One of the best ways to spend a weekend is to start and finish a woodworking project over a weekend. It’s fun and interesting and you finish the weekend with a sense of accomplishment and something to show for your time. We all have many projects waiting for our attention on the weekend, but many of them are not a weekend job. They will take days or weeks to complete and before they are done, they begin to feel like a chore. Sometimes it is just nice to have a project that will be completed before you go to bed on Sunday night.
There are many places you can find your ideas for your weekend project including on line, in magazines and from friends, to name a few. One of my favorite resources is the Canadian Home Workshop Magazine that I subscribe to. The magazine’s DIY section is the perfect source for a weekend project for any skill level. The best part of the magazine is that it has all the important components for a woodworking plan. Each project has an indication of the skill level required, the tools needed to complete the project, detailed plans, a cut list of all parts with dimensions and recommended materials, detailed instructions and finally a photograph of the finished item.
These projects are easily completed in a weekend, come with detailed enough instructions that you can make minor modifications to suit your needs or they can be followed exactly to get the desired results. I recently spent a weekend making a planter from the plans I found in the April/May 2013 edition of this magazine. I made some changes that worked for me. I used pressure treated wood rather than the more expensive cedar recommended in the article. I did not use the rope details and I made the planter much less deep than in the instructions. I also used wood screws and glue for joinery as opposed to doweling. I was able to cut all my lumber and do all my prep work in a couple of hours and the project only took another couple of hours to assemble. With the glue and screws it is very strong and looks great. It is something I can use for years to come and it was a lot of fun to make.
Check out the magazine’s website at http://canadianhomeworkshop.com for additional inspiration, plans and information for you next project.
