Building your furniture can be an effective way to get the unique designs you want and save a significant amount of money along the way. However, if you are not a carpenter the challenges of crafting your own furniture can be daunting, to say the least. This simply does not need to be the case! If you have the time and have a plan, then you can easily learn some valuable skills to produce stunning bespoke furniture. Expert carpenters have always started with small projects, but their lessons have enabled them to provide stunning bespoke furniture, and so can you.  Here are five tips to set you on your to crafting journey.

1. Start Small

Every journey has a humble beginning and the road to mastery is long with small learning curves to test and develop yourself throughout. Start with a small project that encompasses the fundamentals of carpentry such as cutting straight lines, doing accurate measurements, and joining wood. It should not be an expensive project and must enable you to make mistakes that can be easily rectified and improved upon.

2. Have a Step by Step Process

Planning is a vital skill of most carpenters so it is important to write down exactly how you intend to execute your project and follow a step by step plan to mark progression. This enables you to visualise the intended finishing piece so the measurements and dimensions of each part will fit together, perfectly. Before commencing the build,it is important to have an idea of all the supplies you will need such as the wood type, nails, screws, etc. This will allow you to have an idea of the costs and determine if the project is worth the investment of your time and money.

3. Research and More Research

If you want to build furniture you are going to have to learn how to build. Look at the best cutting and measuring techniques, including how to attach certain joints to form a robust structure. Investigating the tools that are most appropriate for carpentry and building the type of furniture you want will enable you to prepare effectively for success.

4. Accepting Mistakes

This can be a very challenging but essential part of the learning process. When building your furniture, you must realise that mistakes will be made, and working out where you went wrong is important. Aim to complete the project and then examine what can be improved to perfect the work. Sometimes the mistakes will be your building process or the incorrect tools for the job. Determining what went wrong will be crucial to your development. Looking at your plan and cross examining the final piece with your intentions can be useful in this step as well as recording your mistakes to avoid them in the future.

5. Measuring and Perfecting

To limit your mistakes and save yourself as much money as possible it is always the best practice to measure and then re-measure your work. Never rush the project and be methodical in your work, visualising the result of every move from cutting to joint piecing. Label where you intend to cut and mark the piece once it is done so you can always find the intended wood you wish to use. When you have assembled your work do not rush to complete its final look. Take time to varnish and sand any necessary parts making the delicate touches that will elicit pride in your design.