woodcutter1

what are some things you can make out of wood? (for beginners) Well, I'm not saying I can't do anything. I'm just saying I ain't pro.

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-ben

knotscott

A clock can be fairly simple. There are many styles to choose from and many of the components are reasonably priced. clockparts.com

Cutting boards can also be fairly simple.

Simple end tables are a good project too.

Shop projects are always good practice. A workbench is a great project that'll pay dividends for all your other projects. Same goes for a router table.

ACP

Toychests, picture frames, boxes, jigs and fixtures.

frankp

You know, I asked a long time ago about "apprentice projects"... that is projects a master craftsman would assign to an apprentice as skill building exercises. I had in mind things like boxes with different types of joinery or tools that would then be used to build other projects etc. What I got in response were answers on the order of "do what you enjoy and you'll learn skills along the way".

For my purposes, boxes are one of the best things you can practice on. Boxes, be they small jewelry boxes or large toy/blanket chests, or even cabinets, build a whole lot of skills in a beginner in a very short period of time. Boxes teach you about joinery, they teach you about proportion and keeping things straight and square. If you do polygonal boxes they teach you about miter angles and how to determine the correct angles and then how to make those angles work... so many things you can learn from a "simple" box.

So the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind... build lots of boxes. They can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be and your skills allow. They don't generally require any fancy tools and make great gifts as well as being practical around the house and shop.

Now, if you fancy a more specific type of skill-set, I'm sure people can give more directed advice, but for general purpose wood-working skills, it's hard to go wrong with boxes.

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"I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!"

--Theodore Roosevelt

dbhost

Depending on your tools, skills, and desire my list of quick and easy projects (and the ones I have done) is...

#1. Step Stool. (My bride is short...)
#2. Clock. I have a nice mantle clock out of pine that is soaking up BLO as I type.
#3. Cutting boards.
#4. Workbench.
#5. Deck Box (outdoor storage for yard toys for the back yard).
#6. BBQ Prep Cart.
#7. Jewelery Chest.
#8. Hall Shelf / Coat Hook Tree.
#9. Picture Frame.
#10. Blanket Chest.
And yeah I know you asked for 10, but I am going to keep going...
#11. Toy vehicles, cars, trucks, trains, boats etc...
#12. Planter Boxes.
#13. Cabinet pull out assemblies for kitchen / bath upgrades.
#14. Band Saw Boxes.
#15. Bowls
#16. Platters.
#17. Pens
#18. Ice Cream Scoops.
(Yeah I have a lathe...)
#19. Mail Box covers.
#20. Holiday Lawn Ornaments (Plywood, jig saw, sander, glue etc... REAL easy projects...)

I could keep going, but I figure this should give you some ideas.

Cruise the magazines for ideas, as well as the forums.

Honestly, a LOT of my shop projects are skill builders. I mean really, do I REALLY need a dovetailed oak box to hold miscellaneous drill bits in? No but I DID need practice cutting dovetails...

A current project in the design phase is a clamshell tool / small parts cabinet that will integrate slots, dadoes, box joints, rabbets, hinge mortising, and profile routing for a decorative profile. Do I NEED to do this to make my shop pretty? Come on it's a shop. I need to do this to get the practice before I move forward with more important projects.

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-- Trying to follow the example of the master...

BHOFM

Need I say more?

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http://woodwonderboatworks.yolasite.com/