Being able to turn a piece of wood into something beautiful Is a skill a lot of people would want to possess. While some people can already do this on their own, some don’t. Whichever one It Is for you, I’m here to tell you how to make money woodworking.
It’s one thing to know how to woodwork, and another if you know how to make money from it. Take this ride with us as we help you monetize your skill.
There is a constant demand for high-quality wood products, this is why we see so many shops for used furniture. In an age when many furniture and other products are made from plywood, particleboard, and even plastic, people appreciate products that are made from real wood.
So, if you have ever wondered if or how you can make money from woodworking this article is for you. Additionally, if you want to learn the skills so as as to start earning from it or it’s your hobby and you wish to earn from it you’re welcome.
What Is Woodworking?
Woodworking is the activity or skill of making something or items from wood, and that includes cabinet making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning.
With the advances in modern technology and the demands of industry, woodwork as a field has changed.
The development of Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) Machines, for example, has made us able to mass-produce and reproduce products faster, with less waste, and often more complex in design than ever before.
With CNC wood routers one can carve complicated and highly detailed shapes into flat stock, to create signs or art.
Rechargeable power tools speed up the creation of many projects and require much less body strength than in the past, for example when boring multiple holes.
Skilled fine woodworking, however, remains a craft pursued by many. There remains demand for handcrafted work such as furniture and arts, however, with the rate and cost of production, the cost for consumers is much high.
Who Is A Woodworker?
Before now there were stereotypes to woodworkers. One was the boring teacher at school who taught at the workshop, and the other could be just anyone at home who had lots of spare time. Always seen at the back of the property or garage “playing” with woods.
Today that isn’t the case. The art has been taken its rightful place as a skill that is important to acquire. Thanks to the internet and cheaper equipment that ha made woodworking less energy-sapping.
In the past, it would have been an unusual sight to see women or millennials woodworking. But today that is no longer the case. Today we see women as full-time woodworkers, and millennials looking to make something of it. Basically, there’s nothing about woodworking that anyone can’t do.
Types Of Woodworking
While the different types of woodworking give forth the same result, it’s important still that we identify them.
1.Hand Tool Woodworking
This is the type of woodworking where people choose to use classical hand tools. While this type of woodworking gives personal satisfaction and makes the woodworker feel attached to his or her work, it’s slower and energy-sapping.
2.Power Tool Woodworking
Most people engaged in woodworking do so through this means. Power tools are everywhere and they practically make one’s job easier. Miter saws, table saws, drills, sanders are all there to aid your work. I personally can’t imagine using a hand tool to cut a board when I can use a table saw, which Is definitely faster.
3.Digital Woodworking
The CNC digital woodworking machine has been around for a while now. For most people who woodwork as a hobby, and who can afford it, they buy the CNC. You just need to input your designs in a computer and let the CNC machines smoothen all the edges of the wood and give you exactly what you want.
4.Blended Woodworking
This is simply the combination of hand tools and power woodworking tools. Some people have found out that hand tools offer greater precision.
If you really like getting creative then you want to know What to do with Shredded Paper: 22 Creative Ideas
How To Make Money Woodworking
If you’re in this art for the income then you must evaluate certain factors to get the most out of woodworking.
You must consider the kinds of products you should make. Are they marketable? What strategy should you employ, Should you make large high-end products or smaller ones?
Figuring out the answers to these questions will help put things into perspective for you.
Let’s take a look at some of the options available to us.
1.Wood Furniture
Quality wooden furniture is hard to come by and that creates a large market for it. There’s someone always looking for one furniture piece or the other that wasn’t made from plywood, particleboard, or plastic.
Furniture made with real wood is uniquely beautiful and that makes it well sorted after. They last longer than ordinary plywood and give better product satisfaction.
The items below are what you can make with woods
- Beds
- Tables
- Chairs
- Nightstands
- Desks
- End Tables Coffee Tables
- Dressers
- Chest Of Drawers
If you’re new in the game and not sure of the type of furniture to consider try rustic furniture. Many people like the look of rustic pieces. They look great in old homes and log homes.
2.Repair and Flip Furniture
If you think making new furniture would be too tedious for you, why not repair flip furniture. A lot of people have furniture with little issues that they would flip in a twinkle of an eye if they knew where and how.
They most times don’t know how to fix such furniture or just don’t have the time to. Therefore, they can take a few bucks to get rid of it.
In addition to making small repairs to restore furniture, you can easily transform worn-out furniture and give it a new breath.
Check this out: 15 Scrap Wood Projects That Sell Crazily
3. Specialize In Small Wood Products
While you might make more money by making larger wood products, you will find it easier and quicker to make smaller ones (depending on the design).
Additionally, making smaller products makes it easier for shipment. It can also, be easily lifted when there’s a need for that. While with bigger ones, you have to ship with freight trucks, and it can be lifted with n assistance.
Consider these small wood products:
- Candle Holders
- Chess Boards
- Wine Bottle Holders
- Bookends
- Bird Feeders
- Picture Frames
- Toys
- Wall Art
- Floating Shelves
- Drink Caddies
- Jewelry Boxes
- Keepsake Boxes
- Serving Trays
While these products are smaller and easier to make, they cant generate income as fast bigger products would, not unless you have numerous orders to fill.
4. Have A Bigger Mindset
Apart from making money through small or big wood products, you can go for the bigger fishes if you’ve perfected your skills-building timber houses.
This requires that you move away from home for a while until your project is completed. Or you can commute from home if the site of the project is a few blocks away.
Timber-framed houses are made from large wooden beams that are artfully joined together to form the frame of the home. It’s essentially a large-scale woodworking project.
Timber-framed homes aren’t easy to assemble. They require the skills of wood artisans to measure, cut, and join all of those beams.
5. Start A YouTube Channel
If you don’t already have one, then start it. You can make a step-by-step guide of how you some of your products. You can also do reviews of already made products.
While you earn money from the videos you upload on YouTube, you can also use the opportunity to advertise your products. You can do this by telling them about your website after each video.
Now that you have been intimated about the various ways you can make money from woodworking, let’s tell you what you need to get started.
Learn How Much You Can Earn From YouTube Here: Monthly Salary Of YouTubers With-over One Million Subscribers
How To Get Started With A Woodworking Business
This list might not cover all you need to know to start this business, but it will cover some major things you must consider before starting up.
Want to know how to make money woodworking? Follow these steps and get your business started.
1. Fulfill All Legal Obligation
Hanging an “Open” in front of your shop or wherever you’re set up doesn’t cut it. You must meet the required obligations before you startup.
Ensure you register your business, get the necessary permits and licenses from all local, state, and federal agencies.
Find out If you can operate the business from home. You might want to meet a professional to know all there is to know concerning opening your own business.
2. Have the right mindset
Are you mentally and physically fit to run the show? You have to ensure that you are because you will be dealing with lots of tools that require stamina to handle.
And woodworking is a creative job that needs you to be mentally strong. The job can be lonely, so prepare to work in isolation sometimes.
3. Have a Financial Reserve/Plan
Considering that you might not start making money from woodworking right away, you should have some money tucked away in the bank somewhere. This is to help cover most of the expenses you will incur while starting up.
Having a little money saved up is something everyone should do. Whether you’re starting a business or not it will save you from “rainy days”.
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4. Write A Business Plan
Don’t start up with the mindset that you will “flow with the current”, It usually doesn’t go well. You need to have a laid down plan of how you want your business to go and follow-through with that plan.
What are your plans in five years, what do you want to achieve with the business? How do you plan on marketing your products? Having a written plan helps you measure your growth level.
Check out 23 Small Business Ideas For Men With High-Profit for other business ideas
5. Get The Right Tools
If you intend to use hand tools, power, digital, or even blended tools in your woodworking, you need the right tools. It might take a little bit of time, but gradually things will begin to fall into place.
You just need to make the budget for these tools as they can sometimes be expensive.
Here’s a list of some of the tools you need to start your woodworking business:
- Saws
- Drill Press
- Hammers
- Wrenches
- Screwdrivers
- Carving Tools
- Sanders
- Routers
- Wood/Epoxy Glue
- Shop-Vac
- Dust Vacuum
Additionally, you need a strong table. you can either buy, but why buy it when you can build one? Let it be among your first few projects.
6. Experience
Nothing good comes easy and every great journey starts with a step. So do not be in a hurry to start profiting from your skills.
You need to evaluate your progress from time to time. You can get experienced woodworkers to grade the ones you’ve made in terms of aesthetics and quality.
It really does take time to make quality wood products that people will want to buy, therefore, do not be in a hurry to start profiting. Hone your skills properly.
So now you know how to make this stuff, you know what you need to get your business on the way, so it’s time have to learn how you can market these products.
1. Partner With Local Stores
It could be a furniture store, craft stores, home decoration stores, and others. You can have your products displayed in their stores and pay them monthly or weekly or however you might agree with them. Or they can be paid the commissions from the products they sell.
2. Sell In Flea Markets
Flea markets can be a good place to market your products. You just have to make sure that the market gets a lot of shoppers. Simply rent a booth to display your wares in the market.
Before you do this, find out if it’s an indoor or outdoor market and ensure you get a booth close to an area where you can load and unload your products.
3. Farmer’s Markets
This market is like the flea market, also ensure the have lots of people coming to the market. Farmer’s markets are usually known for farm produce, but it’s not unheard of to see people bring in their crafts or other goods like baked products.
4. Your Own Store
Opening a brick-and-mortar store isn’t always easy, it’s expensive and risky. So if you cannot afford to do that, you can have an eCommerce store.
It could be in form of a website or a social media platform where you advertise your products, get orders and deliver to your customers.
5. Etsy
This is a marketplace for handmade stuff. You can also sell vintage products here. The site has different categories and you can list your products under different categories like home, living, wedding and party, toys and entertainment, and art and collectibles.
The platform already has millions of shoppers, thereby offering your business the publicity it might take you too long to build on your own.
6. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a popular online platform for buying and selling products. The marketplace can be accessed right from your regular Facebook account. Many categories are available for listing products.
This marketplace is best for selling products, and you’re advised to meet clients in a public areas for safety concerns.
Most of these sites have lots of shoppers and if you’re able to get your products on their platform, you’d surely make money woodworking.
Other Places You Can Sell Your Products Include
- Offer up
- Amazon handmade
- Craiglist
- Uncommon Goods
- Bonanza
- eBay and any other market places that suit you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Top Woodworking Projects to Sell for Profit in 2023
Wooden Toys
Coffee Tables
Wooden Coasters
Wine Rack
Wooden Picture Frames
Scrap Wood Wall Art
Utensils
Wooden Cutting Board
Conclusion
Woodworking is a beautiful art, possessing the skill to turn hard or softwood into something beautiful is something that should be admired, and if you have such skills, exploit it for your own financial benefit.
The article above has offered insight into the necessary steps you must take to make woodworking a viable source of income.
These tips if thoroughly implemented can make you make money from woodworking and It doesn’t matter if you started it as a hobby.
If you continue to develop your skills and get better at it, you can monetize this hobby, or at least have it as a side hustle to supplement whatever you earn from your regular work.
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