How to Make and Sell DIY Workbench

Posted 3 years ago by Max Komonov

Are you looking for a new hobby to give yourself a creative outlet and potentially earn a bit of money? There are a lot of things you could make on your own and sell at craft fairs, on Etsy, or other online and offline venues. If you have a creative flair for interior design and the skills of a handyman or woodworker, you should consider combining those talents to create something not many people are making — workbenches.

There are many hobbies, professions, or endeavors in the arts that require a good workbench, and there are plenty of workbenches available in stores. But these are boring, paper-cut-out workbenches that, while functional, offer little in the way of style or design. Unfortunately, getting your workbench at the store or online is the only option for many people.

The majority of homeowners prefer to have unique items that fit well with their interior design but don’t have the time to make a DIY workbench. Although not a common hobby or craft item, it is one that is increasing in demand and favor. Getting in on the ground floor of such a trend is best if you want to be truly successful with your new business.

Most Popular DIY Workbench Design Ideas

Since there isn’t a lot of competition in making and selling DIY workbenches, every single one you create will be truly unique. It is an opportunity to build workbenches that fulfill certain needs and situations. Here are a few of the most popular workbench ideas.

Storage workbenches

A storage bench is always a great choice for hobbyists and professional artists or craftspeople. You can store your materials or tools out of sight when needed in drawers, storage cubbies, or hanging hooks. The idea is for the workbench to work as a tool for organization, not just a surface for crafting and woodworking.

You can also make one of these storage workbenches for your kitchen, mudroom, or laundry room, although any storage benches made for this purpose should be more aesthetically pleasing than your typical workbench.

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Craft accessories and hardware compartment storage

Creating a workbench specifically for textile crafts is a great way to tap into a target market that has been largely ignored. When people have hobbies like sewing, quilting, crocheting, knitting, or other textile crafts, they are looking for more organized storage to keep everything within arms reach and in its proper place.

To cater to these crafters you can make and sell DIY workbenches that include a compartmentalized drawer or shelf storage built-in to the workbench. It allows for the organization of small items like screws, nails, tacks, needles, thread, etc. You might think about adding spools for thread or grooves for other items to be stored securely.

Accessories workbench

If you really want to up the DIY workbench game, create workbenches that offer easily accessible tools and accessories that can be used for almost any type of craft or woodwork. Rather than only including built-in storage, which is still very useful, this type of workbench gives the user additional hooks on the front and sides on the bench to keep things within easy reach.

Required Materials to Make DIY Workbenches

There are a lot of different ways you can make workbenches that don’t involve buying new wood and starting from scratch. In fact, most of these projects involve reusing materials as much as possible, putting an eco-friendly spin on the unique workshop furniture. Here are a few of the different ways you can make a DIY workbench.

Reuse wood pallets in good condition with the added bonus of being able to churn them out at least one per day for a larger inventory.
Use scaffold boards or other reclaimed wood in good condition to cut costs of goods sold.
Build a workbench in under 30 minutes by using a solid core interior or exterior door in good condition. Take the opportunity to choose a door with a sophisticated or intricate design for a truly unique workbench.

Regardless of the materials, you start with to create your workbenches, you’re going to need some basic materials to build any type of workbench. Make sure that you have an available work area of a suitable size, with adequate access to outlets and room for your own workbench.

You will also need:

Power strips for additional outlets for small tools like soldering irons, rechargeable power tool batteries, and other small items. (Not for use with high wattage products like power tools.)
Hammers of varying sizes and weights for use with different types of nails and tacks.
A universal screwdriver, and/or both phillips and flathead screwdrivers of varying sizes for different types of screws.
A variety of nails, upholstery tacks, screws, and fasteners.
Heavy sheers

You may need additional tools depending on the type of workbenches you will be creating.

How Much Money Can You Make With DIY Workbenches?

The amount of money you can make is largely up to you. Some of the ideas mentioned here cost as little as $40 to make, so you could mark them up quite a bit to make a substantial profit while still giving your customers quality workmanship at a reasonable price.

To calculate how much you will need to charge for your workbenches, consider the costs associated with making, marketing, selling, and shipping the workbench. Most business owners also add a 15% markup for overhead costs, but the exact amount that you want to markup your workbenches is entirely up to you. Tracking your time spent making the first few workbenches will help you determine if you are earning the average hourly rate you are shooting for.

How to Sell DIY Workbenches

Selling DIY workbenches is a piece of cake when you have your own online store. Ecwid offers eCommerce hosting and other services on a scaled basis. You can start out small with a free plan and upgrade as your hobby and business grows. Even if you will be offering local delivery only, you should set up an online store for easier ordering and no contact payment. These service amenities are quickly becoming expected by most Americans, and if you disappoint they might go elsewhere.

Once you have your online store set up, you will need to build your website. You can use a number of different hosting options with domain registration and site builder templates and themes, but the most popular is WordPress. You will need to create at least a basic site so that people can find you and your workbenches, then you can link your online store to your website for seamless inventory and ordering.

When drafting your product page, order page, or product descriptions on your Ecwid store, you should keep in mind that the more detailed you can be the better. For one thing, when you offer detailed descriptions of your workbenches you will boost your visibility in the major search engines. More importantly, doing so will help convince your site visitors to click that order button.

Finally, you will need to have a solid web presence to succeed, even as a local crafter or woodworker. Make sure you boost your website by posting content on an ongoing basis, usually through a blog. You should also have social media profiles with frequent posts, with Facebook and Twitter being the most popular.

By linking your Ecwid online store to all of these accounts, you will be able to sell your workbenches safely and hassle-free on any platform. Click here to learn more.

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About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.