Gauge blocks from scraps

Family Handyman

Repurpose scrap plywood

Go through your collection of scrap plywood and cut a few little squares of each thickness. Every time you work with a new plywood thickness, cut a few squares of it, too. Label each square with its thickness and keep them handy. They’re great for measuring depths of grooves and gauging saw blade and router bit cutting depths. Pile up various squares to get just about any thickness you want. For many small measuring tasks, it’s easier to use gauge blocks than to use a tape measure. Thanks to Carl Griebel for this tip. Learn these 25 great measuring hacks too!

Check out 16 Ways to Get Creative with Plywood Furniture

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Photo: Courtesy of Studio Slot

Fold-Down Plywood Desks Where Space is Limited

A company in Amsterdam invented these ingenious desks for their limited office space, but they'd also be great in a kids' room. Bonus: The light, natural color palette of this plywood furniture helps make a small space look bigger. Check out these other ideas for how to make a room seem larger. Photo: Courtesy of Studio Slot

Photo: Courtesy of Imgur

Stacked Plywood Table

Constructed of layered plywood and shaped with graceful curves, this plywood table adds a touch of traditional elegance to a home office. Cutting curves like these is a breeze with the right techniques and tools. Photo: Courtesy of Imgur

Photo: Courtesy of M. Crow

Plywood Kids' Chair

Designed for kids, this chair made of Douglas fir plywood features leather arms and feet. With its high-gloss finish and sturdy construction, it's both stylish and indestructible. Photo: Courtesy of M. Crow

Photo: Courtesy of Mr. Kate

Minimalist Plywood Shelf Headboard

A plywood headboard? You bet. For a clean, industrial look, start with a full sheet of plywood. Then it's a cinch to add floating shelves when you can attach them with screws through the back of the headboard. But before you begin, are you using the right kind of drill bit for the job? Photo: Courtesy of Mr. Kate

Family Handyman

Stackable Shelves

Baltic birch plywood forms the beautiful bones of this modular shelving, storage and desk unit. Build it yourself for less than $500 with these complete plans.

Photo: Courtesy of Coffee Table Dude

Birch Plywood Coffee Table with Hairpin Legs

Stare at it long enough and the layers threaded through this graceful tabletop begin to resemble the rings of a tree. But it's not a cross-section of a tree trunk—it's a sheet of the ever-versatile birch plywood, shaped with gentle contours into a coffee table. The hairpin legs add a dash of mid-century style to this attractive plywood furniture. Here are five more easy furniture projects using hairpin legs. Photo: Courtesy of Coffee Table Dude

Photo: Courtesy of Definery Co

Easy, Affordable and Stylish Plywood Nightstand

The large hinged door on the front of this DIY nightstand conceals a compartment for books and magazines. If you can measure, drill a hole and drive in a screw, you can build this nightstand. Photo: Courtesy of Definery Co.

Photo: Courtesy of The Home Depot

Plywood Bedframe Dressed Up with Molding

For a classic look, add molding to a plywood bedframe. Cutting trim isn't so tough once you know how, and you can get the plan for this design—as well as a full shopping list—from the Home Depot blog. Photo: Courtesy of The Home Depot

Photo: Courtesy of Projeto Paraguai

Floating Corner Bookcase

This bookcase wraps inside a corner for an Escher-like feel. The plywood shelves are mounted onto the wall with invisible supports. Learn the tricks to making floating shelves. Photo: Courtesy of Projeto Paraguai

Photo: Courtesy of Make: Magazine

Plywood Rocker/Recliner

Kick back in this plywood recliner/rocker you can make yourself from a single sheet of plywood. Be sure to protect it from the elements—choose the right exterior sealer or paint. Photo: Courtesy of Make: Magazine

Scando Mid-Century Plywood Coffee Table

With its flowing lines and compelling curves, this plywood coffee table is a faithful reproduction of an iconic 1961 Scandinavian design. Its five coats of polyurethane finish gives it a smooth, satiny protective sheen. See these expert tips on how to achieve this beautiful, flawless finish. Photo: Courtesy of Kardiel

Photo: Courtesy of HomeMade Modern

DIY Modern Plywood Sofa

The frame for this super-simple couch is made entirely from layers of plywood glued together. It comes apart into two pieces for easier handling up and down stairways. You'd be doing a lot of gluing for this project, so check out these tips for how to make things stick. Photo: Courtesy of HomeMade Modern

Photo: Courtesy of Sfina Workshop

Industrial Pipe-and-Plywood Bookcase

Supported by iron pipes, these large open plywood boxes lend an airy feel to a room while creating massive space for books and objets d'art. Learn how to make plywood boxes like these. Photo: Courtesy of Sfina Workshop

Photo: Courtesy of Instructables

A Bent Plywood Chair You Can Make Yourself

Want to try your hand at making an iconic bent plywood chair? Check out this prize-winning DIY project. You'll need a lot of clamps! Here's how to make the most of the clamps you have. Photo: Courtesy of Instructables

Photo: Courtesy of Custom Made

Modern Table Sculpted from Scraps of Plywood

What else can you say about this console table besides, "Wow!" The craftsman who envisioned and built this work of art sought to highlight plywood's interesting symmetrical grain. He got the result he wanted, he says, "with a lot of glue and clamping" and shaping with a bandsaw. Never used a bandsaw? Learn how here. Photo: Courtesy of Custom Made