Woodworking Projects That Sell: Bestselling Wood Crafts and Laser-Engraved Ideas
Woodworking is a therapeutic and practical hobby, but it can also be a profitable business idea. If you’re into crafting things out of wood, and you’d love to make it a career, you may be in luck — the global wood products market is around $700 billion.
Here at OMTech Laser, we spend plenty of time working with wood, among other things. Take it from us when we say there’s room in the market for talented woodworkers — and with one of our CO2 laser engraving machines, you can truly create unique, eye-catching, one-of-a-kind wood pieces that turn into bestsellers.
Understanding Laser Engraving and Cutting
Laser engraving and cutting are popular techniques in woodworking because they’re precise and versatile. They can also create quite detailed designs. Laser engraving uses a focused beam of light to burn or etch patterns onto the surface of wood.
Laser cutting uses the laser, instead of a saw, to cut through the wood with clean and precise edges. This method is often used for making custom shapes, signs, and even complex puzzle pieces.
Materials for Woodworking and Laser Projects
Choosing the right type of wood for your particular project is the most important aspect of getting the results you want. Softwoods like pine and cedar are typically used for general woodworking due to their ease of use and affordability.
For laser engraving and cutting, hardwoods like maple, cherry, and walnut are preferred because they produce cleaner, sharper engravings and cuts. Plywood and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) are also popular choices because they’re quite stable and less likely to warp during the woodworking process.
Some projects might use other materials like acrylic, leather, or even glass as well as wood, to add variety and uniqueness to the products. You may also need other woodworking tools and wood glue if you're going to be crafting products.
Factors That Make Woodworking Projects Sell Well
The popularity of wood crafts often depends on numerous factors. Putting some thought into these details will help you to create items that do more than meet physical needs — they stand out in a market that’s quite flooded.
Functionality
Woodworking projects that serve a practical purpose are going to be more attractive to most people. Items like furniture, kitchen accessories, and storage solutions that solve everyday problems or improve the functionality of a space tend to sell faster.
Aesthetics
Designs that are modern, rustic, or align with popular home decor trends can catch the eye of potential buyers. Aesthetics play a big role in making a piece desirable, as customers regularly choose items that enhance the look and feel of their space.
Customization Options
Customers generally love any crafted items with a personal name, date, picture, or quote on them. This uniqueness can make a product more appealing, especially for gift-giving occasions like birthdays or anniversaries.
Quality Craftsmanship
High-quality materials, attention to detail, and a solid finish make the product last longer, giving your customers confidence in their purchase. Quality craftsmanship can actually justify a higher price point.
Reasonable Pricing
Setting a fair price is all about balancing fairness to the customer and fairness to you. Your pricing should reflect the time, materials, and skill you used to create the product, but also consider market trends and customer expectations.
Competitive pricing can make your products more attractive to buyers, but make sure you aren’t lowering your prices so much that you’re not making a profit. Offering bundles or discounts for multiple purchases can also encourage more sales.
Top-Selling Woodworking Projects
One of the best things about woodworking is that you can create a very wide range of projects that sell well, especially when they combine functionality with aesthetics. Here are some of the bestselling woodworking projects that have proven successful in 2024:
- Wooden Signs and Wall Art: Anything from family name signs to decorative wall art that adds a bit of personalized character to any space.
- Furniture Pieces: Pieces that serve a functional purpose in the home but also give people a chance to own something uniquely handcrafted.
- Home Decor Items: Items like wooden clocks, shelves, and picture frames add something special to the home and are quite easy to produce.
- Storage Solutions: Wooden jewelry boxes, storage boxes, crates, and organizers are practical yet stylish, and appeal to a broad audience.
- Kitchen Accessories: Wooden kitchen utensils, cutting boards, wine racks, and serving trays are valued for their functionality and rustic, natural appeal.
- Children’s Wooden Toys: Toys like building blocks, puzzles, and various toys on wheels are not only durable but also offer parents a safer, eco-friendly alternative to plastic.
- Holiday and Seasonal Decor: Wooden holiday decorations often see a spike in sales during their specific seasons and make for great gifts.
- Pet Accessories: Wooden pet beds, feeders, and toy storage boxes are big sellers among pet parents.
- Office and Desk Items: Wooden desk organizers, pen holders, and laptop stands are often highly appealing to working professionals.
How to Sell Woodworking Projects
Creating woodworking projects that sell can be very rewarding, but this needs careful planning and strategy. To sell your creations, you need to consider various factors, such as:
- Choosing Your Product Line: Combine your talent with things people really want. Focus on items that are not only popular, but also align with current trends. Consider offering personalized or laser-engraved products.
- Identifying Target Markets: Research who your potential customers are, and get specific! If you know their age, income level, and interests, you can tailor your marketing efforts and product designs to meet their needs.
- Listing and Pricing Products Effectively: Provide detailed descriptions of each product that highlight the quality, materials used, and any customization options available. Moreover, use SEO-friendly keywords to improve your product’s visibility in search results.
Where to Sell Woodworking Projects
Selling your woodworking projects is all about knowing where to go and who to market to. Here are some places to sell your woodworking crafts.
- Online Marketplaces: Online marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and eBay have a broad customer base and offer tools to help you manage listings, payments, and shipping.
- Craft Fairs and Local Markets: These allow you to interact with buyers, get instant feedback, and build relationships with your local community. In fact, showcasing your work in person lets customers see the quality and craftsmanship up close.
- Social Media Platforms: Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are very handy tools for promoting and selling your woodworking projects. They allow you to reach a large audience and engage with potential customers through posts, stories, and ads.
- Your Own Website: Selling through your own website gives you complete control over your brand and customer experience. With a dedicated website, you can promote your entire product line, manage orders, and communicate directly with customers.
How to Choose the Right Laser Engraver and Cutter for Woodworking
Shopping for a wood laser machine for woodworking? Here’s what to look for in any laser machine.
- Power of the Laser: For engraving wood, a laser with at least 40 to 60 watts is usually recommended. Check out OMTech wood laser engravers and cutters with a wide range of power.
- Bed Size: Determines the maximum dimensions of the material you can work with. Match the bed size to the types of pieces you want to create. For instance, keychains only need a small bed, whereas signage may need a larger bed size.
- Software: Check that the laser machine is compatible with the software you’re comfortable using. Our laser engravers are compatible with RDWorks, LightBurn, CorelDRAW and AutoCAD.
- Build Quality: Look for models made with durable materials that can handle being used often.
- Safety Features: Emergency stop buttons, proper ventilation, and safety interlocks, are important.
What’s the Best Laser Engraving Machine for Beginners?
The OMTech 40W CO2 Desktop Laser Engraver and Polar 350 50w Desktop Laser Engraver are often recommended for beginners. They offer a good balance of power and ease of use, are reasonably priced, and come with user-friendly software.
Once you’ve graduated to bigger projects, you might want to consider upgrading to a machine with a larger surface area, faster speed and more power. Take a look at:
Pronto series is perfect for those seeking high efficiency and better performance.
You can also browse our full collection to find the machine that’s got the right amount of power and surface area to help you create wood projects that sell!
Woodworking Projects That Sell | FAQs
What’s the Best Type of Wood for Beginners to Use in Laser Engraving Projects?
For beginners, softwoods like pine or cedar are great choices for laser engraving. These woods are easy to work with, affordable, and engrave well, so they’re ideal for practice. To get the hang of it, you can even use scrap wood, for example, from breaking up a wood pallet.
If you’re looking for more detailed engravings, basswood is a popular option due to its smooth surface and consistent grain, which helps achieve clean and precise results.
Can Laser Engraving Be Done on Painted or Stained Wood?
Yes, laser engraving can be done on painted or stained wood, but the results can vary. Engraving on painted wood typically produces a contrasting effect, with the engraving revealing the wood beneath the paint. Stained wood’s outcome depends on the stain’s color and thickness. We recommend testing on a small piece of wood first.
Can I Use a Laser Engraver on Other Materials Besides Wood?
Yes, laser engravers can be used on a variety of materials besides wood. Certain machines are better for different materials. Check out OMTech’s CO2 laser machines for wood and fiber laser machines for metalwork.
