Though companies such as Ikea sell affordable, well-designed furniture that the home woodworker cannot necessarily make more cheaply, for many men - and women - the drive to be practical and use one's hands remains, often unfulfilled.
Increasingly people are turning to woodworking as a hobby or form of therapy, with the bonus being that you produce items for your own home, to give away as special gifts, or to sell through craft fairs or as commissions. With only a few tools and some basic skills, woodworkers soon discover that their skills are in demand.