Making your space your own is the best part of buying a new home or getting any type of space to yourself, but people might spend anywhere between 10% and 50% of the purchase price of a new home on furniture alone. Even for an apartment, you can expect to pay a pretty penny for brand-new furniture.

Not many people explore alternatives until they've exceeded their budget and at this point, decorating becomes a little less fun. If you're handy, or you're adventurous enough to take on a DIY woodworking project, you could create your dream space for a fraction of the cost of buying pieces brand new. Not to mention, there's just something rewarding about "doing it yourself".

If you're looking for a unique way to bring out your personality into your space and create something that you can't necessarily find in store for the cost it would take to build, keep reading.

People spend a lot of time and money in their gardens and to get the setup you want, you may think that you have to settle for something less large or extravagant. Instead of worrying about what's pre-built and on a store's floor, why not just do it yourself?

A raised garden is a good woodworking project as it won't take too much time and you can build something based on the size you want. There are some raised flower beds that you can build out of only two pieces of 2x2 8-foot long planks of wood.

The good thing about this is that you can get each piece you need from those two larger pieces. The build won't even take that many woodworking tools and if you're missing some of the required tools for woodworking, the cost of them would still be less than what you would pay for brand-new decor. Also, consider the fact that you can continue using them for future projects making the tools you buy, a purchase that will be worth it in the long run.

If you're going to build a raised garden, you should consider creating your own patio set. All it would take is a bit of wood, screws, and stain. Did you know that a simple three-piece patio set for seating, could cost around $600?

This gives you limited seating space and barely anything to show for your budget. A good alternative would be to start woodworking and build a set that fits your space and as many guests as you want to have the capability to entertain. You don't have to make the designs yourself, instead, find plans online to get started with your build.

You don't even have to buy a circular saw or a jigsaw if you don't want to handle cutting. Most hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowe's will cut your wood for you. All you will have to do is follow the plans you choose and put everything together.

This is something that can be done in an afternoon including staining or painting it. Weatherproofing would only cost a few bucks as well. After the build, you can get even more crafty and create your own cushions or you could decide to buy the cushions new since you will have saved hundreds by building the patio set versus buying it.

You could buy standalone shelves or a bookshelf online for a certain price but the two things you will encounter are a limit on quantity and prices that aren't flexible. Oftentimes, shelves will come in sets of two or three but what if you needed more than that?

A large bookshelf, on the other hand, depending on the style, material, and color, could cost upwards of $200 or more but if you decided to make it a DIY woodworking project, all you would need are a few planks of wood to get started. This would give you room to either buy metal stands for the bookshelf or you could make the entire thing a DIY project.

Buying a dining table of good quality could cost as high as $4,000 if not more. Tables used with the finest materials will cost significantly more than that. If you think about it, that's only accounting for the dining table alone and not decorating and furnishing the entire dining room.

To cut down on the frustration of high ticket prices, you can build one just as easily. The project can be as simple as purchasing 6 planks of wood of your desired length, and a canister of your favorite stain, and if you want to cut corners, you can buy metal table legs with a unique design online.

However, keep in mind that you can also make them out of wood. The finished product could cost less than $150. If you recycle materials to use for the table, it could cost less than that.

Woodcraft designs give off a high-end impression and they are great pieces to leave as-is if you're going for a rustic theme in your space. If you're going for another theme, you can easily change the look of what you build with paint, metal additions, stain, and other accessories. A bench could be used in an entryway, at the foot of a bed, or even outside.

If you raise the height a bit, you could transition into a DIY console table project. Pieces like this, whether for function, aesthetic, or both, can start to add up in price as well but with building it all yourself you should also take note that with each project, you're likely to have leftover wood.

This leaves enough to use for additional projects meaning you're saving money without even planning to do so. If you prefer a long bench, you could get away without cutting the wood, and depending on the length that you purchase, you could create two benches out of one haul.

DIY woodworking is a way to create impressive decor and furniture without breaking your budget. If you're preparing to move into or decorate a new space, it can be helpful to cut costs where you can.

DIY projects are a unique way to do that. Not to mention, they will be good conversation starters as you can customize your pieces to your liking without making them seem too average unless you prefer traditional designs. No matter your style or goal for your space, you'll benefit from inspiration, and that's what Craftisian is for. Check out some of our collections today.