If, like me, your credentials as a woodsman come primarily from watching movies set in the woods, you might think you can just swing any ax down the center of a log to split it. That's not quite right. Like many things in life, you need the right tool for the job.

A few strips of LED lights can do a lot to lighten up a room, and YouTuber Darbin Orvar shows off a project that mounts a set of LED-lit cube shelves onto a wall.

Video: Want to add a little DIY to your desk? YouTuber Patrick Soriano shows off how to use an old piece of 4x4 to make a couple of different desk accessories.

Docks for iPhones and Apple Watches are a dime a dozen, but if you want to make your own, YouTuber I Like to Make Stuff made one out of a small block of wood.

Video: Floating shelves are a great way to mount a huge shelf to the wall so it looks natural, but YouTuber DIY Creators took that to the next level with a 2.5m-long shelf that has a storage compartment on the end.

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: Watch the 2017 Australia Day lamb ad, Volta launches wooden PC desktop, a bittersweet farewell to the Nintendo Wii.

Video: Takeaway food's great when you don't want to cook, but you still usually have to put the food on something when it arrives. Sure a plate is fine, but YouTuber Darbin Orvar's solution is much classier.

2x4's are cheap and easy to work with, so the idea that you could make your own coffee table from a single piece of wood is pretty appealing. Instructables user StephanPi1 shows you how.

Video: Plywood's cheap and easy to work with. Because of that, it's perfect for all kinds of projects where you don't really care about the appearance. Case in point, YouTuber Darbin Orvar used some extra plywood to make a quick little mobile workbench.

One of the appealing things about crafting a piece of furniture from wood is that it already has a pleasant colour and texture. You might not want to hide it under a coat of paint, and a good stain can really bring out the natural texture. Here's how to do it right.

Keeping track of a bunch of tiny little parts for DIY projects is always a bit of a chore. Over on YouTube, DIYer Darbin Orvar shows off one solution with a wall-mounted cabinet built out of cheap MDF.

Wood glue takes a while to set, and that can be a problem when you can't use a clamp to hold the two pieces in place. For situations like that, a little super glue is all you need.

Building your own DIY retro game console with a Raspberry Pi is basically a rite of passage these days, but building your own case steps that up a notch. Over on SimpleCove, Sean built an awesome little case with plywood.

Instructables user Herbsco built this reusable, good-looking beer carrier out of solid walnut, which probably explains why it looks so good, but even if you don't have that available, he has everything you need to make your own -- and attach a bottle opener to it, as well.

If you've ever thought about getting into carpentry or any other type of woodworking, here's a chance to learn a thing or two from Ron Swanson himself.

Wood glue is designed to hold strong and create long-lasting wood joints, but it takes a while to dry. Hot glue, on the other hand, hardens almost instantly. The combination of the two makes for a perfect method of building sturdy wood joints.

Having a dedicated rack to store your bike is great, but they can be pretty expensive. Instead, make one yourself with a few free wooden pallets, the right tools, and an afternoon of work.

Even the best woodworkers can end up with gaps between joints. This simple tip makes the gaps disappear in no time.