Looking for more woodworking projects you could build, customize, and potentially sell?
This is Volume 2 of our woodworking-project ideas series. The goal is not to promise that any one project will automatically make money. Instead, these are ten different project types you can prototype, price, photograph, and test with real buyers.
Some are relatively simple décor or storage projects. Others involve electrical equipment, children’s products, or load-bearing construction and deserve much more caution before you ever offer them for sale.
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you have not read Volume 1 yet, start with our 10 Easy Woodworking Projects to Make and Sell.
Before You Build Inventory: Make One Prototype
The biggest mistake you can make is building ten copies of a project before you know whether anyone wants it.
For each idea below, build one prototype first. Record the cost of lumber or sheet goods, hardware and fasteners, glue, finish, paint, sandpaper and other consumables, the amount of time the project actually takes, packaging or delivery costs, marketplace or payment-processing fees, and any safety, code, licensing or product-liability considerations.
Then photograph the finished piece well and test interest before committing to a larger batch.
1. Decorative Wooden Electrical-Panel Cover
An electrical panel is visually awkward when it sits in a hallway, entryway, or living space, which is why decorative covers are popular DIY projects.
The woodworking itself can be fairly simple: a lightweight frame or sign-style panel can be stained, painted, lettered, or designed to match the room.
However, the electrical panel is not ordinary wall décor. It must remain readily accessible, and applicable electrical and building requirements may restrict what can be installed around it.
Why It Could Be a Good Project to Test
Customization is the appeal. A buyer may want a specific size, stain color, paint treatment, lettering style, or décor theme that a mass-produced wall piece does not provide.
If you experiment with this idea, think of the product as a removable decorative cover designed around access, not as a permanent cabinet that makes the electrical equipment difficult to reach.
Important Safety and Code Consideration
Do not design or install a cover that obstructs required access, ventilation, clearances, labeling, or operation of electrical equipment. Local rules can differ, so verify applicable requirements before selling or installing anything intended to cover an electrical panel.
Project inspiration / image source: The Crafting Nook.
Useful Tools for This Type of Build
- IRWIN 12-inch Combination Square, model 1794469 — view on Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- DEWALT DCD771C2 Drill/Driver Kit — view on Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue, 16 oz. — view on Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
2. Live-Edge Bar Top or Console Table
A live-edge slab can turn a relatively simple table design into something visually distinctive because the natural edge and grain become the main feature.
That makes this a potentially higher-value project than a small décor item, but it also requires more expensive material, more finishing time, and careful attention to stability.
Why It Could Be a Good Project to Sell
Each slab is different, which naturally makes the finished piece feel custom. Buyers may also value being able to choose a particular slab, width, length, leg style, or finish.
Instead of building several expensive tables on speculation, consider photographing one finished example and offering made-to-order variations.
What to Calculate Before Pricing It
- Slab cost
- Moisture condition and preparation
- Flattening or milling costs
- Legs or base
- Epoxy or filling materials if used
- Sanding supplies
- Finish
- Delivery
- Your labor
Project inspiration / image source: I SPY DIY.
A Sander Worth Comparing
Large live-edge surfaces can involve a great deal of sanding. One current corded option you can compare is the DEWALT DWE6423K 5-inch variable-speed random-orbit sander.
View the DEWALT DWE6423K Random-Orbit Sander on Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
3. Minimalist Wooden Nightstand
A small nightstand sits in a useful middle ground: it is more substantial than a craft project but much easier to move, photograph, and deliver than a dining table or large cabinet.
A simple modern design can be built around a box, drawer or open shelf, and a clean base or set of legs.
Why It Could Be a Good Project to Test
Nightstands are easy to customize by height, width, drawer configuration, handle style, wood species, and finish.
Matching pairs can also increase the value of an order without requiring you to invent a second design.
Build Consistency Matters
If you plan to sell furniture, square assembly, even gaps, smooth drawer operation, stable legs, and a clean finish matter much more than simply finishing the project quickly.
Project inspiration / image source: Lily Ardor.
Useful Tools for a Nightstand Project
- IRWIN 12-inch Combination Square — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- DEWALT DCD771C2 Drill/Driver Kit — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
4. Personalized Wooden Cutting or Serving Board
Personalization can turn a straightforward board into a housewarming, wedding, anniversary, or holiday gift.
Possible custom details include initials, a family name, geometric inlay, contrasting wood, or engraving.
Why It Could Be a Good Project to Sell
Gift buyers are often shopping for an occasion rather than simply shopping for a piece of wood. That gives personalization a clear purpose.
You can also standardize a small number of board sizes while allowing the customer to choose the personalization, which is easier to manage than making every order completely different.
Food-Contact Materials Matter
If you sell a board intended for food preparation or serving, research appropriate wood species, adhesives, finishes, curing instructions, cleaning guidance, and any applicable product-safety requirements. Do not assume that every decorative finish is appropriate for food-contact use.
The previous version of this article credited the project inspiration to Design*Sponge.
For Decorative Personalization
If you want to experiment with wood-burned lettering or decoration on an appropriate non-food-contact surface, one current tool you can compare is the Walnut Hollow Creative Versa-Tool.
View the Walnut Hollow Creative Versa-Tool on Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
5. Wooden Ride-On Car
A handmade wooden ride-on car is visually memorable and can become an impressive portfolio project.
It is also one of the projects on this list where the words “build and sell” require much more caution.
A product designed to carry a child introduces structural loads, moving parts, pinch points, steering or rolling behavior, tip-over concerns, small-component hazards, age suitability, product warnings, and potentially significant liability.
Better as a Skill-Building Project First
If you like the idea, build a prototype for your own learning before thinking of it as merchandise.
If you eventually intend to manufacture or sell children’s ride-on products, research the safety standards, testing, labeling, insurance, and legal requirements that apply where you sell them.
Do not assume that a DIY tutorial automatically creates a design appropriate for commercial sale.
Project inspiration / image source: A Beautiful Mess.
6. Glasses and Jewelry Organizer
A tabletop organizer is compact, easy to photograph, and useful for people who want one place for glasses, rings, earrings, watches, or other small everyday items.
It can also be adapted into a valet tray, phone dock, entryway organizer, or dresser-top storage piece.
Why It Could Be a Good Project to Sell
Small organizers are easier to ship than furniture, and personalization gives you another way to differentiate them.
You could test different wood tones, mirror or no-mirror versions, small pegs or hooks, watch or bracelet storage, phone slots, initials or names, and compact or larger versions.
Project inspiration / image source: The Merrythought.
Useful Assembly Tools
- DEWALT DCD771C2 Drill/Driver Kit — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
7. Wooden Wall-Sconce Bracket or Decorative Light Mount
Wood can add warmth to a wall light by creating a decorative corbel, bracket, backing plate, or mounting detail.
The woodworking portion can be attractive and highly customizable, but electrical work changes the risk level of the project.
Why the Wood Component Could Be Sellable
A decorative wooden bracket or backplate can be produced in several finishes and styles, especially for farmhouse, traditional, or rustic interiors.
One safer business approach is to sell the wooden decorative component only and leave fixture selection, wiring, and installation to the buyer and a qualified installer as appropriate.
Do Not Treat Wiring as a Craft Detail
Electrical fixtures and installations may be subject to listing, wiring, mounting, clearance, and local-code requirements. Do not alter or sell electrical assemblies casually without understanding the standards and responsibilities involved.
Project inspiration: Sisters, What!.
8. Wooden Rainbow Décor
A layered wooden rainbow creates a strong visual shape from relatively simple curved pieces. It can be painted in muted colors, bright colors, natural wood tones, or a custom palette to match a room.
Décor Versus Toy
This distinction matters if you are selling the project.
A rainbow sold as decorative shelf art is different from a product marketed as a stacking toy for children. Products intended for children can trigger additional safety, material, labeling, testing, age-grading, and small-parts requirements.
If you are new to selling handmade products, beginning with clearly marketed décor may be simpler than entering the children’s-toy category.
Project inspiration / image source: Damask Love.
Finishing Tool to Compare
View the DEWALT DWE6423K Random-Orbit Sander on Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
9. Bee-Friendly Pallet Garden
A vertical garden made from reclaimed or pallet-style lumber can combine woodworking with gardening and outdoor décor.
The basic idea is to create several planting areas in a compact vertical footprint and fill them with plants chosen for the intended garden environment.
Why It Could Be a Good Project to Test
Outdoor planters are visually appealing, easy to customize, and can be sold empty so the buyer chooses the plants.
You could offer different heights, paint colors, unfinished versions, or planter configurations.
Be Careful With Unknown Pallet Wood
Do not assume every discarded pallet is appropriate for a garden project. Inspect the material, identify markings when possible, and avoid wood that is contaminated, heavily damaged, moldy, or of uncertain history.
For something you intend to sell, buying known lumber may be more predictable than depending on random reclaimed pallets.
Project inspiration / image source: Compost and Cava.
Useful Tool for Outdoor Builds
View the DEWALT DCD771C2 Drill/Driver Kit on Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
10. Wooden Toddler Activity Center
A multi-sided wooden activity center can combine latches, beads, tracks, shapes, doors, knobs, and other tactile elements into one compact piece.
It is also the project on this list that deserves some of the strongest commercial-safety caution.
Excellent Portfolio Project; Higher Responsibility as a Product
A handmade activity center can demonstrate precision, finishing, hardware installation, and creative design.
But if it is intended for toddlers or young children, every component matters: small parts, fastener security, cords, loops, pinch points, coatings, edges, protrusions, component breakage, age suitability, and product labeling can all become safety concerns.
If you intend to sell children’s products, research the applicable product-safety and testing requirements before offering them for sale. Do not assume that copying a DIY project automatically makes it appropriate for commercial manufacture.
Project inspiration / image source: A Beautiful Mess.
Which of These Projects Are Easiest to Test as Products?
Lower-Complexity Ideas to Test First
- Glasses and jewelry organizers
- Decorative wooden rainbows sold as décor
- Small personalized boards or serving pieces
- Decorative wooden panels or signs
Medium-Complexity Projects
- Nightstands
- Live-edge console or bar-height tables
- Vertical garden planters
Projects That Deserve Extra Safety, Code, or Liability Research
- Electrical-panel covers
- Wall-light or sconce components involving electrical installation
- Ride-on children’s products
- Toys or products marketed for children
- Toddler activity centers
How to Price a Woodworking Project
Your selling price needs to account for more than the visible piece of wood.
- Materials: lumber, plywood, hardware, legs, knobs, hinges, hooks, and other components
- Consumables: glue, abrasives, finish, paint, brushes, rags, blades, and bits
- Labor: milling, cutting, drilling, assembly, sanding, finishing, packaging, communication, and delivery
- Overhead: tool wear, electricity, shop costs, packaging materials, website costs, and selling fees
- Waste and mistakes: real projects rarely use every inch of material perfectly
- Profit: getting your materials back is not the same thing as earning money
Time your prototype. Keep the receipts. Then you have actual numbers instead of guessing what a project “should” cost.
How to Decide Whether a Project Is Worth Selling
- Can I build it consistently?
- Can I price it high enough to pay for my time?
- Can I photograph it in a way that makes the value obvious?
- Can I deliver or ship it economically?
- Are there safety, code, licensing, or liability issues that make this a poor beginner product?
The best project is not necessarily the one with the highest selling price. A smaller product that is fast to build, easy to ship, and easy to personalize may produce a better return on your time.
Useful Tools for Building Small Woodworking Products
You do not need to buy all of these simply because they are listed. Check what you already own and let your projects determine what you actually need.
- DEWALT DCD771C2 Drill/Driver Kit — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- IRWIN 12-inch Combination Square — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- DEWALT DWE6423K Random-Orbit Sander — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
- Walnut Hollow Creative Versa-Tool — Amazon (paid link) (#CommissionsEarned)
Product availability can change, so review the current Amazon listing and manufacturer information before purchasing.
Want More Woodworking Project Ideas?
If you want a much larger collection of project plans to browse, we have also updated our detailed Ted’s Woodworking review.
Read Our Ted’s Woodworking Review: Is the 16,000+ Plan Collection Worth It? →
The collection is not necessary if you only need one project, but it may be useful for woodworkers who regularly want new build ideas.
More Profitable-Project Ideas
- 10 Easy Woodworking Projects to Make and Sell — Volume 1
- Ted’s Woodworking Review 2026
- Basic Woodworking Techniques
- Wood Types and Their Uses
Final Thought: Test Before You Scale
You do not need twenty products to start experimenting with a woodworking side business.
Choose one project that matches your current skill level and tools. Build one good example. Photograph it well. Calculate the real cost. See whether people are interested.
If it gets attention, improve the design and make the next one more efficiently.
If nobody wants it at a price that makes sense, you learned that with one prototype instead of a garage full of inventory.
That process is far more useful than assuming that any list of “woodworking projects that sell” can guarantee what buyers in your market will actually purchase.
