Carpentry and doing woodwork is one of the oldest known profession to man. That isn’t a surprise since wood is known for being one of the most abundant building material even when people haven’t invented the wheel yet. Since woodwork and tools have been used before people started to smelt iron, it’s a noble yet humble profession.
Is Making Furniture Hard?
Right off the bat, we want to let you know that making furniture isn’t just a physically intensive activity, but it also takes a reasonable degree of planning and designing. If you’re going to eyeball measurements and have a ram-shackled way of putting your materials together, it’s going to be a shabby piece of work.
Just like every type of work out there, you’ll need to prepare for the task first. Making furniture is challenging, but it’s not hard if you’re equipped with the right information.
Well, you don’t need to be a carpenter or a trained professional to have a hobby for making furniture. You might be someone who has a full-time job of their own and wants to build your own furniture as a project for your little child or your family.
Don’t worry; you don’t necessarily need to have years of experience to be able to make furniture. Of course, if you do have the right amount of experience, good on you!
Preparations
In almost any type of work that involves crafting and artisan work, a reasonable amount of time is invested in planning and knowing your step-by-step process.
No worries, we’re here to give you some much-needed tips and advice on how to get started.
Take Baby Steps
First thing’s first, you’ll need to start building some momentum. The first few projects that you’ll be doing won’t necessarily have to be complicated and should be simple. That can be only a practice work or something that you can use. Most professionals would settle with simple projects like a table or a stool. You don’t necessarily need to be too keen to detail or add anything fancy. If it works, then you’re on the right track.
Of course, you will need to make sure that your workshop is tidy and neat. Having a cool, dry, and well-ventilated workshop can reduce the build-up of unnecessary moisture.
While wood can be resistant to a lot of natural elements, moisture can proliferate fungal growths, which might be unsightly to your furniture. So it’s advised that you get yourself a good home air purifier.
You’ll also need some safety equipment, especially when you’re handling powered tools and equipment. Gloves and safety goggles can help mitigate any possibilities of injuries.
Do Some Planning
You’ll have to visualize the things that you want to make. After a few days of doing simple projects, you can start branching out to more complex ones. If you have a partner that you can share your ideas with, then you can ask them on what are some things that are needed at home. Does your baby need a safe and secure infant seat? Do you need some wooden utensils for your kitchen? These are just some questions that you can ponder on.
When planning, you will need a good idea of how many materials you will need for a particular project and the type of wood that you’re going to use. Each type of wood will have its unique properties. Usually, the higher the quality, the more expensive it tends to be.
Do Your Research
Since we’re in an age of technological innovations, it’s easier to learn about something in a blink of an eye.
There are tons of step-by-step guides and processes that you find on the internet. Using the right keywords, you can effectively look for the right ways of crafting all kinds of materials.
Here are some rule of thumbs when it comes to making furniture:
- The more complex the joints, the better your furniture will look.
- Using fasteners, nails, and bolts can make your work sturdier and give it a more industrial and rugged look.
Accept Your Mistakes
As humans, we make mistakes from time to time. It’s no big surprise that most people working on handicrafts will make their own mistakes as well. Don’t be too hard on yourself when you do make errors in your design; it’s best to learn from it and move on.
Even though you might have an ideal finished product in mind, it’s best to strive for a completed project instead of a masterpiece. Once you’re done with the project, set a higher (but also reasonable) standard that you can strive for.
Don’t Rush Your Work
When making furniture, you’re putting in the time and effort to ensure that it does not break when used. Most types of furniture are also works of art. But since you’re doing this as a hobby, you shouldn’t rush yourself and do things at your own pace. After all, you can’t rush art.
It’s expected that you might run into some mistakes when you’re crafting wooden furniture, but don’t let it dishearten you; making mistakes is part of the learning process. After all, this is just a hobby, and you should be enjoying what you’re doing instead.
