WoodItGood is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you if you buy through a link on this page.
So, you’re looking to turn your hobby and passion into some woodworking Christmas gifts this year? Christmas is coming, the time to find the perfect woodworking gift is upon us and thankfully there are plenty of ideas to help you come up with just the right project.
Hone your new (or already well-honed) woodworking skills with some easy-to-make, beautiful holiday projects. Whether you are new to the world of wood and need a bit of extra help or you already have some experience, you’ve come to the right place. This gift guide will get you off to a great start.
Let’s get into it!
Beginner Friendly Woodworking Block Christmas Ornaments
First off we have one of the cutest scrap wood projects we’ve come across in a long time. It’sa very simple project that can be done with power tools or hand tools. This makes it perfect for beginners just getting a workshop put together, or more experienced woodworking veterans. Just choose some attractive wood and you are good to go.
Small Christmas trees (click here for more DIY Christmas tree ideas), cute reindeer and intricate snowflakes make for the perfect ornaments to hang on the tree.
All you need is some scrap wood, festive stencils, preferably some graphite transfer paper if you can find some, a fret saw if you are going the hand tool route, or a scroll saw. And don’t forget your favorite stain! Or, you could even get out some small brushes and paint and make it a family project.
Simple Spiral Christmas Tree
Here’s a clever project for people of all skill levels. Trust me when I say, your mother-in-law will go ga-ga for this if they see it in your house, or if you give it to her as a present this Christmas.
If you make it with spruce wood, it’ll even smell like a Christmas tree! This is a simple, yet effective design that I think woodworkers of any skill level can really sink their teeth into.
If you are experienced, this shouldn’t be anything you can’t handle. If you are just getting going, and a creative person, this should be simple. And it’ll help you learn a few basic skills and practice using tape measures and cutting properly!
How To Turn Christmas Trees on a Lathe – A Project To Get You Going
This handmade gift definitely requires some heavier equipment. But if you have a workshop setup that includes a lathe or have access to one and are wanting to get some practice in, this is a beautiful woodworking project to sink your teeth into this Christmas.
These make perfect gifts for Christmas, lovely little decorations for on your mantle, or as part of a dinner table centerpiece!
This video details a few different tree shapes you can achieve using your lathe and how to do it. So, follow along for ideas or a little more in-depth help.
3 Easy Scrap Wood Christmas Decor Projects
These are 3 woodworking projects just about anyone can do, using the scrap wood you have laying around. A piece of wood here, a wood slice there, and POOF! You’ll be making pretty decor that your wife or special someone will love.
If you are looking for something with a woman’s touch, this is certainly the project for you.
The only other things you need to make these is wood glue, a way to cut your wood, clamps, and a few bits and bobs to decorate. Some twine and wooden beads are great examples!
Snowman Yard Decoration Idea
Who doesn’t love a classic snowman in their yard? This Christmas woodworking project might be a little bit trickier to follow than some of the others, as he doesn’t give exact instructions.
If you are a more advanced or active woodworker, you shouldn’t have much problem figuring out how you want to tackle this project! However, beginner woodworkers may need a little more guidance and a little less rough ideas. If that’s you, you might want to check this out!
Scrap Wood Christmas Tree Ornaments
Thankfully, a small piece of wood is all it takes for adorable woodworking gifts like these. So you get to really use up all that scrap wood you’ve been stockpiling.
These are delightful small ornaments you can hang from your tree, and give as a gift for someone else to hang from theirs! Depending on how many types of scrap wood you have laying around, you can get some great patterns and different colors in your ornaments too.
This is a simpler project that doesn’t require a ton of specialty equipment. A wood slice and a lovely wood finish are really all it takes. However, if you want to make a whole bunch of them, a band or scroll saw is recommended.
However, you can very easily get away with using a coping saw (which you likely have if you use a lot of hand tools already) if you are only planning on making a few.
If you have a scroll saw and want even more designs to play with, you should check these out. These are plans you can get from a small business on Etsy that gives you 4 more designs!
Little Firewood Reindeer
I said these are little, but they can really be any size you want them to be. You can use anything from the smaller, thinner branches to whole log-sized pieces of wood to create these cute gifts.
I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t love to have a firewood reindeer hanging out on their porch or mantle. And it’s an easy but fun project to boot.
I could easily see whipping this up with your kids or grandkids help too.
2 Reclaimed Wood Christmas Trees
Here’s a great little woodworking holiday project! This video is going to show you not 1, but 2 different styles of Christmas trees you can make out of reclaimed wood.
It’s a great way to salvage some old, beautiful lumber while making some great gifts. One design is perfectly suited to setting out on the front porch or patio, they are larger and will be lovely to see outside.
The other is a smaller woodworking project that can be set up as decoration inside.
Plywood and Epoxy Christmas Ornaments
These are fairly simple plywood and resin ornaments. Being a creative person, we’re sure you’ll see how you can easily personalize each one as you are setting a simple design on paper into the resin. You could put a picture, drawing or anything you feel is appropriate back in there.
If you were looking for a reason to break out your resin, get some practice in with a simple but pretty project, this is your excuse! Go ahead and see what you can make!
Hand Carved Christmas Trees
One of the most beginner-friendly woodworking gift ideas we’ve seen in a long time. These hand-carved Christmas trees can be made out of an old, actual Christmas tree, a log you find in your backyard, or even some spare firewood.
I can think of more than a few people in my family who’d love to get these as a gift. And if you use the wood of an old Christmas tree or a pine log, it’ll even have that telltale Christmastime smell we all love. Though, any piece of wood will do assuming it’s the right size.
No power tools are required for this project either, so if you’re just getting started and want to keep your workshop focused on hand tools for the moment… Well, this is the design for you.
Snowflake Wall Shelf
A snowflake shelf makes for a really pretty piece of decor and is one of those things that your wife will love to put out for the holidays every year after you make it for her.
This is definitely not a hard project, but might be a bit advanced to figure out on your own, or just from the video. They don’t include exact measurements for anything, so you really gotta experiment and figure this one out for yourself.
If you’re a woodworking veteran just here for ideas, that’s more than likely all you need! But, if you need a bit of extra help sorting through all this, you should check this out!
If you love the idea of a festive shelf like this, another really cool option is this Christmas Tree shelf. These are downloadable PDF plans you can get that will walk you through the process.
Wooden Christmas Light Decorations
These are perfect for setting on a large mantle, or out on the porch to add some extra festive cheer to the season. Whoever you gift these to (or if you make them for yourself) they are really a delight.
This video is not so much a step-by-step tutorial with written measurements and all that, as it is a rough guide to watch how they do it. That is more than enough for a lot of woodworkers, but if you are new to the hobby then you might need more instruction and project plans.
You can learn about plenty of other woodworking Christmas gift ideas here, and start becoming the experts you see up in this video!
Tiny Christmas Trees with Ornaments Hung On Them!
These are super cute, wooden Christmas trees that would make yet another ideal Christmas present for the people in your life. Depending on the type of wood you use they can range from cute to ultra-elegant.
It’s fun, cute, and has a little added flair to it with a dangling ornament of its own right in the middle. This is perfect to set up on small side tables, the mantle, or even as a centerpiece on a dining room table!
We hope you enjoyed this woodworking gift guide. Those are the woodworking Christmas gift ideas I have for all of you today! Most of them are simple woodworking projects. Nothing too complicated or intense, but nonetheless special for the holiday!
As more cool Christmas things come to my attention I’ll be sure to plunk them here and keep this post updated with the latest (or just the best I can find) ideas for your Christmas lists. If you have fellow woodworkers in your life, send this their way. Maybe they could use a little holiday help too.
Have a good one guys and stay tuned for another gift guide soon!