The CraftCut Blog

Cut less plywood. Build better furniture.

Straight guides on sheet goods, cut lists, and furniture design. No fluff, real numbers, written for people who actually make the cuts.

Chart comparing plywood used with a manual layout versus an optimized cut list
Featured · Cutting & optimization

How to reduce plywood waste, and save about $100 a project

Plywood runs $80 to $150 a sheet, and a sloppy layout bins 15 to 30 percent of it. Six habits plus optimization that win a whole sheet back.

Read the guide →
Bookshelf plywood cut layout
Projects

How to design a plywood bookshelf that holds up

The five parts, shelf spans that will not sag, and a free cut list.
Wardrobe cut layout across four plywood sheets
Materials

How many sheets of plywood do I need?

A quick method and a free estimator so you buy the right amount.
Cabinet cut layout
Comparison

The best SketchUp alternative for cut lists

Skip the plugins and the yearly license. Get the cut list in the browser.
Base cabinet cut layout on one plywood sheet
Cutting

Cabinet cut list calculator

The parts, standard dimensions, and a free cut list for a base cabinet.
3D furniture preview comparing MDF and plywood
Materials

MDF vs plywood for furniture

Which to use and when, with a straight side-by-side comparison.

Tools & guides

CraftCut cut list calculator
Free tool

Free cut list calculator

Optimize plywood, MDF, and sheet cuts in the browser. No signup.
Plywood cut list optimizer diagram
Guide

Plywood cut list optimizer, explained

How FFD, BFD, guillotine, and bottom-left fill cut your waste.
CraftCut furniture design canvas
Comparison

Free furniture design software compared

CraftCut vs SketchUp Free, CutList Plus, and SketchList 3D.

Stop reading, start cutting

Design a piece, get an optimized cut list, and cut with less waste. Free in your browser, no signup.

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