Thereis a no better time than during these strained economic times toconsider handcrafting wooden games, toys or furniture for your familyor as gifts. Recall China Ratchet Turnbuckles a simpler time when we were young and created ourown amusements by using our imaginations and hands to transformsimple objects into playful implements or games. Gosh, I still haveand use some of the things we made with our Dad in his basementworkshop or garage back in Cape Breton - a periscope, wooden toolbox,marble board game. At 15 years I  built that water wheel and the wellreplica for our garden. Mom and Dad loved it.Considerthe pleasure and sense of pride you will have when you create a giftfrom your own hands. And think of the pleasure you will bring tosomeone special. Someone for whom you took the time to craft aspecial wooden piece.Witha few simple hand tools and maybe a basic power tool, you cantransform those ideas in your head to some very unique woodworkingprojects. With a little planing you could build these woodencreations right in your apartment, at your kitchen table or in yourgarage or basement. Covering your work area  with some plasticdrop-sheets or a tarpaulin and having a vacuum for cleanup opens upthe possibilities of using your kitchen or dining room table forsmall woodworking projects.Planningand measuring:-On a piece of paper design your project (rough picture) and thenmeasure it out on a rough piece of wood so you can get some kind ofvisual of how it will lookor-buy a template plan that simply has you tape together the pieces ofpaper, lay it out on the board and simply mark then cut or drill asindicated. This is a simple way to ensure project accuracy andrepeatability when you are making more than one of the same project.Cuttingthe wood:-Cut with handsaw, circular saw, table saw or miter saw or-Have them cut it to size at your building supply store. For a fewextra dollars I have Home Depot cut my plywood to project size. Now Idon't have to get out the table saw and deal with the sawdustclean-up that results.Roundingcorners and edges:-Use a jigsaw and router or-With a straightedge or paper template, mark and trim the four cornerswith a handsaw or hand jigsaw and then, with a block and pieces ofsand paper (coarse grit), round and shape the corners and edges  DrillingHoles:-use a drill and wood bits (a drill is likely the first hand powertool you will buy)Noreal alternative for a good drill and bitsFasteningthe pieces together:No Nails Glue (This stuff seems to hold anything to anything!) - mayrequire some clamps or weights to keep your project together duringthe 24 hour drying period-Screws with wood glue (using the drill to pre-drill holes to avoidwood splitting and the screw bits to easily sink the screws)-A small square will help ensure your corners remain square duringassembly Finishingthe surface:-poly fill or wood fill or wooden plugs will be need to cover thecountersunk screws-You will need coarse to fine sandpaper. Coarse sandpaper to deal withsmoothing the edges and finer sandpaper to finish the surfaces inpreparation for a wood finish to be applied.-Go with natural wood finishes like polyurethane, lacquers and woodoils. Let the natural wood grains display all their splendor.-Stain and paint first. Then finish with a polyurethane to make thesurface more durableYoucan be a talented woodworking carpenter with a few simple tools:-measuring tape and pencil-straightedge and/or square-handsaw-hand jigsaw-power drill, drill bits and screw bits (this is the first power toolyou should own) OR a versatile Dremel, which has a wide variety ofattachments-sand paper block (a piece of 2x2 or 2x3 wood) and sandpaper-good quality paint brushes (clean and spin dry after each use andthey will last for years)Now,more than ever, is the time to unleash your woodworking talent andhandcraft wooden treasures like toys, games and furniture. In theland of (