Welcome to the online series “Getting Started in Woodworking,” a multi-step program designed to guide you through the basics of woodworking and furniture making.

No matter what drew you to the idea of building projects with wood, whether you’re taking on a do-it-yourself project around the house or shopping for a hobby, we’ve assembled our best collection of articles and videos to show you how to do it smartly and safely.

Beginning with this first episode, our video tutorials, related articles, and projects cover all the basics from choosing your first hand and power tools to setting up a workspace. We’ll even get you started building your first projects. You can download free woodworking project plans for a handsome cutting board, a plywood workbench that you can build with just a few tools, and an elegant small box.