Everybody has to start somewhere. All woodworkers have that one project that they did first, when they became interested in the hobby.

For many people, they built their first project as a kid or in a shop class in high school. Others tackled the hobby on their own later in life.

My first woodworking project was technically a pinewood derby car when I was a kid. My first “serious” woodworking project was a large oak chest, built in wood shop class in high school. I still have it (13 years later) and it’s heavy and it’s gonna last a long time, probably longer than me.

What are some examples of other peoples first woodworking projects?

Lumberjocks has a forum thread going where people are posting some of their first projects. Projects include a cribbage board made out of oak, a bookcase, an entertainment center for an 8-track player (old-school!) and a gun rack.

Have you ever seen a workbench made by a 4 year old?

Here’s a saber display case built as a first woodworking project by a cadet.

How about we raise the bar a bit? Check out this gaming table built by somebody as a first woodworking project. It’s quite a nice table for a beginner!

So, how about you? What was your first woodworking project? If you don’t have a first project yet, what would you like your first project to be?