The first step in every project is to choose what wood you are going to use. It might seem that the only difference between wood is the colors, but each type of wood has its own unique hardness, toxicity, and cost. Below I’ve listed some of the most common woods I’ve used and their specific characteristics.
Poplar- Very cheap, soft, and light, poplar is a pale white wood and perfect for buying in bulk for large projects. However, the grain is not very pretty nor is it very attractive looking when stained, so I would recommend painting or dying it it.
Oak- Very sturdy, oak is useful for projects for the outdoors, such as deck chairs or picnic tables. It can be painted, stained, or neither and it is a medium brown color. Keep in mind that oak is a little more expensive than poplar and a lot heavier.
Maple- One of the hardest woods, it is pale wood with a beautiful grain. I have often used s for cutting and cheese boards. However, because it is so hard you shouldn’t use it for projects that involve carving or shaping the wood.
Walnut- Similar to Oak, but not as hard, it is more often used for indoor furniture and is a beautiful dark brown. I am currently using it for the base of my cheese board
Ebony- One of the most expensive woods, I would save it for very small projects or for accents. Its colors range from a very dark brown to black and is very heavy. I was going to use ebony for a small box, but opted instead for dyeing a piece of poplar black.
Bloodwood- My personal favorite, it is a beautiful red-orange perfect for accents or small projects. It is a more exotic wood and therefore more expensive, but I’ve used it a lot in my cutting boards and jewelry boxes.
I hope this is helpful when you start your next project and let me know if there are any other woods you want to know about! Something to keep in mind when choosing more exotic woods is to check if it is toxic or food safe if you are using it for cooking related projects or when working the wood. Here’s a link for wood toxicity: