Woodworking was once a necessary skill for living. Industrial arts classes were common in the 19th century, where young men learn many trade skills including woodworking.
Being able to work with wood is handy. You can fix and build many things in your house. As the preindustrial world was dominated by woodcraft, people were expected to understand it.

Yet today, in this age of plastic, people would rather go to the store and buy a factory-made replacement when their chair breaks or their desk falls apart. A person who can bring a lumber and shape it into desk
or chair is a rare sight.
Even then, woodworking is not a mysterious art. You are not too late to learn. Here are some basic skills you need to start woodworking.

Understanding wood
Woods have grain. This feature comes from layers of growth ring in the wood. When you work with wood, you need to know the direction of the grain. If you go against it, the chips will stand and get messy. But if you follow the grain, your wood will be smooth.

Sharpen tools
Sometimes woodworking by hand is hard because you are using a dull tool. In principal, you need to let the tool do the work. If your need a good amount of push to work with your saw, or if your hand plane requires a running start, you might want to sharpen them. Dull tools are not only inefficient, they are also dangerous.

Woodworking plans
When you wanted to build a specific furniture, you can use woodworking plans to guide you in cutting the lumber. A good plan is clear and concise. They might have clear photo of the finished project, step-by-step directions, construction diagrams, 1:1 traceable patterns.