Woodworking Projects

Tax season is here and I quickly realized how much I needed a filing cabinet. So I designed and built one to fit under my desk that also matches the black and walnut aesthetics in my office. For this build, I used ash that’s stained black for the case and drawer boxers, and then used walnut for the drawer front.

The case is made from 3/4” ash and walnut lumber that I got from Rockler.

A blanket chest makes a beautiful and useful addition to any home. Making a blanket chest is a classic woodworking project. A blanket chest is essentially a large box with a hinged lid. You can design your blanket chest to be as simple or ornate as you like.

This blanket chest is designed with clean lines and few ornate details. It features box joint corners that are structurally strong and beautiful. Box joints are easy to form with a router table and a Router Table Box Joint Jig . The following video walks you through the basic process of using a Router Table Box Joint Jig. Plus, you can download the Free Blanket Chest Plan.

The miter joint is often used to form the corners of picture frames. This popular joint hides the end grain of the frame parts and creates a continuous grain or profile pattern around the frame corner. The downside of a miter joint is that the end grain to end grain connection is not as strong as a joint formed by connecting long grain.

You can strengthen a miter joint with a hidden half lap connection - called a mitered half-lap joint. The result gives you a conventional-looking miter joint from the front, but the back of the joint resembles a half-lap. This joint may sound complicated, but it is actually easy to make with a router table and the Rockler Router Table Half Lap Jig.

This bookcase project combines some deceptively challenging woodworking to create a durable, attractive and modern storage system.

Make a custom closet storage system that perfectly fits your storage needs. This DIY closet cabinet system is designed to make it easy to mix and match different components to make the most use out of your closet space.
This system is mounted to the back wall of the closet on French cleats. The benefit of using French cleats is you can hang the components at any height you like and it's easy to rearrange the components.

This Shaker-inspired rocking chair combines classic joinery and construction with modern woodworking techniques.

A Murphy bed, sometimes called a folding bed, is the perfect option for a small bedroom or for a guest bed that is only used occasionally. You can choose from two types of Murphy beds. The most common type are vertical Murphy beds that locates the head of the bed against the wall and extend out from the wall. Another option is a side mount or horizontal Murphy bed that locates the side of the bed along the wall.
This free plan demonstrates how to make a horizontal twin-size Murphy bed. This is a great choice for small rooms. The orientation of this bed leaves enough open wall above it that you could hang cabinets or even a flat-screen TV there if you like. It’s a good use of space. If you'd rather build a vertical Murphy bed then check out our free Vertical Murphy Bed Plan.

The clean and timeless look of Shaker cabinets make them a popular style choice. The secret to building frame-and-panel Shaker cabinet doors or drawer fronts is to use the Rockler Rail-and-Stile Shaker Router Bit Set. Rail-and-stile joints, also referred to as cope-and-stick joints, feature a frame profile that surrounds the panel and a groove that contains the panel. Watch the video (below) to learn how easy it is to set up and use a cope-and-stick router bit set. We have everything you need to make and install Shaker doors for your next furniture project or complete kitchen remodel, including the lumber, tools, fasteners, finishes, and hardware. You can even determine your door part dimensions using our Woodshop Calculator tool.