shelves for additional storage. They especially look nice if you stain the top and shelving a natural wood stain color and then paint the frame a different color, such as white or black.

38. TV Stands

TV Stands are another great option to explore for something that is simple to build and can be easily customized for your customers. Generally these are best sold as custom pieces where you know exactly the measurements of the TV and the customer knows what they want in terms of style and function.

A TV stand can be something as simple as a rectangle frame with legs, or you can build it with doors to cover up storage or media. Like most of the projects we’ve shared in this list, tv stands look a lot more complicated than they actually are. It’s mostly built with square cuts and you can customize it in a lot of different ways to match the tastes and preferences of your clients.

39. Headboards and Bed Frames

Rustic headboards are gaining a lot of popularity and the need for a place to sleep is a universal one for everybody. You can make a simple headboard using little more than a few boards stacked together or you can make a headboard and frame set that you sell as a kit for the person at home to assemble and put together.

Most consumers are used to mattresses being sold separately from bed frames and headboards – be sure that whatever you build will accommodate the common standard mattress sizes of King, Queen, Double, or Twin.

40. Valet Organizer

A valet organizer is something you place on a nightstand or dresser that organizes and stores all your personal items. It’s the perfect place to put your pocket change or hold your phone for the night.

41. Jewelry Organizer

Anyone who’s owned necklaces and earrings can tell you how difficult it is to store these items without them all becoming tangled. These are very easy to make with basic supplies {just some wood and hooks!} and can sell for a tidy profit depending on the size and style.

42. Jewelry Box

Jewelry Boxes are always popular gifts and are another great way for people to organize their necklaces, bracelets and rings.

These are easy to make and are also small enough to ship easily so selling online is not a problem.

43. Wooden Chess Boards

With the popularity of shows like The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, more and more people are playing chess again than ever, thus increasing the demand for chess boards. Building a chessboard can be as simple as building it out of a plank of wood and then painting or staining the squares, or you can do some neat things with gluing different colored blocks of wood together.

The easiest design in the type that is a plain simple box with a sliding cover. The sliding cover allows for storage underneath for the pieces. You could also make one that is hinged, making it portable for someone to take with them anywhere.

You can also get a wide variety of different chess pieces in a number of different styles. Chess pieces come in wood, ceramic, metal and more. Package it up in a nice set and you have a great item people can buy as a gift – it’s a lot better quality than the cheap chess sets they sell at the big box stores!

44. Wood Building Block Toys

Do you remember playing with wooden building blocks as a kid? These are something you can make very easily with pine wood and simple cuts and create a set of building blocks for kids. You could also use wood dowels to make cylinder block shapes. Be sure when making these for sale that you sand the edges very well and use a non-toxic finish.

45. Wood Play Kitchen

One of our favorite toys as a kid was a play kitchen and they are always high in demand for both boys and girls. If you consider the plastic ones sell for $250-$400, you can do very well selling a real wood one without it being too complicated to build.

These can easily be created with a simple box frame and some decorative paint for things like stove burners or to customize the kitchen to match your customer’s style. This is something that would be popular around holidays and for kids birthday gifts.

46. Kid’s Play Stand

https://youtu.be/xr_Dz1vFfmE

From selling lemonade to hosting puppet shows, a play stand is a versatile toy that is easy to build and sparks the imagination of kids for how it can be used!

Build with a simple frame and leg supports for sturdiness so it doesn’t topple over, this stand is a unique toy that many parents conscious of buying local and handmade will absolutely adore.

47. Dollhouses

Dollhouses do not have to be complicated to make, especially when you are building them for kids to actually play with instead of creating collector heirloom creations. Most dollhouse kits on the market are made out of laminate and are VERY complicated to build, so creating a simple design can be a great selling point. These would be especially popular around the holidays for gifts.

48. Play Table With Storage

Anyone with kids knows how indispensable and useful a good play table with storage can be! Kids can use the table for art supplies, legos, toy cars and trucks or action figures. These make for practical items that are in demand year round, with a small uptick around the holidays and New Years as parents want to organize their kids spaces.

49. Toy Organizer

Parents are always looking for practical ways to store and organize their kids toys, and a basket toy organizer is a great way to do this!

This is built with a simple frame that has space to hold baskets or buckets for kids to easily reach and put away their toys – and it’s much nicer than the plastic bins they sell at the big box retail stores.

50. Raised Garden Bed Kits

Raised garden beds are becoming more and more popular because it is easy, fun, and gives people fresh home grown vegetables. Raised garden beds are easy enough to make – if you can build a box, you can build a raised garden bed!

These are best sold as kits if selling online, as you’ll want to minimize your shipping costs as much as possible. Simply pre-drill the holes and sell the wood planks, include directions or a helpful video and your customers will have a raised garden bed in no time!

51. Wooden Plant Stands

Another popular best selling item in the spring and summer months are wooden plant stands for container gardening. You can build these in a simple box frame style and people can easily decorate their porch, deck, or entry way with plants.

If making these for outdoor use, you may want to explore using pressure treated wood for longevity or at least choose a good finish that can withstand the elements for outside use.

52. Planter Boxes

Planter boxes are another great option to explore and are especially good sellers in the spring and summer months. You can build them out of pressure treated wood or give them a good finish that will withstand the elements outdoors.

Building these also couldn’t be any easier – they are basically just a box, and you can make them as big or as small as you like.

53. Outdoor Storage Box/Bench

It’s common to have a lot of things that need stored outside – from gardening and lawn care equipment to yard toys and games for the kids. An outdoor storage box is a great solution that can keep these items easy within reach without it looking unsightly.

The storage box is very easy to build, and at its most basic is a simple chest built from planks of cedar or pressure treated pine.

54. Rustic Potting Bench

With many more people gardening, potting benches are always in high demand as they give gardeners a place to work without having to needlessly bend and stoop down.

You’ll want to make your potting standard bench counter height at 36 inches tall and around 36-48 inches deep. Since many people expect the rustic look in their greenhouse or potting shed, you can often use leftover wood for this project.

55. Garden Benches

Many people enjoy landscaping their homes with both beautiful and functional garden benches. A garden bench is very easy to build and can fetch for several hundred dollars depending on the style and size and can built with basic materials and tools.

56. Picnic Tables

Picnic tables are a great thing to have in the backyard and as more people spend time at home outside, there’s likely to be a high demand for picnic tables as it gives people a place to eat and spend time together.

57. Outdoor Patio Chairs

There are a number of different styles of outdoor chairs you can make, from the classic Adirondack chair to simple slatted chairs that offer a comfortable place to rest outdoors.

These should be made from pressure treated lumber or finished to be able to weather the elements outdoors.

58. Bird Houses and Bird Feeders

Believe it or not, people DO buy bird houses – especially in Northern climates in the winter time. You can build a simple bird house with scrap wood, or you can make it elaborate. Researching the different kinds of birds and the best types of feeders can help you reach your specific target market.

59. Butterfly House

Butterfly houses are much like birdhouses, but are meant to give butterflies a place to rest and hide from predators. These are a wonderful addition to any garden.

Building these is not very different from building a birdhouse, just instead of holes you would create slots. These make for great gifts around Mother’s Day and sell well in the spring and summer months.

60. Fishing Rod Holder

Anyone who owns more than one fishing rod knows it can be a challenge to store them safely. A fishing rod holder is a great way to keep someone’s fishing supplies organized all in one space and is a popular gift for avid anglers.

61. Cat Houses and Cat Trees

Cats love a good box and place to hide and sleep. These are easy enough to make and you will be able to price yourself competitively even with the big box stores as these things often sell for several hundred dollars or more.

To make it a soft place for cats, you may even wish to glue down carpet, which you can often find at home improvement stores for under $2/square foot or even buy in bulk carpet squares which would be easy to affix to the house or tree as well.

62. Dog Kennels

Indoor dog kennels are another option to explore for items that are in high demand and are relatively easy to build. Many people do not like the look of an ugly wire cage in their home, and so its easy to build something that looks absolutely fantastic while giving the dog enough room and space. You can build them small for smaller dogs, or go all the way up to larger sizes for larger breeds.

This kennel design can be built simply with 2x4s and 1x6s. They are very simple to build and look great. The only disadvantage to these is again, they are something that can take up a good bit of space, so that is something to consider if you don’t have a lot of room for storage while you put items on the market to sell. Another disadvantage is they can be somewhat heavy, so you may want to consider that for local delivery.

63. Dog Beds

If building a dog kennel is not practical for space or storage reasons, dog beds are another option that can help you break into the ever growing and expanding pet market. At its most basic, a dog bed frame is built out of wood and then you insert a large pillow or dog bed insert. These look a lot nicer than a plain pillow on the floor and you’d be surprised how in demand these can be in certain markets where people love to pamper their pooch.

64. Christmas Ornaments

If you have a laser cutter and engraver, wood router, or the tools for wood turning, the possibilities are endless for types of Christmas ornaments you could create. You could make simple basic Christmas shapes, snowflakes, or even personalize custom orders for special keepsakes.

65. Seasonal and Holiday Decorations

Another great option to explore is making seasonal and holiday decorations. There are a lot of holidays to consider: Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and more!

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We hope that you find this list of 65 woodworking projects to make and sell helpful for you. Do you have any woodworking ideas to sell we should add to this list? Is there something that you make that sells really well? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!