Woodworking How To & DIY
Improve the value of your home by discovering our woodworking step-by-step tips & ideas.
How to Build a Birdhouse
Building a birdhouse is a simple woodworking project you can do with young children over a weekend. Watch this video and follow these steps for building an easy birdhouse with scrap wood.
How to Cut a Perfect Jig Circle
Ask This Old House host Kevin O’Connor works with House One maker Jenn Largesse to demonstrate an interesting technique on a trim router.
How to Remove Bubbles from Polyurethane
Kevin O’Connor calls on a wood refinishing expert to address unsightly bubbles in polyurethane finishes
How to Build a Basic Garden Bench
House One’s Jenn Largesse demonstrates how to build a DIY bench for your garden.
How to Build a Dog Bowl Stand
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva teaches a young Generation NEXT woodworker how to build a dog bowls stand using primarily power tools.
How to Build a Wood Beam Ceiling
Use these directions to add character to your home by installing wood beams to your ceiling.
How to Use a Band Saw
Learn the basics of how to properly use a band saw.
How to Make an End-Grain Cutting Board
Turn a piece of scrap wood into a useful butcher block.
How to Tighten a Loose Newel Post
In this edition of DIY Smarts, Ask This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert travels to a Sears kit house in Richmond, Virginia to tighten an old, loose stair railing.
How and When to Use a Japanese Pull Saw
Ask This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert explains when and how to use a Japanese pull saw
How to Choose and Use Drill Bits
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains the uses for different drill bits
Norm Abram’s Best Tricks of the Trade VII
You asked, Norm answered! Now, learn from the best
How to Patch a Chipped Wood Floor
Using only hand tools and a drill, Tom Silva makes minor floor damage disappear with a simple and effective dutchman repair technique
Easy Way to Extract a Stripped Screw
Too much torque can strip a fastener clean in seconds, but this fix is just as quick
How to Fit Wood to Irregular Contours
Do-it-right tool tip from our 2018 Idea House
How to Turn a Wood Slab Into a Table
Rustic wood meets modern metal to create this striking—and timeless—piece of furniture. Tom Silva and Kevin O’Connor show how to make a live-edge console table of your own
How to Safely Strip Paint from Woodwork
Ask This Old House painter Mauro Henrique travels to Sacramento to show a homeowner the safe way to strip paint
How to Pick Tung Oil Finishes
Some handy tips for identifying and using tung oil finishes plus a list of products.
How to Properly Notch Structural Beams
Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey and general contractor Tom Silva explain how to notch structural beams to host Kevin O’Connor.
How to Turn Scrap Wood into Kindling
Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook, landscape designer Jenn Nawada and host Kevin O’Connor try out a tool that easily splits kindling.
How to Cut a Pass-Through in a Load Bearing Wall
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva helps a couple frame an opening between their kitchen and living room in a load-bearing wall.
How to Create a Dutch Door
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva converts a regular door into a Dutch door.
How to Build a Chippendale Railing
Kevin O’Connor and Jeff Sweenor demonstrate how to assemble and install a Chippendale railing for the Rhode Island Beach House
How to Make a Sliced Twig Table
Maker Jimmy DiResta and Kevin O’Connor built this side table on an episode of Ask This Old House
How to Patch a Chipped Wood Floor
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva fixes a chipped wood floor using a Dutchman and hand tools.
Build It | Holiday Toy Box
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O’Connor build a toy box for Tom’s grandson
How to Make a Wall-Mounted Home Office
These space-saving shelves help you organize on a budget
Build It | Hawaiian Mango Keepsake Box
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva works with a local woodworker to build a keepsake box out of mango wood.
How to Identify Hardwoods and Softwoods
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva walks host Kevin O’Connor through the types of woods available and the best uses for each
How to Match Historic Molding
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O’Connor look at ways to match historic molding.
Norm Abram's Tricks of the Trade V
A collection of the latest and greatest tips from the TOH master carpenter
An Inside Look at Nick Offerman’s California Woodshop
Nick Offerman is well-known as an actor, comedian, and author, but he’s also an accomplished woodworker. For 16 years, he’s owned the Offerman Woodshop in Los Angeles, a small collective of woodworkers and makers. Nick’s latest book Good Clean Fun offers readers an inside glimpse at the inner workings of his shop and even teaches some basic woodworking skills through step-by-step project instructions. Host Kevin O’Connor toured Offerman Woodshop for an episode of Ask This Old House. Here are some of the highlights from that visit.