Amateur artisans find their groove with woodwork

At the end of his workday at a consulting company, 34-year-old Hu Jie has a novel way of unwinding in his small apartment in Beijing's Chaoyang district — he makes furniture.

One corner of the apartment is cluttered with drills, saws and wood oil, while half-finished planks are scattered across the floor.

Hu's skills cover a wide spectrum, from making finely carved furniture and intricate decorative pieces to practical household items and art installations.

His hobby began in 2023. Hu and his wife, an interior designer, were renting a compact 40-square-meter apartment, where clutter had piled up in one corner measuring barely 30 by 60 centimeters.

Hu's wife wondered whether the space could accommodate both a fish tank stand and a temporary dining table. "Stores offered no such solution, so I figured I'd build something myself," Hu recalled.

The result was a clever modular system featuring two wooden boxes stacked to form a cabinet that could hold the fish tank. These boxes could also be pulled out, placed side by side, and topped with a custom-fitted wooden tabletop to create a large dining table — a perfect solution for hosting friends in their small apartment. When not in use, the tabletop slides neatly under their sofa.

"It was simple but multifunctional. And it felt amazing to see an idea turn into something real and useful," Hu said.

That success led to further projects, and the couple's two cats inspired another Hu creation.

One of the mischievous felines repeatedly crawled under their bed and disturbed their sleep, so Hu designed and built four low wooden boxes that slid under the bed frame, blocking the cat's access while providing extra storage. "That seamless fit is something money can't buy," he said with a grin.

Hu is among a rising number of young people who are becoming engrossed with the Chinese custom of individuals making objects with their own hands.

They're not craftsmen in the traditional sense, yet on social media they eagerly share photos of themselves using saws and sharpening tools, styling themselves as modern-day versions of the legendary carpenter Lu Ban.

A tight budget and the pursuit of eco-friendly furniture are two major forces driving the handcrafting craze.

On popular social media platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, a quick search for "DIY (do-it-yourself) furniture", "marine plywood", or "aluminum profiles" reveals a thriving subculture.

Amateur artisans proudly showcase their creations, such as a plywood bookshelf, a walk-in closet framed with aluminum profiles, or a lighting harness fashioned from industrial-grade rails.

With hashtags like "Anyone Can Do It", "Low-Cost DIY", and "Eco-Friendly Furniture" — these projects have attracted thousands of likes, comments and shares, while inspiring others to pick up tools and try it themselves.