Design and Win Custom Made Furniture

THE ENTRIES ARE IN!  VOTE NOW FOR YOUR FAVORITE.

Have you been looking for the perfect piece of furniture for your home or office but can’t seem to find what you need? Think you could design it better than the mass manufacturers? Here’s your chance.

Introducing the CustomMade.com Design Challenge sponsored by Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. Using Google® SketchUp (or other 3D modeling software), entrants are invited to submit their design for a piece of furniture that illustrates what they’ve been looking for but have been unable to find in the marketplace. Enjoy the process of designing your own furniture and win the chance to have that very piece custom made.

The winner will work with one of our talented woodworkers to have their piece custom made for them using Rockler tools and supplies (up to a $1000 value)! Winners will be announced on Friday, February 26, 2010.

Judging Criteria:

Judges will select and announce the top three entries Monday, February 15, 2010. Those three will then be voted upon by the general public to select the winner. In selecting the top three entries, judges will consider the piece’s creativity and potential to demonstrate the beauty and craftsmanship of custom made furniture. All entries

• Must be an original, unbuilt design of a single piece of furniture suitable for home or office
• Must be determined to be achievable by an experienced woodworker with limited modifications

Submission Details:

• Entries must be submitted here: http://custommade.wufoo.com/forms/design-challenge-2010-entry-form/
• Include at least one 3D rendering (jpeg image file, 5MB max.) of the piece of furniture using Google® SketchUp or other 3D modeling software
• Include the name of the entry
• Include a description (up to 300 words) of the piece, including choice of materials if desired

Please read the OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS for all the details. Good luck and let’s get designing!

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Using Google® SketchUp:

Download a copy of SketchUp here: http://sketchup.google.com/download/gsu.html and follow the instructions to install it on your computer.

Use the built-in tutorials to familiarize yourself with the software. The four-part “New Users” videos should have you up and runnng in no time. When you first start using SketchUp, you’ll be asked to choose a template. You can work with any template you choose, but the “Simple Template” is a good place to start. Use the eraser the get rid of the image of a person that often appears in blank templates.

You will want to save your model in .skp format as you work but will also need to create a jpeg of your finished product to upload along with your entry form. Use File > Export > 2D Graphic to do this.

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is the official sponsor of the 2010 CustomMade.com Design Challenge. Celebrating its 55th anniversary as a family-run business, Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is the nation’s premier supplier of specialty hardware, tools, lumber and high-quality woodworking products.