Top Tips for Beginner Woodworkers: A Guide to Woodworking Kits

Woodworking is a craft that’s been appreciated longer than recorded history. It’s also a craft that’s in high demand even today, either as a hobby or a skill that pays the bills. Most carpenters, woodworkers, and joiners start from an early age when they learn the basic tools, the different processes, and with time and experience, all the lingo. While total novices will be terrified by the prospect of building anything from scratch, the reward of achievement and creating something unique and entirely on your own is irreplaceable.

Honing your skills can be done only with practice. Although you can watch online tutorials and courses or splurge on a range of hand and power tools at your local hardware store, a real apprenticeship will throw you head first in the basics and build your knowledge and skills in structured classes. This though requires dedication, time, and eagerness to learn. Another approach is to start with simple woodworking kits. These are designed for different skill and age levels, so both kids and adults can enjoy the fun while creating wooden objects that inspire you to dig deep into the craft. With hundreds of kits available, your first difficult choice is where to begin.

Where to Begin?

Woodworking project kits can be found in the same stores that sell all things wood and woodworking. These will be well-stocked in simple and more specialised hand tools, all the attachments and accessories, and if you’re a working pro, power tools and machinery that bring home the bacon. But starting out with simple, and unintimidating kits inspires confidence and builds love towards the craft. Here you have two options – carving and building kits.

Building kits are more widespread since they have a defined number of pieces that are assembled according to well-laid-out instructions. And you get interesting objects in the process, ranging from something as basic as keyrings and wooden pens, to elaborate ships and dolls’ houses. Carving kits involve a more hands-on approach, as you’ll also be using tools and in more skilled kits, different types of tools. These are often supplied with the wood blank that is to be carved to the needed shape according to the set instructions. Both types take on a different approach, but the aim is to get more people hooked on woodworking while building skills at the same time.

Of course, kits will also be categorised by skill level and age group. Choosing age-appropriate kits means they won’t be too hard or too easy for kids and teens that they soon lose interest. And adults can join in the fun anytime, making this a worthwhile family activity.

What’s On Offer?

Browsing through online stores that sell woodworking kits, you’ll come across things as simple as keyrings, requiring the use of drill bits and bushings, seam ripper kits (used in stitchwork, and removing seams and buttons) and supplied complete with brass tubes, stainless steel bottle stoppers (to learn the basics of mandrels), wooden razor kits with provisions for standard size blades, various kitchen kits – bottle openers, salt and pepper mills, pizza cutters, garlic presses, furniture pieces like clocks, shelves, and coat racks, weather instruments such as hygrometers, pieces of jewellery (cufflinks) and so much more.

The choice of items that can be built or carved from a single piece of wood is limited only by your imagination. Have in mind that some basic kits might not be supplied with the required tools (and this more so in higher skill levels), so shop from a store that has all the goodies if you want to see your projects come to fruition.

Benefits of Woodworking Project Kits

Regardless of skill and age levels, woodworking kits build a few key qualities that are essential in more serious work. Though basic and simple, the kits help promote patience in that they are a challenge to newbies, and mistakes will see you thinking out of the box. This is more so in kids and curious ones at that. Then there’s the creative push. Some kits can be built or carved in more ways than one, and the supplied parts don’t necessarily have to match the diagram in the instructions. And lastly, kits build motor skills, in that you’ll be using both hands and a lot of thought when working. The skills learned early on inspire confidence and interest and a desire to learn more.

Tips on Choosing Your First Kit

First, decide who you’ll be buying it for. Kits for adults involve more work and generally more tools and get some interesting results. Remember, it’s never too late to pick up a hobby or craft, especially one that inspires creativity and pleasing results. For kids, have in mind the age groups and the skill levels they’re targeted at. Next are the price ranges. Kits that are more complex will be pricier, but all are relatively cheap. Lastly, find brands and stores that have a wide range of products to choose from.