Have a Saturday with nothing to do? Grab the kids and head out to the garage to make something great! Before you get started, it is important to be safe.
Make sure you all have on shoes for one thing, preferably with closed in toes, that way if something gets dropped, no one has a broken toe.
You also need some safety glasses, an apron to cover your clothes and maybe some gloves to protect against splinters.
Once you have all that covered, remember that power tools should only be used by adults and that saws of any kind should not be used without adult supervision.
Safety first! After you have assembled all you will need, it is time to decide which project to work on.
What to build on this, cloudy Saturday morning? I have a few suggestions for you.
Birdhouse Building a birdhouse is a great idea for a wood working project.
There are many web sites that give you plans for what size to cut the wood, how much glue to use and so forth.
You can even specify which type of bird you build the house for, it could be for a blue bird or a purple martin, or just a general bird house that will attract sparrows and wrens.
Once the actual birdhouse is built, you can paint it in colorful colors, toll paint designs or it or just leave it in its natural state, I am sure the birds won't mind no matter what you decide.
This project will make a great gift, you could crank out several, paint them in colorful colors and give them as Christmas gifts.
Everyone loves a gift that you make yourself and the cost will be minimal.
Window Box This is a home improvement project! Window boxes beautify the outside of your home, fill it full of beautiful flowers and hang it on the window out in front of your home and suddenly, you have made your home more beautiful.
You can paint the box to match your home or use a fantastic contrasting color to make it stand out.
It can be toll painted or decoupage it for some interest.
This project would make a great gift, or you can make enough to place a window box at every single window in your house.
Storage Crate This is a practical wood working project.
Who doesn't need something lovely to store stuff in? You can store books, record albums, use it in the kitchen for potatoes, use it in the bathroom for your towels.
There are too many uses for a storage crate to even mention.
You can paint it, toll paint it, decoupage it, the possibilities are endless.
It is a four side and a bottom project and would be fun to surprise someone with one of these boxes as a gift, it could be customized for the person, and this would make a wonderful gift.
Simple table This is a great project, we all could use an extra table.
On the patio or deck, bedside or den, who couldn't use a neat crossed or straight leg table.
This one can be painted (make sure to use some weather proof paint if you are using it outdoors), toll paint this one to make it beautiful and use it in the house.
It will be a conversation piece! Shelves A little more complicated, still a great project.
Shelves come in handy in virtually every single room of your home.
Who couldn't use some shelves? If you are a more contemporary style, they could just be a straight shelf, but if you want to get extravagant, this one can really get fancy.
Use your miter saw and put some molding on the shelf and that will decorate it for more colonial tastes.
Finish with stain and polyurethane, or paint in beautiful colors, either will be lovely or help to beautify your home.
All sorts of things can be displayed on shelves depending which room it is in.
Bathrooms are great places for shelves.
Books, special knick knacks, pictures and much more can be displayed.
Working with wood is a fun and interesting way to spend a Saturday or any day for that matter.
You can get your children involved or you can set up your shop to make gifts for Christmas or any other time when you need a gift.
Just think about needing to give someone a gift and merely walking out to your garage to choose one that you made yourself.
That would be a nice situation.