While the internet’s full of various creative groups and intriguing pages that capture your attention, some of these digital niches are so special and wondrous, you don’t ever want to leave. And the r/woodworking subreddit, with a whopping 3 million members and nearly 13 years of online presence, is one of those groups that keeps you loggging in.
The group is dedicated to everything and anything to do with woodworking and carpentry, whether the projects are done as a hobby or professionally.
Grab your saws, axes, chisels, and sandpaper, dear Pandas—we’re about to groove our way deep into the wondrous world of working wood. Saw a project that you absolutely loved? Give the photo an upvote and go visit the subreddit to show your appreciation. PS—for some more DIY inspiration, check out Bored Panda’s earlier article about the r/woodworking right here.
#1 Imagine The Look On My Face When My Boss Said “You’ll Be Lead Carpenter On This Stair Job” When I Had Never Made A Single Tread Before. Lots Of Work By Lots Of People, I Can’t Take All The Credit, But Damn If I Didn’t Pour My Blood And Sweat Into This Staircase
Image credits: woodworking
#2 My Latest Piece Made From Clear Cedar Scraps From A Deck We Built Not Long Ago. A Little V-Day Gift For My Wife
Image credits: reddit.com
#3 Still Weaving As The Seasons Change.. So Close To Wrapping This On Up!
Image credits: magicalstickbending
If you’re like me, you might be itching to get into woodworking after staring at these cool projects (I especially loved the owl art piece, but what about you?). I gave it a go when I was little, but back then, I didn’t have the patience and willingness to fail to see my projects to the end.
While I personally know the most simple principles of working with wood (go with the grain, take your time, wear gloves, be careful with the electric saw, don’t expect to finish everything in a single day), they don’t even scratch the varnished surface. Like all skills, carpentry takes time and diligence to master. And the best way to learn is to get stuck in, instead of reading tips on the net.
#4 One Of My First Few Epoxy And Wood Working Projects. What Do You Think?
Image credits: TheTree_Meister
#5 What Is This And Where Do I Find The Plans?
Image credits: CoinsForCharon
#6 Carved An Owl, A Bit Different
Image credits: BerkshireMtnSculptor
If you want to give woodworking a go, start off with a very simple, tiny project and see how you feel about it. After all, it’s best to give a new activity a go and check if you actually enjoy it before buying all of those expensive power tools. Instead, get some cheap and simple tools and some sandpaper to start things off.
Better yet, check your garage to see if there are any leftover tools from previous generations (just remember to oil them before using them so you don’t hurt yourself)) or even pop over to your DIY expert neighbor’s home to borrow theirs for a spell. You never know, they might even give you some great advice or even agree to help you out with the fundamentals.
#7 Milo's Treat Box. It's A Box. For Treats. For Milo
Image credits: reddit.com
#8 I Built This Ceiling Lamp Out Of Oak
Image credits: things-ex-machina
#9 Under Stairs Pandemic Project - Update - Mostly Conplete
Image credits: reddit.com
The ‘Woodworking’ subreddit will be celebrating its 13th birthday on August 27, so if you enjoyed these photos or you’re a woodworking enthusiast yourself, consider joining the subreddit or at least popping in and saying a quick ‘hello there.’
Earlier, my colleague Liucija had a chat with one of r/woodworking’s main moderators, Joseph aka Joelav. He told Bored Panda that the online group was created as a “place for woodworking redditors to get together and exchange ideas, techniques, advice, and projects.”
#10 My Friend And I Wanted A Boat So We Built One :) Nothing Fancy But We Enjoyed Having To Forge Out Rib Supports, Bend Planks, Collect Sap To Make Pitch, And Do A Few Other Interesting Things
Image credits: reddit.com
#11 I Bought Myself A Tablesaw And To Test It, I Built This Little Birdhouse. Many Lessons Learned With This Fun Little Project
Image credits: reddit.com
#12 Posted This Awhile Back Before It Was Done. Got A Few Requests To See It Completed With Books Of It, So Here It Is!
Image credits: krispyankle
Back in February, the community had 2.7 million members and has gained an additional 300k in the months since then. It really has “grown from humble roots” and is now visited roughly a quarter of a million times each and every day. That’s the sort of popularity that you can’t get without quality content, so it goes to show that the subreddit is built on solid foundations.
#13 I Carved This Portrait Pipe Out Of Briar Wood
Image credits: RadonLab
#14 Old Piano To Bookcase Using Lid As Back
Image credits: -cakestar
#15 Vlad The Builder: Project #(We Lost Count)
Image credits: WendellBerrymore
The core rule that the entire r/woodworking community is built around is originality of content: people can only share the things and projects that they made themselves, they can’t just post random cool things they found while searching the net or saw IRL. “This keeps our content original and organic,” Joseph told Bored Panda earlier.
#16 Marvel Mayhem. Made From Different Woods. All Natural-No Stains Or Dyes. Collaboration With Tom Whalen. 3’x2’
Image credits: woodland_porpoise
#17 A Chair I Made Last Year That I Need To Find A Home For!
Image credits: VVTron
#18 Another Jewellery Box I Made. Made From Maple Wood, And The Interior Is Yellow Velvet
Image credits: MCWoodcarving
#19 Recently Finished Up This Sculpture, Will Be Raffling It Off Soon To Raise Money For St. Louis Children’s Heart Center!
Image credits: LBOWER43
#20 My End Grain Chessboard And Table Saw/Miter Saw Pieces. Thanks For Looking!
Image credits: Saviorofthe_Universe
#21 When You Tell Your Retired Cabinet Building Father In-Law That The Guys From Home Depot Said No To What I Wanted Designed For My Kitchen. He Said “Meet Me In My Shop”
Image credits: reddit.com
#22 Built Some Stairs Down To The Ocean, And A Drinking Spot Half Way Down
Image credits: shaunNags
#23 I Know Epoxy Tables Can Sometimes Get A Bad Rap, But I'm Really Proud Of How This Black Walnut & Black Epoxy Coffee Table I Made Turned Out
Image credits: Skip106
#24 Reef Coffee Table
Image credits: Shned_neeblay
#25 Surprised My Mom With New Pantry Cabinets While She Was Out Of Town
Image credits: Banana_Dolphin
#26 Just A Girl With Her First Woodworking Project Ever! Now We Have Some Spoiled Chickens
Image credits: runrungirl
#27 Viking Style Chest I Made For My Wife. The Carvings Are Inspired By The Carvings Found On The Oseberg Ship
Image credits: Rogue-ish_Badger
#28 A Recent Pool Table We Built
Image credits: reddit.com
#29 Bunk Beds I Built For Grandchildren
Image credits: reddit.com
#30 First Violin Is Finished!
Image credits: Ruvidman
#31 Brass, Oak, And Shou-Sugi Sideboard
Image credits: Glittery_Kittens
#32 I Drove Across The USA Visiting A Sawmill In Every State And Made A Map Of Local Woods! (Info On The Woods In Comments)
Image credits: reddit.com
#33 Stressful Joint!
Image credits: reddit.com
#34 5 Eleven Foot Posts I Turned On My Circa 1850 Lathe. Had To Cut One In Half The Long Way Too
Image credits: reddit.com
#35 Built This For My Wife. I’m Jobless Due To Covid, She Posted A Pic And I Started Getting Orders, Guess I’m A Woodworker Now
Image credits: reddit.com
#36 A Hutch I Built
Image credits: reddit.com
#37 Finished My First Cutting Board! 14.5" By 20" By 1.6". Inspired By The Works Of Mc Escher
Image credits: reddit.com
#38 I Put My (Purple) Heart Into This Box. Engagement Ring For My (Soon-To-Be) Fiancée I’ve Been With For Three Years. Wish Me Luck
Image credits: reddit.com
#39 Chicken Coop I Made From All Recycled Materials
Image credits: BrandedVet
#40 I Built This Chaise Lounge For My Wife
Image credits: timberbiscuitww
#41 Threw My Best Friends A Baby Shower Today And Surprised Them With These. Tears All Around
Image credits: wrk15
#42 What Do You Think?
Image credits: reddit.com
#43 I Made A Kitchen For My Tiny Flat In Frankfurt. It’s Made From Alder And Poplar. The Frameworks Are Made Traditionally With Mortise And Tenon. The Small Unit Next To Fridge Has A Cool Wooden Drawer, The Sliding/Moving Parts Are Made From Oak
Image credits: bahpcb
#44 Secret Room Tardis. Our Son Always Wanted A Secret Room So I Built Him This Dr Who Tardis. It’s Bigger On The Inside!
Image credits: Surveyor607
#45 My Son And I Have Recently Started To Make Robots Together
Image credits: snuttekudden
#46 Mineral Sculpture
Image credits: Leemcardhold
#47 I Replaced The Washer And Dryer In My Kitchen With A Wet Bar. Now It’s Time To Drink
Image credits: CrowCreations
#48 1 Month And A Little Over 80 Hours And The Two Philip Morley Lounge Chairs Are Finished
Image credits: AccurateIt
#49 I Made A Walnut & Resin Nightstand To Match The Bed I Made Last Year
Image credits: figure--it--out
#50 A Little Under Cabinet Spice Drawer I Built. So Satisfying And It Really Makes Finding The Right Spice A Breeze
Image credits: greenasaurus
#51 I Make Custom Lighting From Bent Ash/Oak - Here Is A Piece I Completed A Couple Weeks Back
Image credits: ovuud
#52 Mid-Century Inspired Walnut Desk I Built
Image credits: magikwombat
#53 Life Story Scroll Saw Art
Image credits: ArtisanPirate
#54 Beside The Garden Wall...
Image credits: DarkHollowDulcimers
#55 Hoot Hoot. Made This Out Of Birch Wood. 7 Layers
Image credits: reddit.com
#56 Built A Cedar Planter To Add Some Nice Curb Appeal To My Home
Image credits: reddit.com
#57 Ended Up Making 5 Of Them
Image credits: reddit.com
#58 Dog Station With Style
Image credits: reddit.com
#59 Not As Impressive As A Lot Of The Stuff I See Here, But I Just Wrapped Up My First Set Of Doors And I’m Proud Of How They Turned Out
Image credits: reddit.com
#60 I Built Me A Wall And TV-Bench With Integrated TV And Speakers. Great Fun. The Wood Is Ash
Image credits: reddit.com
#61 Hope You All Like This Kumiko Lamp I've Been Working On - Hand Tools Only With My Tiny Workbench
Image credits: MAXIMUM_TRICERATOPS
#62 With 11 Days To Spare Before The Due Date Of My First Child, I Finished The Crib. It’s Been Such A Journey And Learning Experience But I’m So Proud Of How It Came Out And Can’t Wait To See The Little One Sleep In It! Full Build Album In The Comments
Image credits: slipangle28
#63 Couldn’t Find A Proper Lunchbox So I Made One...
Image credits: roughnecksrus
#64 Made A Kitchen Knife Sheath In Walnut With A Magnetic "Lock"
Image credits: anisotrope
#65 4’ Wall In My Shop Is Organized
Image credits: jbird6404
#66 Mud Room Done
Image credits: headyorganics
#67 I Restored The Circa 1910 Door In My Room To Its Original Glory! It Was Covered In 4 Layers Of Latex Paint And Very Crusty Varnish! This Is My First Woodworking Project (I'm 14) And I'm Going To Try To Restore Our Other Original Doors!
Image credits: B_N07
#68 Great Family Friend Said “I’ll Show You How To Build Cabinets, Come To My House” Great Experience, Frick Ton Of Work
Image credits: reddit.com
#69 Mickey’s Christmas Carol! This Is Made From All Natural Wood. No Stains Or Dyes
Image credits: reddit.com
#70 Pure Tung Oiled Eastern Pine Floors In My New House
Image credits: reddit.com
#71 Cedar Porch I Built A Couple Years Back For Our New House
Image credits: reddit.com
#72 Geometric Art Piece I Created And Installed For A Friend.
Image credits: reddit.com
#73 A Bath Table I Made For My Girlfriend. The Cube Is A Door Stop. Dont Mind The Poor Finish On That, It Was Intended To Be On The Floor
Image credits: reddit.com
#74 Chip Carved Black Walnut Bowl With A Strip Of Colorful Skateboard Deck
Image credits: reddit.com
#75 Not Nearly As Complicated As Most Of The Stuff On Here, But I Made A Mud Kitchen For My Kids Outside
Image credits: THEtek4
#76 I Build Myself A Loft Bed. It's My First Real Build. It Came Off Better Than Expected, Kinda Proud Of It
Image credits: EastFoxes
#77 My Second Piece Of Furniture. Only Took 4 Months And $1k In Walnut
Image credits: DeltaDP
#78 My First Skull Carving..i Wanted It To Be More Cartoonish Then Authentic More Like Army Of Darkness Skeleton..what Do You Think?
Image credits: KANTOR-WORKSHOP
#79 First Chair (Really First Furniture In General)
Image credits: Oldgreenshed31
#80 My Soon-To-Be 4 Year Old Asked For A ‘Captain America Box’ For His Birthday; Here’s What He’s Getting. Walnut With Maple, Sapele, Teak And Indian Rosewood
Image credits: mw33212
#81 Submarine Shaped Retirement Shadow Box Made From Hard Maple. Includes LED Lights
Image credits: reddit.com
#82 A Pile Of Logs I Stacked A Few Years Ago
Image credits: reddit.com/
#83 From Log To Livingroom. 325 Year Old White Oak That Blew Down In A Storm
Image credits: reddit.com
#84 My First Project. Took Me A Shameful 3.5 Weeks, Made Every Mistake Imaginable, And It Only Looks Good From A Distance. But... I Finished It. With The Help Of You Guys. Here's To Many More Floating Things Stuck To Walls
Image credits: SirWigglesVonWoogly
#85 Whale Carving Process
Image credits: woody_wood_carver
#86 Finally Finished This Baby Gate You All Helped Me With A Couple Months Ago. A Lot Of Weekend Hours. I’m Very Proud Of My First Hardwood Project!
Image credits: Gold69White19
#87 Cedar Strip Canoe Complete! An Ambitious Quarantine Project
Image credits: digitalacid
#88 My First Vendor Show 3 Years Into The Hobby. A Big Milestone For Me
Image credits: korvality
#89 Just Finished An All Cedar Fence All On Our Own. Hands Don't Agree But Totally Worth It
Image credits: JimmyFu2U
#90 I Made Some Costum Shelfs For My Boyfriend For His Super Mario Collection
#91 My Grandfather Recently Passed. He Left Me His Entire Shop. Here's To Building In His Honor
Image credits: reddit.com
#92 Mud Room Lockers
Image credits: Dependent_One_399
#93 About To Become A First Time Dad, So This Will Be The Last Humidor I Build For Some Time!
Image credits: andrew_l_makes
#94 Our DIY Modern Fence
Image credits: daipoda
#95 Made A Guitar Out Of 45 Old Skateboard Decks. Turned Out Pretty Cool I Think
Image credits: windowlookinggood
#96 Ash Desk, My Work
Image credits: OlegVer
#97 My New Mailbox
Image credits: mmdavis2190
#98 I Made A Snowy Peak Mountain Holder/Stand For My V60 (Coffee) Filters. Meranti Wood And Danish Oil. Only Cost About $15 For Wood, (And $1500 For Tools). Wife Loves It
Image credits: MaikeW
#99 A Few More Square Bowls I Did Earlier This Week
Image credits: perc___30
#100 New Dust Collection Has A Washable Hepa Filter Too Hahah
Image credits: reddit.com
#101 Yoga Stuff Shelf For My Wife
Image credits: Cum_Gazillionaire
#102 This Awkward Little Gap Has Been A Mess For Ages. Perfect Spot For Some Made To Measure Woodworking
Image credits: FinRoo
#103 Outdoor Bench With A Built-In Planter I Built For My Girlfriend’s Birthday
Image credits: egeger
#104 New Sideboard I Just Finished Up
Image credits: AltheaTones