A hammer and nails,

If you know there’s a woodcrafting masterpiece in you just itching to get out, let some woodcraft plans get you started on your way!

The Nepalese woodcraft industries are just one example of how the ancient art of woodcrafting has been survive through the centuries; people will still place a higher value on a handmade piece of wooden furniture than a factory-built one; and decorative wooden pieces are as popular as ever. The fragrances of sandalwood or cedar chests are lodged in millions of memories, and a well-cared for piece of antique wooden furniture with its trademark patina is one of the most highly desired collectibles.

“It would help bring together young people from various so-called stations, break down the barriers that society has foolishly placed upon them, and establish in their minds when they are young, a finer kind of humanity, a real understanding that the important thing is the association of a human spirit.” – Ernest Thomson Seton. Ernest, an American naturalist and a proponent of these primitive skills, promoted the idea of a Woodcraft life-style from the early years of the 20th century. He believed that by continuing to practice these skills, even if for recreational or educational purposes, human beings will have a better understanding of their world and will be able to live more harmoniously in it.

Then add your door handles, again with wood screws, and you’ll have finished a serviceable, if simple, woodcraft cabinet with a shelf and working doors! You can even paint it to give it a homey look.

Building Your Woodcraft Cabinet

Almost any type of wood you find around you can be used for a super craft project. Many people like to use simple driftwood found on the beach. When sanded down and varnished, it makes a sharp addition to your wreck room, deck and even under your mailbox with the family name printed on it. What about a little wishing well for your front yard or a big porch swing to enjoy on those warm summer nights, or maybe you’re not quite sure what you want to create. There are lots of books and magazines to help you find just the right project for you and it will tell you what materials are best for the project you pick. You can purchase books or take a trip down to your local library and find what you’re looking for. Lumber yards are very helpful with helping you pick out just the right type of wood that you will need for any big projects you decide to take on, such as porch decks, sheds, kitchen additions, etc.

Of course you can find wood there… all kinds of exotic wood in all shapes and sizes. Whether you’re looking for ebony, rosewood or cocobolo, you can find it at Woodcraft. They stock wood in large planks, small chunks for carving, small rectangles for pen turning, and thin sheets for making veneer. They even carry doweling in interesting woods like cherry and walnut.

Woodcraft is so much more than the skill involved in turning wood into shelter and functional furniture. Although the ability to do those things with wood have certainly been an integral part of the human survival skills set, and being able to envision a house or chair from a stand of trees is remarkable in itself, woodcraft has developed well beyond it utilitarian origins.

But the greatest of the ancient woodcraft artists [http://www.allthingswoodworking.com/Woodcraft_Magazine/] may have been the Chinese couple Lu Ban and his wife Lady Yun, who are credited with bringing the chalkline and plane to China. The book “Lu Ban Jin,” written some fifteen centuries following his death, contains the dimensions of many wooden items, including altars, tables, and flower containers, which he is said to have built. But it does not disclose the greatest woodcraft secret of all: how the Chinese woodcrafters developed their technique for fitting their woodcraft so precisely that it required neither glue nor nails.