Jimmy Carter Built Furniture by Hand: 14 Heirlooms From the President’s Private Woodshop
Jimmy Carter built more than 100 pieces of furniture with his own hands, and few people outside the woodworking world ever knew. Long after his years in public life, one of his favorite places was a quiet workshop, with sawdust on the floor and a half finished cabinet on the bench. He once told a woodworking magazine that he had designed and built more than 100 pieces, and some of them later raised huge sums for charity. His handmade work made headlines again in 2026, when an estate auction included furniture made by his own hands. This is a gentle story about patience, craftsmanship and giving back, plus simple lessons from his woodshop that any beginner can use..
Jimmy Carter Built a Quiet Life Around the Workshop
Picture a sunny afternoon in rural Georgia, the smell of fresh cut wood and a cabinet slowly taking shape. Woodworking was one of Carter’s favorite hobbies, listed alongside painting, fly fishing and cycling. For a man who had spent years in the spotlight, the workshop offered something simple: quiet, focus and the joy of making something useful that would last for generations. Many people who love woodworking say the same thing about their own shops. Where do you go to feel calm and creative..
You will need: A small corner for a workbench, a few good hand tools, scrap wood for practice, patience and a love of learning.
How to make it: 1. Set up a sturdy bench in a garage, shed or corner with good light. 2. Start with a few basic hand tools rather than a full shop of machines. 3. Practice cuts and joints on scrap wood before starting a real project.
It Started With Future Farmers of America
Long before Jimmy Carter built a single cabinet, he grew up on a farm near Plains, Georgia, and as a teenager he joined Future Farmers of America. According to his biography, that experience helped him develop a lifelong interest in woodworking. Farm kids of that era learned to fix, build and make do with what they had, and those skills tend to stick. A simple birdhouse or toolbox was often the first project. It is a reminder that a hobby started young can quietly grow for decades. What did you love to build as a kid?
You will need: For a first project: pine boards, a hand saw, a hammer, nails, sandpaper, wood glue, a pencil and a square.
How to make it: 1. Mark simple straight cuts with a square and pencil. 2. Cut the pieces with a hand saw, keeping the blade on the waste side of the line. 3. Glue and nail the pieces together, then sand all the edges smooth.
A Home Woodshop Back in Plains
After his years in Washington, Carter returned home to Plains, and woodworking became a big part of his life there. A home woodshop does not need to be large or fancy. Many of the finest pieces in America were built in garages and sheds with a bench, a few machines and careful hands. The secret is organization: tools hung where you can reach them, boards stored flat, and a clean surface to work on. Could a corner of your garage become your own small shop?
You will need: A sturdy workbench, wall hooks or pegboard, a few clamps, a shop vacuum, good lighting, safety glasses and hearing protection.
How to make it: 1. Clear a space and place the workbench near natural light. 2. Hang tools on the wall in groups so they are easy to grab and put back. 3. Store lumber flat on shelves so it stays straight.
Jimmy Carter Built a Six Foot Persimmon Cabinet
One of the best known pieces Jimmy Carter built is a tall cabinet made from persimmon wood, about six feet high. Fine Woodworking reported in 2006 that the cabinet was built for a Carter Center auction and valued at 100,000 dollars. Persimmon is not a common furniture wood, which makes the piece even more special, with a warm color and fine grain. Seeing a cabinet like this reminds us that the best heirlooms are often simple shapes made with great care. Have you ever worked with an unusual wood?
You will need: For a small beginner cabinet: hardwood boards, plywood for the back, hinges, knobs, wood glue, clamps, a saw, a drill and finish.
How to make it: 1. Build a simple box from four boards with glued and screwed corners. 2. Add a plywood back to keep it square and a shelf inside. 3. Fit a door with hinges, add a knob and finish with oil or varnish.
Frame and Panel Doors Jimmy Carter Built to Last
Frame and panel doors are a classic sign of good furniture making. A solid frame holds a thinner panel that floats in a groove, so the wood can expand and shrink with the seasons without cracking. It is a time tested method that woodworkers have trusted for centuries, and it is what lets a cabinet look as good in fifty years as it does today. Learning to make one is a rite of passage for many hobby builders. Would you try a frame and panel door?
You will need: Straight hardwood for the frame, thin plywood or hardwood for the panel, a router or table saw for grooves (adult only), glue, clamps.
How to make it: 1. Cut two rails and two stiles for the frame and a groove along their inside edges. 2. Cut a panel slightly smaller than the opening so it can move. 3. Glue only the frame corners, slide the panel in loose and clamp until dry.
His Signature on Every Piece
Fine Woodworking noted that Carter engraved his signature on all of his furniture. Signing your work is a lovely tradition that many makers follow, usually on the back, the underside or inside a drawer. It is one reason the pieces Jimmy Carter built are so easy to trace. A signature turns a useful object into a family record, so years later someone can turn a chair over and know exactly who made it. Many woodworkers also add the year and the type of wood. If you build something this winter, how will you sign it?
You will need: A wood burning pen or small engraving tool (adult supervision), a pencil, fine sandpaper, finish.
How to make it: 1. Pick a hidden spot such as the underside of a drawer or the back panel. 2. Lightly pencil your name, the year and the wood type. 3. Trace over it with a wood burning pen or engraving tool, then apply finish over the area.
Simple, Sturdy Joinery
Looking at what Jimmy Carter built is a good reminder that you do not need dozens of fancy joints to build lovely furniture. Many great makers rely on a few sturdy, well cut joints done really well. Dovetails, like the one shown here, lock two boards together so tightly they hold without nails. Simple butt joints with glue and screws are perfect for a first project too. The lesson from any master woodworker is the same: practice the basics until they feel natural. Which joint would you like to learn first?
You will need: Scrap boards, a fine tooth saw, a sharp chisel, a mallet, a marking gauge, a square, glue.
How to make it: 1. Mark the joint carefully with a square and marking gauge. 2. Saw on the waste side of each line and remove the waste with a chisel. 3. Test fit, adjust slowly, then glue and clamp.
Chairs Made for Everyday Life
Furniture made by hand is meant to be used. A simple ladder back chair on a porch, a stool by the kitchen door, a rocking chair by the window. These are the kinds of pieces that become part of family life and collect stories over the years. Woodworkers often say chairs are one of the hardest projects because they must be strong, comfortable and good looking all at once. Start with a sturdy stool and work your way up. Who in your family would love a handmade seat?
You will need: For a beginner stool: hardwood or pine boards, a drill, wood screws, glue, sandpaper, finish.
How to make it: 1. Cut a round or square seat and four equal legs. 2. Drill angled holes or attach legs with sturdy brackets and glue. 3. Add stretchers between the legs for strength, sand and finish.
Tables Built for Family
A family table is where homework, holiday dinners and long talks happen, which is why so many woodworkers dream of building one. A solid wood table is really just a top, an apron and four legs, but done well it can last for generations. The same patient approach Carter brought to his workshop applies here: measure twice, cut once and take your time with the finish. For another famous name who loves the workshop, see the story of Harrison Ford’s carpenter days. Who would sit at your table?
You will need: Hardwood or construction lumber for the top, legs and apron, wood glue, pocket screws or bolts, clamps, a sander, finish.
How to make it: 1. Glue boards edge to edge to make the top and clamp overnight. 2. Build a frame from four legs and an apron, checking that it is square. 3. Attach the top with clips so it can move, then sand and finish.
Furniture Jimmy Carter Built Raised Big Money for Charity
Here is where the hobby turned into something bigger. Fine Woodworking reported that Carter’s handmade furniture had sold at Carter Center auctions for amounts ranging from 50,000 dollars to more than 300,000 dollars. That money went to support the center’s work. It is a powerful example of how a personal hobby can help others, whether that means raising funds at a charity auction or simply building something for a neighbor in need. Have you ever donated something you made?
You will need: A finished piece you are proud of, a local charity auction or fundraiser, a short note about how it was made.
How to make it: 1. Choose a piece that is well made and finished. 2. Ask a school, church or charity if they hold auctions or raffles. 3. Include a note with the wood, the year and your signature to make it special.
Jimmy Carter Built Homes With Volunteers Too
His skills were not limited to furniture. Carter was a longtime volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit that builds homes with volunteers and future homeowners. He and his wife worked on housing construction projects with the group, swinging hammers alongside other volunteers. It is a beautiful example of putting practical skills to work for others. Many local Habitat affiliates welcome beginners, and there is no better place to learn framing basics. Would you volunteer on a build day?
You will need: Work gloves, sturdy boots, safety glasses, a hammer, a tape measure and a willing heart.
How to make it: 1. Look up a local volunteer building group and sign up for a beginner day. 2. Listen to the site leader and learn how to measure and nail framing safely. 3. Bring a friend or family member and make it a regular tradition.
A Painter Too
Furniture was not the only thing Jimmy Carter built with patience and care. His biography lists painting among his hobbies, and the 2026 estate sale included his paintings as well as his furniture. Painting and woodworking share a lot: both reward patience, close observation and a willingness to make mistakes and try again. Landscapes of the countryside you know best are a lovely place to start. If you have ever wanted to try painting, this is your gentle nudge. What view from your home would you paint?
You will need: A small canvas or canvas board, acrylic or oil paints, a few brushes, a palette, a jar of water or solvent, a table easel.
How to make it: 1. Pick a simple view with a clear horizon, like a field or a road. 2. Block in the sky, the land and big shapes first with large brushes. 3. Add trees, shadows and details last with smaller brushes.
His Handmade Pieces in the 2026 Estate Auction
In February 2026, Georgia Public Broadcasting reported that Brunk Auctions was offering more than 200 lots from the Carter estate, including furniture made by the president’s own hands and his paintings. Collectors could finally see up close what Jimmy Carter built over the years. For many people, these quiet, handmade pieces said more about the man than any official photo. They showed a person who loved to make things slowly and well. Which handmade piece in your home tells the best story?
You will need: A notebook, a camera or phone, and the family pieces you already own.
How to make it: 1. Photograph the handmade pieces in your home. 2. Write down who made each one, when and from what wood. 3. Keep the notes with your family records so the stories are never lost.
Lessons for Beginner Woodworkers
Here is the last idea, and it may be the most useful. The story of how Jimmy Carter built furniture for decades offers simple lessons for anyone starting out: begin young or begin now, keep your shop organized, master a few joints, sign your work and share what you make. You do not need expensive machines to start, just a bench, a few hand tools and patience. Every expert was once a beginner who kept going. What will your first project be?
You will need: A workbench, a hand saw, a block plane, chisels, a combination square, clamps, sandpaper, safety glasses.
How to make it: 1. Choose a small first project such as a box, a shelf or a step stool. 2. Work slowly, checking every cut with a square. 3. Finish it, sign it and give it to someone you love.
