Woodworking doesn't need to be a really complex thing to undertake, and simple woodworking is a great avenue to explore. Yeah, there will always be really ornately carved and elaborately designed pieces of woodwork being produced, but that style doesn't appeal to everyone. Simple pieces of woodwork have a lot to offer, both to look at and use, and to make. Even if you want to eventually make the overly elaborate kind of furniture and carvings, you should still ground your understanding in simple woodworking- especially if you are just starting out.
Starting out simple provides a wide variety of benefits. To begin with, simple projects just aren't as intimidating as elaborate projects. Woodworking can be a really intimidating skill set to want to learn, and if you think you have to go from no knowledge at all to producing elaborate canopy beds, then you might quickly talk yourself out of evening starting to learn. Deciding to work on simple projects first makes the whole thing seem a lot more attainable, which makes it much more likely that you are actually going to go through with learning the trade.
Simple projects also have the added benefit of not requiring a lot of tools or materials to start out. If you are just beginning to teach yourself the craft, then looking over even an moderately involved woodworking plan will reveal a long list of items that you need to make the finished product. Starting out simple ensures that you only need a bare minimum of tools to make something beautiful. It's a good idea to just get the basics at first, and to only work on projects that require things like hands tools, and not big and expensive and intimidating power tools. While there is certainly plenty of technique in using hand tools, most of us should feel fairly comfortable using them as they are easy to understand and get some measure of control over.
We all know that just because a piece of furniture or other piece of woodwork can be simple doesn't meant hat it has to be. We've all seen tables that are really complicated, even though a table doesn't have to be anything more than a few legs and a top sturdily attached. So when you look to make your first simple pieces, things like boxes, chairs and tables, make sure that they are designed for beginners or otherwise dedicated to simplicity.
Because when it comes down to it, there's no need to get overly elaborate with any woodworking project. While most design projects intended for beginners are obviously made simple to be easy, there are also plenty of designers out there who believe in creating simple designs just for the sake of creating a simple and beautiful design. There are plenty of people who reject the notion that something needs to be complicated to be attractive, and evidence of the return to simple beauty can be seen in a wide variety of modern design work. If you are so inclined, don't feel like you have to turn away from simple woodworking just because you are talented and trained enough to make complicated pieces.
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