16 creative woodworking business ideas in 2024

Top 16 woodworking business ideas 

Here are some creative and profitable woodworking business ideas that you can start right away:

Making of bookshelves

People often want shelves that perfectly fit the wall space they have available. A customized bookshelf business could offer people the chance to get shelves made to their exact specifications. This service would appeal to those wanting something sturdy, attractive, and tailor-made for their space. The business would first meet with clients to discuss their needs in terms of dimensions, materials, colors, and budget. Then carpenters would build high-quality shelves to spec before professionally installing them in the customer’s home. This saves the client time and effort while providing them with an organizational storage solution for their books, photos, collections, and more.

How much you can make: $50-100 per bookshelf sold
How much does it cost to start: $500 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 3-5 hours per bookshelf

Storage boxes

Storage boxes serve an important organizational function by helping to store items neatly and compactly. A storage box-making business would cater to this need by providing consumers and institutions with well-designed boxes in various shapes, sizes, and materials. The boxes could be tailored to specific uses such as storing files, clothing, toys, and more. Running this business has the benefit of a large target market, ease of getting raw materials, potential for customization, and scope to scale according to demand.

How much you can make: $20-50 per box
How much does it cost to start: $300 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 1-2 hours per box

Decorative wall art

Starting a wall art business allows tapping into the thriving home décor industry. Such a business would specialize in producing quality wall art across various materials like wood, metal, or canvas using techniques like painting, digital printing, etching, etc. The products could provide aesthetic solutions for different spaces like living rooms, bedrooms, lounges, cafes, etc. As consumers continually seek to decorate spaces based on themes and moods, a wall art venture can retain relevance. With some strategic branding and smart design catering to emerging décor trends, this business idea has the potential for steady growth.

How much you can make: $30-100 per piece
How much does it cost to start: $200 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 2-5 hours per piece

Wooden planter boxes

Wooden planter boxes have become quite popular for home gardening and urban landscaping. The boxes provide an organized structure for growing plants, herbs, and flowers in outdoor spaces like gardens, balconies, and rooftops. As consumers embrace eco-friendly lifestyles, the demand for such products has also risen. A wooden planter box business would create and sell beautifully designed boxes, they can be custom-made from quality wood in numerous shapes, sizes, and finishes to suit modern aesthetic sensibilities. Wooden planter boxes an appealing green décor element for homes and offices. Since wooden boxes allow flexibility in modification and customization, the business can cater to individual buyer preferences.

How much you can make: $80-150 each
How much does it cost to start: $400 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 4-6 hours each

Picture frames

A picture frame production and selling business could be a promising business. It would involve making customized picture frames and selling them to retail and wholesale customers. Picture frames serve the basic need of displaying cherished photos and art prints. Many appreciate attractive, quality frames that fit their decor. A frame business could provide good-looking, durably constructed frames in various colors, shapes, and materials to appeal to diverse customer tastes and the products could be sold through a website, art fairs, home goods stores, and other channels.

How much you can make: $15-50 each
How much does it cost to start: $250 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 1-3 hours each

Furniture

A furniture business involves designing, manufacturing, and selling various types of furniture. This can be an attractive business opportunity because people always need furniture for their homes and offices. A furniture business would aim to create pieces that are comfortable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing to meet customer needs. The business would also focus on effective manufacturing and distribution processes to produce affordable and accessible furniture.

How much you can make: $300-2,000 per piece
How much does it cost to start: $1,500 tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 10-40 hours per piece

Baby cradles

A potential business idea is manufacturing and selling baby cradles. A high-quality baby cradle business would aim to create cradles designed for comfort, safety, and beauty. The cradles could come in different colors and styles to match different nursery decors. By focusing on quality materials, clever designs, and customer service, a cradle business could build a strong brand and reputation. Parents would appreciate the cradles as helpful baby products, so the business would bring value to families.

How much you can make: $150-300 each
How much does it cost to start: $750 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 15-25 hours each

Storage cabinets

Storage cabinets offer a convenient and organized way to store these items while taking up minimal floor space. The business would involve designing customized cabinetry to meet customers’ storage needs and aesthetic preferences. Building quality storage solutions that maximize usable space would provide value for homeowners and businesses. As populations and consumer goods grow, demand increases for well-designed storage options. With attention to efficient design, durable materials, affordable pricing, and providing top-notch customer service, it has the potential to be a thriving enterprise with steady demand. The business also lends itself to opportunities for expansion over time by adding complementary product lines or accessing commercial markets.

How much you can make: $250-800 each
How much does it cost to start: $1,000 tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 25-50 hours each

Outdoor deck furniture

An outdoor deck furniture business involves creating and selling furniture designed for outdoor spaces like patios, porches, and decks. An outdoor deck furniture company would design pieces well-suited for withstanding sun, rain, temperature changes, and other outdoor elements. Offering quality crafted sets, tables, chairs, loungers, etc. at reasonable prices could attract interest. By making outdoor spaces more usable and enjoyable, the deck furniture helps meet customer needs. The business also benefits from seasonality, as demand tends to spike in spring and summer months. Catering to this growing outdoor living trend with furniture focused on style, comfort, and weather resistance could connect with many potential customers.

How much you can make: $100-500 per set
How much does it cost to start: $800 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 10-30 hours per set

Wall shelving

A wall shelving business focuses on installing shelving units onto walls in people’s homes and offices. It is a good business idea because many homes and offices could benefit from extra storage space, but the walls often remain bare. A wall shelving business provides and professionally installs shelving for customers looking to maximize their usable space. This service helps transform empty wall space into functional storage for items people use often but don’t have an organized place for, like shoes, files, craft supplies, toys, etc. As populations and possessions grow, demand increases for well-designed storage solutions.

How much you can make: $80-250 per shelf
How much does it cost to start: $600 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 5-15 hours per shelf

Birdhouses

A business selling quality birdhouses would benefit birds by giving them a suitable habitat and would benefit customers by enhancing their properties with the presence of nesting birds. The birdhouse business requires basic carpentry skills and tools to construct the houses, as well as some business knowledge to market and sell them. Overall, a birdhouse business allows entrepreneurs to support local bird populations while making a profit. Let me know if you need any clarification or would like me to modify anything in this overview.

How much you can make: $25-60 each
How much does it cost to start: $150 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 2-4 hours each

Dog bed

A dog bed business would involve creating and selling comfortable sleeping beds tailored specifically for dogs. A specialty dog bed offers canine comfort, giving dogs a designated space designed just for them to curl up and get cozy. Since around 38% of households have dogs as pets, there is a large target market that may be interested in purchasing dog beds. This business would provide dogs a service by meeting their resting needs, while also tapping into doting dog owners eager to pamper their furry friends. The beds could come in various styles, sizes, colors, and materials to suit owners’ homes. Ultimately, the business would simply focus on designing quality beds to help dogs relax and get better sleep.

How much you can make: $50-150 each
How much does it cost to start: $300 for tools and fabrics
How long does it take to build: 3-8 hours each

Coffee cup racks

It would entail manufacturing and selling racks designed specifically to hold coffee cups in places like offices or breakrooms. This would be appealing for a few key reasons. First, coffee cups often take up lots of room on tables and desks, making racks useful for freeing up space. Additionally, racks keep cups and mugs organized neatly in one area instead of spread out haphazardly. A rack also provides an easily accessible place to store clean cups for future use. As coffee is popular globally, marketing these racks to companies, office supply firms, etc. represents a solid business opportunity.

How much you can make: $30-80 each
How much does it cost to start: $150 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 2-5 hours each

Kitchen cutting boards

It would be a business that manufactures and sells custom kitchen cutting boards since many people prefer to use cutting boards in their kitchens over directly cutting on countertops, which can damage the counters. There is also a market for specialty cutting boards tailored to customer specifications, like different shapes, materials, personalization with engraving, etc. This business would stand out by allowing customers to order custom cutting boards suited to their needs. As more people outfit their kitchens and value customizable items, this business idea caters well to consumer interests. With some initial equipment investment and connections to distributors for quality materials, the custom kitchen cutting board company can gradually build out manufacturing capabilities and scale up sales.

How much you can make: $25-60 each
How much does it cost to start: $200 for tools
How long does it take to build: 2-4 hours each

iPad stands and cell phone

Stands enable easier video calls, watching videos, or reading without having to hold the device. Consumers, businesses, restaurants, and retail stores would all purchase these. The products are not expensive to make, especially if manufacturing in bulk overseas, so profit margins can be reasonable. Selling online or even having mall kiosks are simple ways to sell directly to customers. By providing useful products that solve problems for device users at affordable prices, the business can gain a good foothold in a massive growth market with recurring revenue potential. Expanding the product line over time or creating different mounts for new devices allows for capturing more opportunities.

How much you can make: $20-50 each
How much does it cost to start: $100 for tools and materials
How long does it take to build: 1-3 hours each

Business cardholders

It would involve creating small cases to hold people’s business cards. The cardholders would provide an inexpensive but useful tool to help individuals and companies organize their networking materials. A business selling quality cardholders could appeal to various corporate clients, small businesses, conference organizers, and more as convenient promotional items or supplies. Overall, a company focused specifically on designing and marketing business card holders caters to a common need in a professional setting for a simple but practical product.

How much you can make: $5-15 each
How much does it cost to start: $50 tools
How long does it take to build: 0.5-1 hour each

Conclusion

Whether you dream of a full-time woodworking business or just want to sell your creations on the side, there are accessible options for every skill level and budget.  With careful planning, commitment to your craft, and a spirit of perseverance, your woodworking passion can be transformed into a sustainable livelihood. And above all, maintain the joy and creativity that led you here in the first place. If you meet obstacles with optimism and resourcefulness, a whole world of woodworking possibilities can open up before you.