Woodcraft has sponsored two contests on Instructables.com – described as The World’s Biggest Show and Tell – in an effort to introduce the woodworkers and potential woodworkers who use the website to Woodcraft and information about the company’s educational resources.
A spinoff of Squid Labs, based in Alameda, California, Instructables attracts 30 million plus viewers each month to its web-based documentation platform that allows passionate creators to share what they do and how they do it, as well as learn from and collaborate with others. According to the Instructables “Our Story,” the number of projects on the site has grown to over 100,000.
“In addition to offering top quality products, Woodcraft has built a reputation for providing educational opportunities and one-on-one guidance to woodworkers of all skill levels,” Woodcraft vice president for sales and marketing Vince Grlovich said. “A lot of the young people using the Instructables website are incorporating wood into their unique projects, often with other materials like metal. Woodcraft can support these young creators by helping them improve their woodworking skills – or discover new skills.”
Besides offering a place to showcase and store new projects, Instructables also sponsors ongoing competitions, which is how Woodcraft became involved with this “show and tell” community. Woodcraft donated prizes for the “Furniture Hacks” and “Shelving” contests, which gave the national woodworking retailer mention on the contest pages, including a link to woodcraft.com, during the two-month contest period, as well as after the contests closed. “Woodcraft looks forward to sponsoring another Instructables contest in the near future,” Grlovich said.
“Instructables contestants who check out Woodcraft will find that retail stores throughout the US offer classes to teach woodworking skills, as well as classes in how to use and maintain woodworking tools,” Grlovich said. “Free technique and tool use videos are also available on woodcraft.com in the resource section and on woodcraftmagazine.com, and Woodworking Adventures, the company blog, often features how-to instructions for repurposing or making projects from wood.”
In the Furniture Hacks Contest, entrants were asked to show how they refurbish, beautify, and optimize their furniture.
The Princess Castle Bunk Bed that won grand prize in the Furniture Hacks contest was created by a Dad for his daughter. The builder bought a bunk bed at a thrift store and converted it into a bed fit for a princess, using plywood, trim, paint and some craft store plastic jewels. He won a SawStop Table Saw package as grand prize recipient!
Other prizes awarded were:
(3) First Prizes – Jet 10″ Jointer/Planer Combo with Stand
(10) Second Prizes – WORX Semi-Automatic Screw Driver
(15) Runners Up – Instructables prize package including robot t-shirt
You can see all the winning projects in the Furniture Hacks contest here.
Check out this award-winning dad describing his design and building process for the Princess Castle Bunk Bed project in this video from his How-To channel on YouTube. That’s gotta be one happy little Princess!
Shelving is key for those looking to either save space or maximize their storage.
The Transforming Workbench and Storage Unit that won grand prize in the Shelving contest was built by a man for his girlfriend, an artist. The designer wanted to provide her with a nice and functional studio space in their home. He gave her a counter-height workbench/desk and some easy-access storage, along with more outlets, speakers, bluetooth, lighting and a fold-down work surface.
The large piece incorporates bookshelves as the table’s supports, giving the user something more useful than fold-up legs whether the work surface is up or down. The shelves hinge to swing out, allowing the tabletop to drop down and be hidden behind the shelves when closed.
For his efforts, he was awarded a Laguna 14-12 Bandsaw from Woodcraft. Great job!
Other prizes awarded were:
Judges’ Prize for Best Garage or Workshop Shelving - Porter-Cable 1-3/4 HP Router and Rikon 1″ Bench Top Bandsaw
(2) First Prizes - DeWalt 13″ Two-Speed Planer Package
(4) Second Prizes - WoodRiver #4 Bench Hand Plane
(15) Runners Up – Jorgensen Pony Pull Saw
To view the other projects in this contest, visit www.instructables.com/contest/shelving/.
To learn more about Instructables, visit www.instructables.com.
To find a Woodcraft store near you, click here. Let our store associates help you find a class, answer your questions or shop for supplies for your latest project. We’re here to help make your woodworking dreams a reality!
