Our Top 5 Beginner Blacksmith Projects

As a beginner blacksmith, it’s best to start out with simple projects so you can practice the basic skills.

There are many different beginner-level projects that you can start out with to craft useful items that you will be able to use every day.

What are our top 5 beginner blacksmith projects? Our top 5 beginner blacksmith projects are tongs, a chisel, a bottle opener, S hooks, and skewers. It’s helpful to start creating simple, everyday items and your own blacksmithing tools. These small projects are easy to do, improve your skills, and only require basic tools.

Continue reading to learn more about which tools are necessary for getting started and what projects are suitable for a beginner.

Prepared to be inspired to create:

• Tongs – Used to hold hot metal safely and necessary for all kinds of blacksmithing work.
• A chisel – A versatile tool used for cutting and making holes.
• A bottle opener – Great for building your skills and to give away as a handcrafted gift.
• S Hooks – Ideal for practicing in making identical curved items and come in handy for organizing your workspace.
• Meat Skewers – Perfect for cooking smaller pieces of meat. Backyard BBQs, shishkabobs, rotisserie chicken – need I say more?

Beginner Blacksmithing Tools

As a beginning blacksmith, you probably have a limited tool kit.

Maybe you have a small budget or aren’t fully committed to blacksmithing because you’re not sure if you’re going to like it.

That’s okay! Beginner projects don’t require a lot of tools, and even better news is that you will be able to craft many of your own tools yourself!  

Making your own tools that you’ll use for several projects will allow you to perfect your skills and also save quite a bit of money.

For a more in-depth explanation of tools recommended for beginners, be sure to read my article, “What Tools Does a Beginner Blacksmith Need?”

For now, the essential tools you need to start out include a forge, an anvil, a metal workbench, and hammers.

Let’s take a quick look at each one.

Forge

You must have a forge so you can heat up the metal to work with it. You can purchase a forge or create one yourself.

In fact, I explain exactly how in this article.

A forge can be pretty complex, but it can also be as simple as a fire pit with an air source.

Anvil

An anvil is what you lay your metal on so you can strike it with a hammer and shape it into something new.

The different parts of the anvil allow you to shape your metal in different ways.

You can use an old or new anvil and get the same results. This is arguably the most used tool besides the forge, so you need to make sure the one you get is in good condition. 

Personally, I find the 59102 Heavy-Duty Anvil to be just right for all kinds of blacksmithing, and it holds up extremely well. 

Metal Workbench or Table

Hot metal can catch your wood surfaces on fire, so you need to have a metal surface to lay your tools on.

If you have a wooden workbench you want to use, you should add a metal section to it so you won’t risk starting a fire.

Hammers

Starting out, you will want two hammers: a lightweight one and a heavy one.

You will need various weights of hammers for different projects, but starting out with two should be sufficient for your first projects.

How to Craft Tongs Using Simple Blacksmithing Tools

Crafting tongs is a great way to get some blacksmithing practice while filling up your toolbox at the same time.

Tongs are a necessary tool for blacksmithing because they allow you to handle hot metals and will prevent you from getting burned.

This video tutorial shows you three types of tongs you can make: Africa, Viking, and moden.

The Africa style is probably the easiest to make, while the Viking and moden styles are closer to what is commercially produced today.

The tools you need for these projects are:

• Forge.
• Anvil.
• Hammer.
• Tongs.
• Water.

The video also shows you how the tongs are used. You hold the cool part of the metal with the tongs while you use a hammer to shape the hot part.

This is a useful first project because you will use the tongs you make again and again for other projects.

They are essential for small projects since the entire piece of metal will get hot and you won’t have any other place to hold the metal.

How To Craft a Chisel Using Simple Blacksmithing Tools

Chisels are another tool you can make as a beginner. Chisels come in many shapes and sizes and are a versatile tool.

They can be used to cut metal, make indentations, or to create holes and form them into certain shapes and sizes.

This video tutorial shows you how to make one and uses the following basic tools:

• Forge.
• Anvil.
• Hammer.

This project only requires the absolute basics of blacksmithing tools.

The blacksmith in the video used other tools to help polish and shape the metal, but this isn’t necessary as a beginner.

As long as you have a heat source, an anvil, and a hammer, you can make this item. 

A chisel can be used in other projects mentioned in this article, such as the bottle opener. If you make the chisel first, you’ll be able to use it later as you make the other items. 

How to Craft a Simple Bottle Opener Using Simple Blacksmithing Tools

A bottle opener is super useful, so it’s great for a beginner project.

You can give this project as a gift and it will be sure to be appreciated since it’s something you made yourself. It only requires basic tools plus one that you can make yourself.

The tools used in this video tutorial include:

• Forge.
• Anvil.
• Hammer.
• Chisels.

This project requires a few different chisels of varying sizes and shapes.

If you start out practicing by making chisels, this would be a great project to start afterward because you’ll have all the tools you need because you made them, and you won’t have to buy any of them!

The chisels are used to shape the hole in the bottle opener and to create a design on the handle. This project will allow you to practice using your chisels with different techniques.

How to Craft an S Hook Using Simple Blacksmithing Tools

S hooks have several different uses in and out of blacksmithing.

This video tutorial will show you how to make them and discuss how they’re a great way for a beginner to practice their techniques.

The basic tools required for the project include:

• Forge.
• Anvil.
• Hacksaw or knife.
• Tongs.
• Hammer.

If you make some tongs before you make an S hook, you will be able to use them for this project.

Tongs are necessary for this project since the hook is small. You won’t be able to hold any part of the metal with your hands.

The blacksmith in the video recommends making several of them at a time so you can practice making them look identical, which is a great skill to master.

Plus, you will have several useful items, which will benefit you as you begin moving into intermediate projects.

How to Craft Meat Skewers Using Simple Blacksmithing Tools

This video tutorial shows you how to make three different kinds of meat skewers.

Meat skewers are a great beginner project because they’re super simple to make and are useful.

You could show off your handiwork to your friends and family afterward by having them over for a barbecue.

The basic tools you need for this project are:

• Forge.
• Anvil.
• Hammer.
• Tongs.

The first skewer shown in the video doesn’t require tongs because the piece of metal is long enough that one end will stay cool even when the other side gets heated up.

For the other two skewers, you will need tongs because most of the metal will get hot.

If you make your own tongs, you will be able to use them for this project.

If you want to get creative, you could use a chisel that you made to decorate the skewers, since one of the styles has a flat surface.

Summary

Blacksmithing requires a lot of practice, but it can be an efficient craft if you practice by making your own tools or items you know you will use quite often. 

The basic tools you need are a forge, an anvil, and a couple of hammers (preferably a light hammer and one that’s heavier).

You can use these to make tools, such as chisels and hammers, that are used in more complex projects.

Making practical tools and items can be efficient, cost-effective, and useful.

I recommend tongs, chisels, bottle openers, S hooks, and meat skewers as beginner projects because they are simple, versatile items you can use for a long time.