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These 25 projects are ranked by how reliably they sell — based on Etsy sales data, craft fair vendor surveys, and Facebook Marketplace results. For each one you’ll find the realistic selling price range, estimated materials cost, and what makes buyers actually pay.
Pricing formula used throughout: Materials × 3 = minimum price (covers materials, time at $15/hr, and a small margin). Personalised versions command 30–60% more.
Watch: Projects That Sell Fast at Craft Fairs
The 25 Projects, Ranked by Sellability
1. Personalised Wooden Signs
Sell price: $25–$120 | Materials cost: $8–$20 | Build time: 1–2 hours
The #1 seller at craft fairs and on Etsy for a reason — buyers want their family name, a quote, or a custom message on something that looks handmade. A scroll saw or CNC router speeds up production, but a router and a stencil work fine for beginners.
What sells: “Est. [year]” family signs, house number signs, seasonal signs (“Merry Christmas, [name]”), welcome signs in a specific home style (farmhouse, coastal, modern).
Tip: Offer a standard sign plus a personalisation option at +$20–$30. Most buyers choose the personalised version.
2. Face-Grain Cutting Boards
Sell price: $30–$80 | Materials cost: $10–$20 | Build time: 2–3 hours
Cutting boards are perennial bestsellers. Face-grain (the easiest to make) sells reliably. End-grain boards (requiring more skill) can fetch $80–$200 each.
What sells: Contrasting wood tones (maple + walnut), boards with juice grooves, boards with personalised laser engraving (a laser engraver costs ~$300–$500 and pays back quickly at craft fairs).
Tip: Always finish with food-safe mineral oil + beeswax. Package in kraft paper with care instructions — it increases perceived value and repeat orders.
3. Floating Shelves
Sell price: $35–$90 per shelf | Materials cost: $10–$22 | Build time: 2 hours
Floating shelves sell steadily online because buyers can’t install them — they need someone who can make them in custom lengths. Offer custom sizing as standard. A 24″ shelf in white oak with a pipe bracket is a $75 product that costs $18 to make.
What sells: Live-edge shelves, matching shelf sets (3 × graduated sizes), shelves with built-in pipe-flange brackets for an industrial look.
4. Kids’ Step Stools
Sell price: $35–$70 | Materials cost: $10–$16 | Build time: 2–3 hours
Parents are highly motivated buyers. A solid wood step stool with a child’s name painted on it is an easy $45–$60 sale. The personalised version (name routed or painted) consistently outsells the plain version 3:1.
Tip: Round every edge aggressively — buyers will test this immediately at your stall. Also add non-slip pads to the bottom feet.
5. Serving Trays
Sell price: $40–$85 | Materials cost: $12–$25 | Build time: 2–3 hours
A serving tray with contrasting wood tones or a painted inset bottom is a regular gift-season bestseller. Mothers’ Day, Christmas, and housewarmings are your peak periods.
What sells: Trays with handles, trays with an engraved “handles” section for rope or leather, serving trays with a resin-poured ocean or marble-look insert.
6. Wooden Candle Holders
Sell price: $15–$45 (single), $40–$90 (set of 3) | Materials cost: $4–$12 | Build time: 1–2 hours
Fast to make and sell well in sets. A lathe produces the nicest results, but a drill press with a Forstner bit and a belt sander can produce attractive tapered holders from 4×4 stock without a lathe.
Tip: Tea light holders are fastest (just a Forstner bit hole) and sell as sets of 5–6 for $30–$45.
7. Coat Racks
Sell price: $35–$75 | Materials cost: $12–$20 | Build time: 1.5 hours
A clean piece of 1×6 hardwood with 4–5 shaker pegs is one of the fastest builds per dollar of return. Buyers pay more for solid wood over pine, and more again for personalisation (family name routed or painted).
8. Wooden Toy Cars and Trucks
Sell price: $12–$30 each | Materials cost: $3–$7 | Build time: 45 min–1.5 hours
Low material cost, moderate time, and they sell in volume at family-oriented markets. Build a production run of 20+ at a time using jigs and a bandsaw to cut consistent profiles. Package in a cloth bag for gifting.
Tip: Only use non-toxic, child-safe finishes. Buyers will ask. Have a clear answer.
9. Wooden Bookends
Sell price: $20–$50 per pair | Materials cost: $6–$14 | Build time: 1–2 hours
Simple L-shaped or wedge-shaped bookends in a hardwood like maple or walnut, weighted with steel plate on the inside base, sell reliably. The steel weight is the key — light bookends don’t work and get returned.
What sells: Geometric shapes (hexagon, triangle), bookends with routed initials, matching desk sets (bookends + pen holder + business card holder).
10. Keepsake / Memory Boxes
Sell price: $50–$130 | Materials cost: $15–$30 | Build time: 4–6 hours
A hinged box with a velvet-lined interior. Personalised with a name and date (wedding, baby’s birth, anniversary), this sells for $80–$130 without difficulty. It’s a legitimate skill-builder that commands the highest per-unit return of any box project.
11. Dog Bowl Stand
Sell price: $40–$80 | Materials cost: $12–$22 | Build time: 2–3 hours
Pet owners spend freely. An elevated dog bowl stand in a matching style to the buyer’s kitchen or laundry sells well at pet markets and online. Offer with stainless steel bowls included (+$15 cost, +$25–$30 to the price).
Tip: Offer to personalise with the dog’s name routed into the front apron board. This is consistently the #1 upsell for this product.
12. Phone / Tablet Stand
Sell price: $18–$40 | Materials cost: $5–$10 | Build time: 45 minutes
Cut from a single piece of hardwood with a bandsaw or scroll saw, finished with oil. Fast to make in batches, sells online and at markets. Offer in phone-only (narrow slot) and tablet (wider slot) versions.
13. Charcuterie / Cheese Board
Sell price: $35–$90 | Materials cost: $12–$25 | Build time: 2–3 hours
Similar to a cutting board in construction but larger (typically 12″×20″ to 18″×24″) and designed for presentation. A live-edge board or one with a distinctive wood figure sells at the higher end of the range. Add a handle hole for $0 extra and charge $10 more.
14. Wooden Knife Block
Sell price: $45–$90 | Materials cost: $15–$28 | Build time: 3–4 hours
A solid wood knife block in walnut or maple is a kitchen status symbol. The blade slots are cut using a bandsaw before glue-up. Finish with food-safe oil.
15. Wall-Mounted Wine Rack
Sell price: $55–$110 | Materials cost: $18–$35 | Build time: 3–4 hours
Wall-mounted bottle-and-glass racks are premium sellers because they solve a storage problem AND look good. Include the hanging hardware with the product — buyers hate sourcing this themselves.
16. Personalised Name Puzzle (Kids)
Sell price: $25–$55 | Materials cost: $8–$15 | Build time: 1.5–2.5 hours
A scroll saw cuts letter shapes from ¾” birch plywood. Paint each letter a different colour. Sand all edges so there are no splinters. Baby shower, birthday, and Christmas gift buyers are your market.
17. Wooden Planter Boxes
Sell price: $35–$90 | Materials cost: $12–$22 | Build time: 2–3 hours
Cedar planter boxes sell at garden markets and online year-round with a spike in spring. Offer in small (12″ L), medium (24″ L), and large (36″ L) sizes. Price the set together at a discount. Line with landscaping fabric so buyers don’t need to.
18. Lap Desk
Sell price: $35–$65 | Materials cost: $12–$20 | Build time: 2–3 hours
A hinged-leg lap desk with a phone slot or cup holder indent sells well at craft fairs to students and work-from-home buyers. Add a cup holder ($0 extra — just a hole saw) and charge $10 more.
19. Small Adirondack Chair (Kid-Sized)
Sell price: $65–$120 | Materials cost: $22–$35 | Build time: 4–5 hours
A child-sized Adirondack chair is a consistent seller because full-size ones are everywhere but small ones are not. Paint in a bright colour — red, yellow, and turquoise sell fastest. Sand every surface — parents will run their hands over every part.
20. Corn Hole Boards
Sell price: $65–$130 per set | Materials cost: $25–$40 | Build time: 3–4 hours
Standard corn hole boards: 2’×4′ playing surface, 6″ legs, 6″ diameter hole centred 9″ from the top edge. Sell as a set with a bag of corn hole bags (+$12 cost, $20–$25 to retail price). Custom team logos painted or stencilled add $20–$40 to the price and almost always sell at sporting markets.
21. Porch Swing
Sell price: $120–$250 | Materials cost: $45–$80 | Build time: 6–8 hours
Higher-ticket but strong at regional markets and on Facebook Marketplace where buyers can pick up locally. Cedar is the right timber for weather exposure. Include the hanging hardware and chain — most buyers won’t know what to buy.
22. Floating Desk (Wall-Mounted)
Sell price: $80–$180 | Materials cost: $25–$55 | Build time: 4–6 hours
The work-from-home market made this a strong online seller. A wall-mounted floating desk with a folding leg or cleat mounting, in a hardwood or solid pine with a dark stain, sells well on Etsy and Facebook Marketplace. Offer in standard widths (36″, 48″, 60″) and custom.
23. Wooden Key Cabinet
Sell price: $45–$90 | Materials cost: $15–$28 | Build time: 4–5 hours
A small hinged cabinet that mounts on the wall with hooks inside and a mirror or chalkboard on the front door. Solves a real problem (key organisation) with a decorative item. Higher perceived value than a simple coat rack hook.
24. Wooden Mail Sorter / Desk Organiser
Sell price: $28–$55 | Materials cost: $10–$18 | Build time: 2–3 hours
Two or three angled slots for letters/documents, plus a small tray section for pens or business cards. Sells to office workers and small business owners. Offer personalisation (company name or initials) for a premium.
25. Small Coffee / Side Table
Sell price: $80–$160 | Materials cost: $28–$50 | Build time: 4–6 hours
A small side table (18″×18″×22″ high) or simple coffee table (36″×20″×18″ high) is the highest ticket item that remains beginner-accessible. Sells on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and Etsy with local pickup. Solid wood always outsells anything with plywood legs or particle board.
Where to Sell: Platform Comparison
| Platform | Best for | Fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Etsy | Personalised items, gifts, cutting boards, signs | 6.5% + $0.20 listing | High buyer intent; photo quality is critical |
| Facebook Marketplace | Furniture, benches, tables, large items | 5% (shipping) or free (local) | Local pickup eliminates shipping problems |
| Craft fairs / markets | Everything — especially impulse buys | $50–$200 stall fee | Candle holders, coasters, small items sell fastest |
| Premium products, build process content | Free to post | Reels showing the build process generate most enquiries | |
| Local buy/sell groups | Furniture, large builds | Free | No shipping — pickup only |
Pricing Your Work: The Two Rules
Rule 1 — The 3× rule: Materials cost × 3 = your minimum price. This covers materials, time at roughly $15/hour, and a small margin. If the 3× price feels too high for the market, you need cheaper materials or a faster build process — not a lower price.
Rule 2 — Personalisation adds 40%: Adding a name, date, or custom element justifies a 30–60% premium in every category. Set up a consistent personalisation workflow (router, laser, or paint + stencil) and offer it on everything.
Want Plans for Every One of These?
Ted’s Woodworking includes detailed plans for cutting boards, serving trays, boxes, racks, toy cars, and all 25 project types above — with cut lists and assembly diagrams included. If you’re building for profit, having the plan right means you spend your time building, not figuring out measurements.
