Nick Offerman Christmas Gifts: 13 Woodshop Projects Anyone Can Build Before the Holidays

Nick Offerman Christmas gifts are the kind you make with your own two hands, and that is exactly why people love them. The actor has run a real woodshop in Los Angeles for years, with a small crew of makers, and he loves to say that anyone can learn to build something useful. So this year, skip the crowded mall. Pick a board, a saw and a free weekend, and make a present that will still be on the kitchen counter in twenty years. Every project below is simple, budget friendly and made for grown up beginners. You do not need a big shop. A garage corner, a few clamps and some patience will do. Grab a mug of cocoa, put on some music and let us get those hands a little dusty..

Nick Offerman Christmas Cutting Board With a Juice Groove

A thick hardwood cutting board is the heart of every Nick Offerman Christmas gift list, because it gets used every single day. Maple, cherry and walnut are all kind to knives. Glue a few strips side by side, flatten them, and route a shallow groove around the edge so roast juices stay on the board and off the counter. Rub it with food safe oil until the grain glows. Picture it under the holiday turkey next month. Who on your list cooks the most..

You will need: one hardwood board about 1.5 inches thick, wood glue, clamps, sandpaper, a router with a round nose bit, food safe mineral oil.

How to make it: 1. Cut the board to size and sand both faces smooth. 2. Clamp a straight guide and route a groove one inch from the edge (ask an adult with router experience to help). 3. Round the corners, sand to 220 grit and flood with oil, then wipe off the extra.

Hand Carved Spoon for a Nick Offerman Christmas

Carving a spoon by hand is slow, quiet and oddly calming, which makes it perfect for long winter evenings. Offerman often talks about the joy of hand tools, and you can read more about his woodworking life. A spoon is the easiest place to start. Draw the shape on a green branch or a soft basswood blank, rough it out, then shave it little by little with a carving knife. No two spoons ever look the same, and that is the charm. Would you keep the first one for yourself?

You will need: a basswood or cherry spoon blank, a sloyd carving knife, a hook knife, a cut resistant glove, sandpaper, food safe oil.

How to make it: 1. Trace the spoon shape and saw away the big waste. 2. Wear the glove and carve away from your body, shaping the handle first and the bowl last. 3. Sand lightly, oil, and let it rest overnight.

Nick Offerman Christmas Serving Tray With Handles

A rustic serving tray is a Nick Offerman Christmas gift that looks far more expensive than it is. One wide pine or oak board, two simple side rails and a pair of handles turn into the tray that carries coffee to bed or cookies to the party. Stain it warm brown, then rub the edges with fine sandpaper so it looks loved for years. Add a small felt pad under each corner to protect the table. Can you already see it full of holiday treats?

You will need: one 1×12 board, two 1×2 strips for the sides, two cabinet handles, wood glue, small screws, stain, felt pads.

How to make it: 1. Cut the base and glue and screw the side rails along the long edges. 2. Sand, stain and let it dry. 3. Screw a handle to each short end and stick felt pads underneath.

Set of Wooden Coasters

Coasters are the quickest win on this list. Slice a thick branch or a square walnut board into four inch pieces, sand the faces, and you have a set in an afternoon. Wood burn a single initial or a tiny pine tree on each one for a personal touch. Tie four together with twine and a sprig of greenery and they are ready for the gift pile. A set of six makes a lovely host gift. How many sets could you make in one weekend?

You will need: a 4 inch thick branch or a hardwood board, a hand saw or miter saw, sandpaper, a wood burning pen (optional), clear finish, twine.

How to make it: 1. Cut slices about half an inch thick (ask an adult for help with the saw). 2. Sand both faces flat and smooth. 3. Add a burned design if you like and seal with two coats of clear finish.

Nick Offerman Christmas Keepsake Box With a Sliding Lid

Every family has small treasures that need a home, and a keepsake box with a sliding lid is a classic Nick Offerman Christmas build. Cut a groove inside each side, slide a thin panel in, and the lid glides open with a soft whoosh. It is a gentle way to learn joinery without fancy machines. Fill it with old letters, a watch, or ornaments from grandma. A box like this often becomes a family heirloom. Who would treasure one most in your family?

You will need: half inch thick hardwood for the sides, a quarter inch panel for the lid and bottom, a table saw or hand plough plane, glue, clamps, finish.

How to make it: 1. Cut four sides and plough a groove near the top and bottom of each (ask an adult with saw experience to help). 2. Glue the sides around the bottom panel, leaving one short side lower so the lid can slide. 3. Sand, finish, and slide the lid home.

Scrap Lumber Bookends

Got a pile of offcuts in the garage? Turn them into chunky bookends for the readers on your list. Two blocks of mixed wood glued into an L shape hold a row of novels with ease. Stack different woods for a striped look or keep them plain and simple. A few strips of cork underneath stop them from sliding. They look great on a mantel next to some greenery too. Which book lover on your list needs a pair?

You will need: scrap hardwood blocks, wood glue, clamps, sandpaper, cork sheet, clear finish.

How to make it: 1. Cut two base pieces and two upright pieces the same width. 2. Glue each upright onto a base in an L shape and clamp overnight. 3. Sand, finish and glue cork to the bottom.

Wall Mounted Coat Rack

A coat rack is one of those gifts people use every day and thank you for every winter. One sanded board, a row of sturdy pegs and two keyhole hangers are all it takes. Dowel pegs look the most handmade, while iron hooks give a farmhouse feel. Mount it by the front door and it catches coats, scarves and dog leashes. It is a smart Nick Offerman Christmas idea for a new home owner. Who just moved this year?

You will need: one 1×6 board about 30 inches long, hardwood dowels or metal hooks, a drill, wood glue, stain, two keyhole hangers.

How to make it: 1. Mark evenly spaced holes and drill them at a slight upward angle. 2. Glue in the dowel pegs or screw on the hooks. 3. Stain, add hangers on the back and hang it on wall studs.

Simple Floating Shelf

Floating shelves look clean and modern, and building one is easier than it seems. A thick board with a hidden steel bracket sits flush on the wall with nothing showing underneath. It is perfect for a few plants, a photo or a small holiday display. Choose a warm wood like walnut or oak and let the grain do the talking. One shelf makes a thoughtful gift, and three make a whole wall. Where would you hang yours first?

You will need: a 2 inch thick hardwood board, a hidden floating shelf bracket, a drill with a long bit, a stud finder, sandpaper, oil finish.

How to make it: 1. Drill holes in the back edge of the board to match the bracket rods (ask an adult for help). 2. Mount the bracket on wall studs with a level. 3. Sand, oil and slide the board onto the rods.

Birdhouse From One Board

This sweet birdhouse comes from a single six foot fence board, so it costs only a few dollars. Cut the front, back, sides, floor and roof from one length and nail it all together. Leave the wood plain or paint the roof a soft color. Birds prefer it unpainted inside and with a small drain hole in the floor. It is a lovely Nick Offerman Christmas gift for grandparents who love watching the yard. Which birds visit your window in winter?

You will need: one 1×6 cedar fence board, a saw, galvanized nails or screws, a drill with a 1.5 inch hole bit, sandpaper.

How to make it: 1. Mark all six pieces on the board and cut them out (ask an adult to help with the saw). 2. Drill the entry hole in the front and a drain hole in the floor. 3. Nail the box together and fix the roof with a slight overhang.

Wooden Phone and Tablet Stand

Here is a modern gift with an old school soul. A simple wooden stand holds a phone for video calls or a tablet for recipes in the kitchen. Cut a slanted slot into a small block and it is done. Add a little channel at the back for the charging cable and it feels truly custom. Teens and busy cooks both love these. You can make five from one short board. Who on your list is always propping their phone on a mug?

You will need: a small block of hardwood about 6 by 3 inches, a saw, a chisel, sandpaper, oil finish.

How to make it: 1. Mark an angled slot about half an inch wide and cut its sides with a saw. 2. Chisel out the waste and test with a phone. 3. Round the edges, sand and oil.

Picture Frame From Reclaimed Wood

Old barn boards and pallet slats have a weathered look that new wood cannot copy. Turn them into a rustic picture frame for a favorite family photo. Simple butt joints work fine here, so no fancy corners are needed. Leave the nail holes and saw marks as part of the story. Slip in a printed photo from this year and the gift is instantly personal. Which photo from this year would you frame?

You will need: reclaimed boards, a saw, wood glue, small brad nails, a router or table saw for the photo rebate, glass and backing from a cheap frame.

How to make it: 1. Cut four pieces and cut a small step on the back edge for the glass. 2. Glue and nail the corners together. 3. Brush off dust, add the glass, photo and backing.

Classic Toy Wooden Car

A wooden toy car is the gift kids keep long after the plastic ones are gone. Cut a chunky car shape from a 2×4, drill holes for dowel axles and add round wooden wheels. Sand every edge until it feels soft in small hands, and finish with food safe oil instead of paint. Make a little fleet in different woods for grandkids, nieces and nephews. Grown ups often want one for the shelf too. Would you build a truck or a race car first?

You will need: a hardwood 2×4 offcut, wooden wheels and axle pegs from a craft store, a drill, a coping saw, sandpaper, food safe oil.

How to make it: 1. Draw the car shape and cut it out with a coping saw (adult help for the saw). 2. Drill axle holes straight through and fit the wheels. 3. Sand all edges round and rub in food safe oil.

Nick Offerman Christmas Wooden Lantern Centerpiece

Close the list with a warm wooden lantern for the holiday table. Four simple frame sides, a solid base and a small handle on top make a centerpiece that glows all season. Skip real candles and tuck in a tangle of battery fairy lights and some fresh pine instead, so it stays safe on a crowded table. It is a lovely final Nick Offerman Christmas project that ties the whole room together. Want to see how his own shop works? Take a peek at our Nick Offerman woodshop secrets next.

You will need: 1×2 boards for the frame, a 1×8 board for the base, clear acrylic sheet, small screws, a cabinet handle, battery fairy lights, pine sprigs and pine cones.

How to make it: 1. Build four rectangle frames and slide in acrylic panels. 2. Screw the frames onto the base and add a top piece with a handle. 3. Fill with pine and pine cones and weave in battery fairy lights.