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FURNITURE & PATIO FURNITURE

HOW TO MAKE FURNITURE & PATIO FURNITURE

A diy furniture project will be an extremely satisfying experience. You can either attempt to build a completely new construction furniture project or do a remodel of existing furniture as well. While a self build from scratch might need more time as well as experience, the remodeling project would be more suited for beginners.

Patio furniture and outdoor furniture is a good place to start. Outdoor furniture and will need proper sealing and weather proofing.

These furniture making skills can be used in all projects such as:

It is great fun and very rewarding. Practice makes perfect!

FURNITURE DESIGN & FURNITURE PLANS

Before you start your project, you need to have an accurate design of the furniture you are trying to make. You can get plans and diagrams from a lot of sources.

DIY books, magazines and other publications have numerous projects catering to different skill levels. You can also get a lot of information on the Internet as well in the form of plans, blue prints and the measurements needed for your designs. There are also video tutorials in many sites like YouTube that are an extremely valuable resource for anyone attempting diy projects.

TOOLS FOR FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION

The next most important thing to remember is to have a complete set of tools required for completing the project. Most diy projects list the tools that you would require to get the project done. Carefully go through the list of tools required for the project and make sure that you have all of them down to the last pin before you start the project.

Garden Patio Wooden chair

Right: Patio furniture - deck chairs - quite hard to make well!

Apart from the specific items that you would need to complete the projects, it is good to maintain a good set of tools that would come in handy while doing any kind of work.

If you have an inventory of screwdrivers, wrenches, hammers, measuring tape, manual and electric saws and a variety of diy tools, you would have a much better prospect of doing a great job on all of your projects. Of course it goes without saying that you also need to know how to use each of these tools effectively.

Many people have all the fancy gadgets but they hardly ever use them because of their lack of skill. So it is vitally important to have a good set of tools and also the skill required to use them effectively.

WOODS FOR FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION

Working with wood has its own special needs. You need to have the right variety of varnishes and finishes to get the correct look for your furniture. You also need a big, flat workbench and vice to work on the wood.

There are green issues to consider as well when dealing with wood. For instance, you can take a more responsible approach by using only wood treated with low volatile organic compounds (VOC) treatment. Using FSC timber is also your way of contributing towards saving our forests and natural habitats.

BEGINNERS TIPS FOR
FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION

When you are starting out for the first time, it is better to keep things simple and attempt basic furniture like boxes and cabinets. These are easy to build and require very little time and effort.

As you gain more experience, you can attempt more complex stuff like desks, tables, benches, chairs, wardrobes and large cabinets which would take more time and a lot of skill to complete.

Using this approach, you can build furniture for the bedroom, living room, kitchen and garden. If you have a cat or a dog for a pet, you can make a small kennel too. Rabbit hutches are more difficult as they knaw their way out so metal is needed. Other knawing animals pose the same problem. I am thinking ferrets, guinea pigs, rats etc.

Furniture making is one of the coolest diy projects to attempt. You also end up with something useful that you can use everyday of your life.

See also our second article on Furniture making & furniture making plans >

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