This live-edge coffee table is just the beginning of what you can build with a $20 doweling jig. Project #2302 • Skill Level: Beginner • Time: 4 Days • Cost: $400 This walnut coffee table is featured in my latest book, “Build More Stuff with Wood,” (see all the places you can purchase it here)…

Get a period look with big box materials. The inspiration for this small hanging set of shelves is a late 18th- to early 19th-century (circa 1775-1825) English dovetailed version in oak with a dark finish. I wanted to replicate the look as much as possible using the I Can Do That tool set and big-box…

A few tools can go a long way. When you get started in woodworking there are many paths to follow, forks in the road, dead-ends and shortcuts. It’s a journey that our forebears would make with the help of a living, breathing guide: a master, a grandfather, a shop teacher. Sadly, the guides are fewer…

A woven seat adds a punch of color to this surprisingly easy project.

These stylish amplifiers not only boost volume but can also improve the sound quality of your phone’s built-in speaker. Project #2412 • Skill Level: Beginner • Time: 2 Days • Cost: $5 Plastic smartphone amplifiers can be had for about $15 a piece, but expect to fork out $100 or even more for a fancy…

This simple afternoon project is perfect for handsawing, holding doors for planing, organizing tools and giving you a leg up. It will quickly become indispensable. My simple plywood two-step in the old tool shed had reached the end of the road. Looking at it you could see a pile of old wood ready for the…

The mouldings dress up the shelf while building the drawer increases your skills.

Two bits of wood and a jigsaw are what you need to make this magazine rack that converts to a bookstand. Because you’re holding this magazine (Editor’s note: please pretend you are reading this article in a magazine), chances are you could use a magazine rack by your favorite chair to hold your current crop…

Masonry nails and two XXL leather belts impart the ‘arghh!’ in this build. Don’t let the curved top of this “pirate chest” scare you. It’s a lot less tricky than it may appear – and it’s excellent practice with your block plane. Click here for the SketchUp model of this project. For this build, you’ll…

Make a Sherpa of a dining table centerpiece that goes the distance. The modest Lazy Susan is a staple on circular dining tables. Everyone can reach out and activate its convenient, if sluggish, spinning action in order to self-serve their favorite condiments from a jumble of bottles, shakers and jars. The unseen glory of the…

Simply change the ‘drawer’ and finish to change the look of this easy piece. The first step in building this contemporary side table is to go shopping for the basket that serves as a drawer – then adjust the plans as necessary to fit your choice. The one shown here is an 11″-deep, 7″-tall, 17″-long…

Uncomplicated construction and an easy, attractive finish make this table tops.

No joints. Just jigsaw and go. After Hobbit Frodo Baggins destroys the One Ring in Peter Jackson’s epic film “The Return of the King,” there’s an emotional reunion scene when Frodo wakes up in the city of Minas Tirith and is reunited with his long-lost friends. While most viewers were transfixed by the hugging Hobbits, all…

Separate, sort, and see your collection With just five different parts to make, this easy-to-build caddy accommodates bits with both 1/2″ and 1/4″ shafts. It can be customized to handle just about any collection. Long bits have plenty of room on the top shelf. The caddy stands solidly on its wide base, stores easily on…

The holidays are busy for most everyone, but there’s always enough time to knock out a project like this on your scroll saw. I sped up the process even more by buying 1/8” veneer instead of cutting it myself. Once you’ve created your template and get into a rhythm, you can make an ornament for…

An easy interlocking joint begets great strength and style.

One piece of wood and a lot of bamboo skewers do the trick to make this simple and fun knife block.

I was browsing Houzz recently for some exterior renovation inspiration recently when I stumbled upon an address planter that I liked. Wanting to learn more, I followed the product link where I found it was going for an eye-watering $150 on West Elm. I found a handful cheaper on Etsy, but I wasn’t about to…

Off-the-rack moulding and packing tape make this project easy. A shopping trip to the pre-cut moulding section at Lowe’s was the beginning of my tray design. I had a general idea of what I wanted to make – a shallow tray without handles to transform my ottoman into a once-in-a-while coffee table. There were extra…

Don’t let the panel glue-up scare you. This step stool (useful in just about any room of the house) is easy to build, using pocket screws as clamps and to add strength.

The inspiration for this “I Can Do That” storage bench was simple – I wanted it. Ever since I picked up a king-size bed at a liquidation sale, I wanted a matching bench to hold my shoes at the foot of the bed. After seeing many designs that were running anywhere from $250 to $400, I thought to myself “I can do that” – and with a sheet of plywood and some pocket screws, you can too.

Combine five 2x4s, a handful of screws and a long afternoon to build a handsome and sturdy sitting spot for your deck or garden. My father always has had a knack for doing more with less. He built the first house on our farm using a Skil saw, a drill and a hammer. Sometime during…

Find a piece with great design, such as this Stickley No. 79 bookcase, then make adjustments to the construction to better match your skill set.

Hey! In our last episode of I Can Do That, we introduced the table saw. This time, we’re covering three table saw basics that will take your woodworking to the next level. We start by angling the blade. By angling the blade, you’ll be able to make bevels and chamfers that add a lot of…

Notched and nailed joints add visual interest to this simple project. This form is typically called a Shaker silverware tray – but it comes in handy for ferrying all sorts of things hither and yon. I got lucky at the big box store in finding some perfectly straight, flat and clear 1⁄2″-thick white pine with…

Here’s a fun way to save money, be creative, make something useful, and use up scrap stock: make your own picture frames. You can start from scratch and have finished frames in a day or less, and the only tools you need are a table saw and a router table. The challenge is to create…

Two tones of color and sharp, square edges give this piece modern flair. Inspired by a design in the February 2008 issue of the German magazine Selbst, this “I Can Do That” project commenced (as always) with a pilgrimage to the home center, where I picked up four 6′ 1x12s and one 6′ 1×6 of…

Great-looking wood and bright-colored felt lining reel in my customers. I’m hooked on making jewelry boxes–for sale. I’m retired, so I don’t live on the income, but making dozens of boxes keeps me in the shop, where I like to be. I sell my boxes at local craft shows. Let me share with you four…

T-track is a versatile product that has many great uses around the shop. It can be attached to the fence of a chop saw, drill press or router table to provide a quick, secure place to attach feather boards, stops and hold-downs. It also makes a great addition to jigs and fixtures with parts that…

This simple seat is ideal for a hallway or porch. This project is inspired by a period choir bench in my mom’s dining room – but I modernized the Gothic revival design of the original with sweeping curves on the arms (instead of shelter arms), and left out the moulding and cutouts. Panel Glueup This…

By the door or at the foot of the bed, this simple bench is just right for a small space.

Clear finish updates the look of this classic design. This modified Shaker design, downsized from a set of creamery shelves, is adapted from a Shaker Workshops catalog. To ensure our 3⁄4“-stock would  not bow under the weight of even the heaviest items, we decided to make these shelf pieces a bit shorter than those you’ll…

This simple rack uses no nails, no screws and holds up to 15 pairs of shoes.

This wall hung magazine rack is easy to make with a few simple tools and readily available material.

This simple project made from two pieces of dimensional pine can help solve seating shortages at your next gathering – and it folds neatly away for the next get-together. All you need is a 4′ 1×8, an 8′ 1×4, some 3⁄8″ x 1-1⁄4″ bolts and 3⁄8″ nuts and washers, and a basic set of tools…

Like all of our I Can Do That! projects, this router bit storage case is designed to be useful, easy to build and made from inexpensive materials.

A simple-to-build tote, perfect for tool and supplies transport. I designed this stacking tool caddy to hold small parts and a few tools. It’s comprised of three tool trays that stack and interlock together to form a single unit that can be carried wherever needed. Best of all, it stores my screws, nails and small tools…

This slender table maximizes minimal space. My family recently left our sprawling farmhouse for a compact ranch. We left our farmhouse-sized stuff too, and now we need new furniture. This little console table, under 4′ wide and just more than 1′ deep, fits nicely below a wall-mounted TV to maximize floor space, and the removable…

This simple piece keeps your favorite cooking implements close at hand. I like having the pots, pans and cooking utensils I use most often within easy reach of my stove, and this simple pot rack fits the bill (with a shelf on top for lids or what have you). My original design of this piece hangs…

Make Boxes to fit your books – and your space The typical bookcase is a good example of poor design. We make them that way because that’s the way we’ve always made them; almost every plan you see is 12″ deep, yet few books require that much space. Most bookcases are heavy and a pain…

* Read a tutorial on leveling Skansen Bench feet. * Visit Skansen’s web site. I’ve always liked things that are Swedish, impossibly overbuilt and yet somehow graceful. For example: my beloved Volvo 240DL, a certain foreign exchange student in high school, and this bench from the Skansen living history museum in Stockholm. This bench is…

This reproduction of an industrial workhorse will give you years of use in your living room. At the turn-of-the-century, no factory existed without several industrial carts (also known as trucks) at its disposal. From hauling lumber to carrying crankshafts to serving city ice, these workhorses served many functions. Today, many of these antique carts have…

  Construction lumber dressed up for display. For sturdy, attractive and affordable material to build these shelves, bypass the fancy stuff at the front of your local home center and head for the back where they keep the lumber intended for use as rafters and floor joists. In my neighborhood the available wood is Southern…

This table is a picnic to build with dimensional lumber, screws and bolts. I’m usually not intimidated by undertaking projects. We need some artwork for the new apartment? I can paint some vivid, abstract oil paintings. Hair is not the way I wanted it? I’ll trim it. Not the right color? I’ll dye it. Shirt…

Small tables are useful just about anywhere in the home. They can be easy to build, but a good design is important. To make the design more interesting, tapered legs (often part of Shaker, country and Federal furniture) are part of this design. The taper begins below the aprons and continues on a slope until…

A low-tech solution for a family on the go. The kitchen is the crossroads for today’s busy family. And while we have high-tech gadgets to text messages, take notes and keep a calendar, I’ve found a kitchen message board has helped to keep my family organized for 30 years. Three decades ago, I made several…

Whether stepping or sitting, this multi-purpose stool is sure to give your youngster a boost. You may not remember when you looked up at the sink, or when you climbed up to the potty – but if you’d had a few extra inches on your legs, things would have been so much easier. This stool…

This simple modular shelf offers plenty of options for reconfiguration. Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the December 2012 issue of Popular Woodworking. One symptom of my pervasive early 20s restlessness is that I regularly overhaul my apartment, completely rearranging the furniture and décor once a month or so. It’s not so much that…

This small coffee table is a great introduction to building furniture. It doesn’t require much material and it’s an opportunity to develop your skills. This project is sturdy, attractive and easy to build. All of the parts come from standard widths of lumber. I used poplar from my local home center, and I made the…

Whether you’re using it for woodworking tools or garden tools, a tote is a simple and quick project. It’s so simple, in fact, that I decided to add a wee degree of difficulty with a curved handle secured in place by wedged through-tenons. And, I wrapped the handle with suede for a more comfortable and…

A simple box for basic household tools. Common in the 19th-century, a “Gentleman’s Tool Chest” typically contained a set of fancy household tools including the first “multi-tools” – a handsome handle into which a variety of tools including gimlets, drivers, chisels and the like could be fitted. The chest might also include a small brass-backed…

Pattern routing makes quick and easy work of these urn-shaped sides. Click here for the SketchUp model of this project. While vacuuming a few weeks back, I was thinking about what to build for this issue’s “I Can Do That” project when it hit me … actually, when I hit it with my vacuum. I’ve…

Swiped from a French engraving, this easy tool rack works in your shop or even in your kitchen. It’s good to keep your tools protected (think: tool chest). But it’s also good to keep them handy (think: at arm’s reach). My favorite way to accomplish both goals is a stout tool rack. I’ve made many…

I think one of the most rewarding parts of being a woodworker is the creative process. You start with an idea, either a request from someone or just something you want to build. It begins as an image in your head; a table, cabinet or in this case a candle holder. Now that “concept” can…

Being new to woodworking is a scary thing. There are all sorts of societal expectations and in many cases way too much information. I don’t want to dwell on gender here, (because I know many excellent female woodworkers), but there is an expectation for males to know how to “do” things. Build, fix, adjust, whatever….

File this simple project under quick things to do with a couple of offcuts. A martial artist friend of mine asked for a candle holder for the sword class she teaches at Cincinnati Taekwondo Center. Students are challenged to put out the candle flames with their sword without striking the candles. The holder needed to…

In my last article, I discussed big box store construction lumber (SYP – Southern yellow pine) and its use in furniture. I’ve found that it’s cheap, high in moisture and needs consideration in selection and prep. Working with construction lumber is a unique experience and a great learning material. Southern yellow pine typically has wide…

“Insightful … erudite … polished … scholarly”, just a few of the words that we’d like to use when talking about the host of I Can Do That!, Chad Stanton. But seriously the words that are used are more impressive, “love your work”, “simple and thorough”, “exactly what I needed”, “all levels of ability can…

I’ve gotten to know Chad Stanton over the past few years while filming almost three seasons of I Can Do That. In that time, I’ve seen Chad build an abundance of appealing projects, and learned woodworking techniques that have helped me in my own builds. It has never occurred to me to ask Chad why…

This slender table maximizes minimal space. by Rodney Wilson My family recently left our sprawling farmhouse for a compact ranch. We left our farmhouse-sized stuff too, and now we need new furniture. This little console table, under 4′ wide and just more than 1′ deep, fits nicely below a wall-mounted TV to maximize floor space,…

The magazine stand is one of the signature pieces of the American Arts and Crafts movement, and Charles Limbert’s No. 346 is an especially distinctive take on the form. Two details mark the No. 346 as a Limbert design—the cutouts on the sides and the trapezoidal base. In the spirit of “I Can Do That”…

Our new-ish online editor, Tom Nunlist, started a little less that a year ago, and took like a Kentuckian to bourbon in his “real” job, which is to handle the backend of the web site, shoot and edit videos, write the weekly newsletter, help readers with online, er, challenges and more. In other words, he…

In this short video, executive editor Robert W. Lang demonstrates how to find the center of a board using a combination square, it’s easy, accurate and no numbers were harmed in the making of this video. – Robert Lang  

This is a model of the I Can Do That coffee table from the August 2012 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. View the SketchUp Model. View all of the Woodworking SketchUp Models. Purchase the August 2012 issue of Popular Woodworking. Purchase Sketchup products from Shop Woodworking.

The first tenet of “I Can Do That” is that all projects we build for it must be doable with the modest (but decent) set of beginner tools we’ve identified, and for which we’ve provided instruction in the free “manual” (that can be dowloaded for free on the “I Can Do That” page). Sure, we…

This is a small hanging shelf SketchUp model of the I Can Do That project from the April 2012 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. View the SketchUp model Buy the April 2012 Issue Purchase SketchUp Learning Products from Shopwoodworking.com

This is a model of a message center featured as the “I Can Do That Project” in the February 2012 Issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Project design and construction by senior editor Steve Shanesy, SketchUp model by executive editor Robert W. Lang. More information and back issues available from the magazine website. View the 3d…

Adam Cherubini, our Arts & Mysteries columnist and blogger, and a contributing editor to the magazine, generated quite a buzz at the Woodworking in America conference with his talk on nailed furniture. I’m sad to say that I wasn’t able to make Adam’s talk (maybe I was ranting about the nefarious Cult of the Perfect…

For the last couple weeks, we were scrambling to get ready for Woodworking in America. Now, we’re scrambling to get all the in-house stories written, and the freelance stories in, edited and designed for the December issue, for which the binder read-through is this Thursday. And I had to scramble to get the I Can…

This is a model of a small bench that was the “I Can Do That” project in the October 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Project design and construction by Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick.   View the SketchUp Model. Purchase the October 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Purchase Sketchup products from Shopwoodworking.com

A great chair to make in pairs (or more), this outdoor version of a classic Charles Limbert Arts & Crafts cafe chair is simple to make using basic home center lumber and only a few common tools. Very little woodworking experience required.   Download the Limbert Chair Plans Here

Built from pine boards available from you local home store, this outdoor bench can be built with only a jigsaw and screw gun. A simply coat of paint to match your decor and you’ll be sitting pretty! This project is one of many from ‘Backyard Projects for Today’s Homestead’. Click here to download your free…

Portable productivity with a nod to steampunk style.

By Mag Ruffman

The glorious thing about being self-sufficient is that you can usually figure out ways to create what you need.

This is a model of a laptop desk that was the “I Can Do That” project in the August 2011 Issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Project design and construction by Mag Ruffman.

This is a model of a Swedish bench that was featured as the “I Can Do That” project in the April 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This is a model of a recycling station featured as the “I Can Do That” project in the December 2009 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That” project from the November 2009 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of a picnic table and benches, featured as the I Can Do That project in the June 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That Project” from the August 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This is a model of an end table, featured in the “I Can Do That” column in the February 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That” project from the February 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This is a model of a French tool shelf that was featured in an article in the April 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That” project from the October 2010 Issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That” project from the December 2006 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of a Shaker inspired step stool built by managing editor Megan Fitzpatrick.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That” project from the June 2006 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of a project featured in the “I Can Do That” article in the April 2007 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This is a model of a wall-hung shelf unit designed and built by senior editor Glen Huey as the “I Can Do That” project in the June 2007 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That” project in the August 2006 of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That” project featured in an article in the November 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of a small bench that was featured as the “I Can Do That” project in the October 2006 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of the “I Can Do That” project from the February 2009 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a woodworking model, each entity is a sperate component that can be measured and manipulated individually.

This bookcase was featured in the “I Can Do That” column in the August 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a woodworking model, each entity is a seperate component that can be measured and manipulated individually.

This CD storage rack was featured as the “I Can Do That” project in the June 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking magazine.

This is a model of a set of stacking bookcases featured as the “I Can Do That” project in the June 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Project design, construction and SketchUp model by executive editor Robert W. Lang.

About the only times I buy material at a big box home center are when I need something in a hurry for the house, or I’m working on an “I Can Do That” project for the magazine. For the June 2011 issue I built some simple bookcases and used 1/4″ thick plywood for the backs….

How to build a four-board bench that can be used almost anywhere.

Tapered legs lighten the look and add ‘spring’ to a table’s design. You can create tapered legs using your jig saw.

With only pre-cut lumber from the home center store and basic joinery, you can be sitting pretty in no time at all.

Based on a Swedish antique, this bench uses through-tenons made with just a jigsaw.

The tabletop on our for the I Can Do That project in our February 2010 issue, appeared a bit blasé. So to pep up the look, I thought inlay. Knowing I didn’t have the time to create, or the desire to purchase wood inlay, I turned to trompe l’oeil. Trompe l’oeil is French for “fool…

Two bits of wood and a jigsaw are what you need to make this magazine rack that converts to a bookstand.

Two tones of color and sharp, square edges give this piece modern flair.