A time when we’re naturally predisposed to spend a little more time indoors, winter is an opportunity to pick up new hobbies, refine old pastimes, and learn new skills. Whether you’re a creative with a passion for crafting or a new-comer to the arts and crafts scene, this article aims to equip you with the skills and the equipment to begin your woodworking passion. Starting slow and small, there’s no end to the things that you can create with wood – from ornamental objects to frames and furniture items in your home.
Types of Wood
There are several hundred types of wood in this world – just as there are many types of trees. For crafting, though, we’ll narrow your choice down to just a few different forms of wood that you might like to use. Remember that ‘scrap’ wood is also something that you should always keep in your home, as it’ll have a place in your future creations.
We’ll start with balsa wood, a soft and supple wood that’s perfect for crafting and sculpting. Then there’s oak and pine, which you’ll use for furniture, and MDF wood – reprocessed from chipping and shards – that’s great for interior walls as well as desks, shelves, and cabinets.
Equipment
To craft with wood, you’re going to need a few items – to help you sandpaper, fix, shape, and mold your wood in the way you’d like. If you’re making furniture, you’ll need screws, nails, and a drill to help you fix different parts of your creation in place. If you’re crafting, epoxy resins will help you glue your wood together tightly.
On the tool side of things, you should get an electric sander in order to remove splinters from your creation – and a small power saw to help you chop your wood effectively and smoothly.
Projects
If this is your very first time handling wood as a craft, there’s no need to aim for the stars. Your first attempt should see you getting used to the medium that you’re using and the tools that you have on offer to help you process and produce wood products.
Over time, you’ll be able to search the internet for more and more ambitious projects, resulting eventually in you purchasing large panels of wood that you’ll be confident in turning into furniture in your home.
Finish
Wood is such a famed and well-loved crafting material because you can finish it in so many ways. Once your creation is complete, you’ll have the option of sanding it – producing a light finish – or varnishing, which leaves a dark finish.
You might choose to paint your creation – in which case the wood receives paint exceptionally well. Or, you’ll choose to paper over your wood – again, something that’s easy to perform. With so many finishing options, completing your project can be achieved in several different ways – making you truly proud of the work you’ve put in.
There you have it: four great tips to help you get to grips with woodwork in the cold winter months you’ll be spending indoors with your loved ones.
