Woodworking for Beginners: How to Use Power Tools

Over the years, I’ve shared lots of quick and easy woodworking & DIY guides for beginners. I wanted to compile it all into one spot, so this is the hub for all of my best DIY tutorials for newbies!

Have you ever wanted to try DIY or woodworking but have no idea where to start?

I’m here to help.

I know that it can be scary to try your hand at using power tools or altering your home if it’s not something you’ve ever had a chance to do before. I was pretty terrified the first time I stepped up to the miter saw! But, once I learned how to use them and gained some confidence, I quickly realized how freeing it is to be able to use power tools on my own! Now, I’m able to tackle projects around the house when my husband isn’t home, and I don’t have to constantly ask for help when I have an idea I want to try out. It’s an amazing feeling, and I can’t wait to learn even more.

Once I started learning how to use power tools, I started a series here on the blog called Power Tools for Beginners. I’ve heard from a lot of you that it’s been a great resource to help build some confidence for beginning woodworkers, so I wanted to compile all of the posts in one place so they’re a little easier to find.

In addition to power tools, you’ll also find info on this page for other simple DIY projects around the house. Things like hanging curtains, hiding television cords and more – it’s all of the most basic things that you might feel like you should know how to do, but you don’t.

This resource page will be updated regularly as new posts get added to the series, and if you scroll down you can also find some great suggestions for easy DIY and woodworking projects for beginners to help you get the courage to dive in.

Here we go!

Woodworking for Beginners: How to Use Power Tools

Obligatory disclaimer: I am not a professional. I’m simply a self-taught DIYer who loves to learn new things. You should always take proper safety precautions when using power tools, and don’t forget the safety equipment!

Here’s a quick roundup of all of the posts I’ve written so far in the power tools for beginners series. Each post includes a detailed overview of the tool, what it does, and usually also a video that demonstrates exactly how to use it. Most of the posts also have a great DIY idea linked to them that help you get an idea of how you can try the project out on your own. Before writing these posts, I genuinely had no idea how to use any of these tools, and I had absolutely zero confidence when it came to trying them out.

After writing the posts and spending a bit of quality time with them while working on various projects, I am now at a point where I can use any of these tools completely on my own and with absolute confidence! It’s a great feeling to be able to use power tools, so I highly recommend that after you read the tutorial and watch the video, you choose a project that will allow you to test the tool out.

I’m continually adding to these resources, and you can check this page anytime to see if a new tool has been updated. You can also shoot me an email at [email protected] if there’s a tool you’d like to learn more about.

Easy Woodworking Projects for Beginners

Here are a few easy woodworking projects that will help you get started. I know it can be really overwhelming to try out a new tool if you haven’t ever done any woodworking before, but I promise it doesn’t have to be! The wood wall art linked below was the very first woodworking project I ever took on by myself, and since then I’ve tackled many others (including the majority of the projects that are linked right here on this page!)

If you’re feeling like you’d like to try some woodworking projects for yourself, you can just choose one of the projects below and follow the tutorial to try your hand at using power tools!

I promise, you can do this!

That should be enough to get you started! Be sure to let me know how your first woodworking project goes if you decide to tackle any of these!

Beginner Guides to DIY

Another thing I love to share is beginner guides to the simplest things I can think of. You know, those things that you’re almost embarrassed to ask someone else how to do because it feels like everyone knows but you. There’s no thing that’s “too easy” to tackle here, and I’m all about making DIY as accessible as possible.

I’m a big believer that you’ll never build the confidence to make the home you want if you don’t just jump in and start trying things. I’ve learned everything I know through a lot of trial and error (emphasis on the error), and I’m still learning more every day! With DIY, the only way to get better at it is to get in there and get your hands dirty – and hopefully these guides will help you feel ready to do exactly that!

Here’s a list of all of the beginner guides I’ve shared so far. These are being added to regularly, so be sure to check back!

If you want to see more project ideas and inspiration, sign up for my newsletter below to be sure you never miss a post or a project!