Birdhouses

• One of the simplest and most common woodworking craft projects is a simple bird house. The tools needed for this project are limited: a small amount of lumber, a saw, wood glue or nails, a drill to create the entrance hole and some paint. Numerous plans are on the Internet for first timers but if you are feeling adventurous you can always design your own birdhouse. Consider one that matches your own home, school or a famous building in town.
  
  

Wooden Toys

• Wooden toys can be a useful and fun project for beginning wood workers. Design the outline of an animal, keeping it simple and easy to follow with a routing saw. Trace the outline on a thick piece of wood and router along the edges. Sand it thoroughly and paint. If you are giving your toys to a small child, make sure it has no rough edges, is painted with non-toxic paint and sealed for safety. For a more complicated toy, attach your animal to a rolling platform with non-toxic wood glue. The base can be a simple rectangle of wood and many hobby shops sell axle sets for attaching dowels and wooden wheels.
  
  

Spice Racks

• The spice rack is a cliched woodshop project for a reason; it is fairly simple to build, is useful and you can decorate it in a variety of ways. You can customize this project easily to fit your needs and your skill level, from a basic shelf to a more complicated spice rack with drawers. Measure your spice jars and where you plan on hanging the rack before drawing up your plans. For a simple spice rack you will need a long piece of wood for the base, smaller and thinner pieces of wood for the sides, wood glue, nails or screws and metal wall brackets.
  
  

Wood Puzzles

• A wood puzzle is a more complicated but still relatively easy project. Draw or have your child draw a design on a piece of wood with sanded and finished edges. Plan how you want the puzzle to fit together. For simple puzzles, cut out the main pieces of the image like a house or the sun; for a more traditional puzzle look at the shapes of jigsaw puzzles for inspiration. Mark the pieces out on the wood and follow the lines with a scroll saw. Put the puzzle back together and paint the pieces and seal them.