A considered approach to making
Build with a better plan.
Understand woodworking plans, calculate materials and compare project resources with more confidence. Practical, research-led guides for the curious beginner.
Where to begin
Three useful starting points
Choose a guide, explore a worked example or estimate your timber. No purchase is needed to use these resources.
Read a plan
Understand dimensions, cut lists, joinery and build order before you buy timber.
Read the guide →Explore a project
See how outside dimensions turn into a cut list using a light-duty shelf example.
See the example →Estimate materials
Use the board-foot calculator to plan rough timber volume and waste.
Use the calculator →Plan collections, explained
Looking for free woodworking plans?
The free-plan sample is provided by Ted’s Woodworking. Understand what the seller offers and what to check before signing up, and how it differs from a paid collection. Our guide explains the offer without pretending we have built every project.
The reading bench
More guides to explore
Research-led explanations and practical checklists, organised around questions that arise before a project begins.
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Free project library
Start with a project you can understand
Ten free sample plans with dimensions and cut lists. No signup required. Each design is illustrative rather than workshop-tested.
Free potato storage crate planAn open, ventilated timber crate for storing potatoes in a cool, dark place.See the free cut list →
Free wooden seed tray planA shallow open-top tray for holding removable seed pots, with no direct soil contact.See the free cut list →
Free wooden pencil holder planA compact desk organiser made from straight cuts and a simple open box.See the free cut list →
Free wooden bookends planTwo L-shaped bookends for a small shelf, using simple right-angle joints.See the free cut list →
Free small wooden tool caddy planA portable organiser for light hand tools, using an open box rather than a load-bearing handle.See the free cut list →Find the right woodworking guide
Planning a birdhouse, planter, storage box, workbench or garage shelving? Need to calculate lumber, lay out plywood or convert plans to inches? Explore our topic-by-topic woodworking guides.