There is nothing like knowing how to be self-sufficient. In addition to saving a considerable amount of money it builds inner confidence and a deep sense of achievement. One of the best skills to know is how to build small items of furniture and cabinets at home, often with material you already have on hand or can get very cheaply. The following guide will give you some new ideas for do-it-yourself (DIY) home building projects.
Tile Table Magic
If you have ever seen a tile-top table with inlaid mosaic tiles then you know just how beautiful it is and what an impression it can make. This project will combine your skill with woodwork, metalwork and tiling. You simply fashion a small tabletop out of plywood and then break up some tiles into pieces and lay them out into any pattern you choose, putting mortar underneath and in between to secure them in place. This project will take at least two days to finish and you are looking at a cost of several hundred dollars up to $500, depending on which materials you buy and the quality and variety of tiles.¹
Cabinet Door Genius
When you replace your cabinets or even if you are just browsing garage sales and find some old cabinet doors there is an ingenious option for using them that you may not have considered. That is to make a cabinet door coffee table. This job is easy and should only take you several hours. You basically just sand and refinish the cabinet door (if needed) and then firmly screw on four table legs. This is a cheap and trendy way to have a coffee table that will be even more interesting than the books and snacks you put on it for guests.²
Desk With A Twist
This is a fascinating and handy project which is basically where you rivet a plain surface to two drop-down chains on the wall – with a twist. When it comes down you can sit at it and use it as a desk and when it folds up to the wall again the reverse side has a blackboard on it. This project is especially handy for those who may be looking into homeschooling and want to get two uses out of a drop-down desk.³
Cabinet Abracadabra
Building cabinets takes some time and patience but has the same basic concept from kitchen cabinets to stereo cabinets to bathroom cabinets. Essentially you want a four-sided body and a swinging or sliding door that will allow access to the cabinet when someone is using it. There are a number of great guides online for building simple cabinets to get started.⁴
Two-By-Four Board Game
Another unique home project twist you can try to do is use a two-by-four to build a board game. At a recent challenge a man named Aaron Day did just that, using a single two-by-four to make the game board and pieces for the popular board game Settlers of Catan. This will require a table saw, scroll saw, lathe and some tools as well as a sander – as well as some finesse to make the slim game cards – but is a very fun and interesting project for you to try out, especially if you have family or friends who love to play Settlers of Catan. If this interests you but you don’t have the tools, you can always consider renting them for a day or two.⁵
Make Your Mark With A Comfortable, Stylish Bench
Everyone can appreciate a comfortable bench, and you can build one in less than a day on only $50 in construction materials. You can choose from a range of woods and find free designs on many websites that employ unique techniques such as finger joints to construct a high-quality, comfortable bench that will keep you happy for years to come.⁶
[1] https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/50-incredible-diy-home-projects/
[2] https://www.thisoldhouse.com/furniture/21016710/how-to-build-a-coffee-table-from-a-salvaged-cabinet-door
[3] https://www.instructables.com/id/Wall-mounted-work-deskchalkboard/
[4] https://extremehowto.com/cabinet-building-basics-for-diyers/
[5] https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/a19614/woodworker-crafts-entire-settlers-of-catan-game-from-a-single-2×4/
[6] https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/how-to/a20921/diy-modern-bench-only-2x4s/