13 Small DIY Woodworking Projects Ideas for Gifts You Can Make from Wood

Nothing screams romance louder than a hand-crafted gift made with your blood, sweat, and blisters. Whether you are trying to make the perfect wedding present or something for your better half, DIY woodworking projects can help you worm your way into someone’s heart.

The ideas on our list range from the incredibly simple for newbies to the slightly more intricate for those in need of an ambitious project, and the only limit is your imagination.

1. Wooden necklace

Sure, a thousand-dollar pendant from Tiffany might be every teenage girl’s dream, but it isn’t always practical or affordable.

What is arguably more priceless is a necklace of your own design. Given their small sizes, wooden necklaces are easy to craft, and if you make a mistake, you can quickly start over.

To make it fancy, you can add the person’s initials and seal it with epoxy.

2. Tea light candle holder

This is an easy-to-make gift idea that would look great in any home. Tea light candle holders are great Christmas presents or fancy birthday gifts for someone that loves mood lighting or bubble baths.

The best thing about them is you can use almost any type of wood, including scraps from old furniture you can’t refurbish with a myriad of design options. For example, you can go with a simple box shape for one candle or more like the image above.

3. Custom cheese board

Who doesn’t love a good cheese board? This is a basic design that you can quickly complete in one day, even if you’ve never touched a plank before in your life.

If you’re feeling up for it, you can jazz it up and make a wine stand board instead. Either way, it’s an excellent accessory for any occasion.

4. Couple’s bracelets

Despite being significantly smaller, bracelets are more complicated to make than some of the other gifts on our list. However, they are also made to be more durable, so the extra effort is worth it.

Plus, whoever you make it for will really appreciate not just the thought, but hopefully the final product too.

5. Rope handle tray

Do you ever find that you get a little clumsy carrying regular trays? Thankfully, rope handle trays are a thoughtful and practical solution that can be put together in just a few hours.

As long as you can use a few handyman tools and get access to cheap pieces of wood, you’re good to go. You may choose to paint your own tray and add some designs to it.

6. Laser-cut wooden coasters

Knowing how to choose wedding gifts is a fine art mastered only by a few, which is why people invented registries. However, if you don’t have that option, it’ll be hard to go wrong with laser-cut wooden coasters.

These are pretty easy to make, mainly because you’re not the one doing the laser cutting. Besides animal motifs, you can also get a visage of the happy couple.

Of course, you can also choose to carve the shapes out by hand for a different look.

7. Jewelry box

Jewelry boxes may be going out of style, but fortunately, they can also double as a decorative masterpiece. Well, if this is your first attempt, a masterpiece might be a bit of a stretch, but it would still be beautiful.

Depending on how many compartments you want and the level of automation, you can complete this task in just a few days.

8. Wooden clock

We all remember the fun we had making paper clocks in elementary school. So why not take it up a notch with a wooden clock? If you’re really ambitious, you can go for a cuckoo clock, but a regular timepiece should suffice.

Wooden clocks look particularly great in kitchens, dens, and home offices. There is an unlimited range of design options, so you’ll be sure to find one the recipient would love.

9. Shoe rack

Continuing with the theme of practical gifts, a small, mobile shoe rack is a valuable addition to any home.

The beauty of shoe racks is they don’t need to be beautiful. You can use random pieces of wood, and you don’t have to sand them to a buttery smooth finish. Lap on some polyurethane or other water-resistant coating, and you’ve got a handy gift that can last forever.

10. Laptop holder

Nothing ruins Netflix in bed like when your laptop begins to overheat. Even putting the computer on your lap won’t help because it’s uncomfortable.

The solution? A wooden laptop holder. This simple, rectangular design can be placed on both firm and flexible surfaces. And yes, they are effortless to make.

11. Scrabble wall art

It is the simple touches that make a house a home. For example, putting up wooden scrabble wall art is an excellent way to add personality to your kitchen, living room, or den.

Instead of buying them, you can speedily and cheaply make yours. You can craft them to be any size you want and paint them to suit your décor.

12. Picture frame

People never get tired of showing off their beautiful families. Whether it’s on Instagram, the family Christmas card, or on their walls.

Thankfully, you can contribute to those lasting memories by making a rustic picture frame. Unlike the store-bought options, you can etch their names into it, have it in their favorite color, and it is something they will always cherish.

13. Wooden spatulas

Wooden spatulas will always have a place in the kitchen, even if it is just for decorative purposes. That makes them a safe present. The icing on the cake is that they are a breeze to make.

One beginner’s class can get you making spatulas like a pro!

Start small, aim big

Once you have worked your way through these small DIY woodworking projects, you can begin to scale up towards larger, more complex designs like porch swings and countertops.

Who knows, this might be the start of a whole new career as a professional woodworker.