Professional woodworker and craftsman Matthew Cremona, found a place for himself on YouTube, running a channel with almost 450,000 members as of mid-2024, that serves as a veritable gold mine of woodworking building ideas and methods. His craft combines hand and power tool use, thereby accentuating his deep knowledge of exquisite furniture creation. His videos provide a window into his own unique projects and the nuances of the profession, in addition to also being instructive and relatively easy to follow. Every upload shows Matthew’s obvious passion for what he does, which has helped his platform become a go-to source for both new and expert carpenters.
What’s the content about?
Combining instructional materials, project highlights, and personal observations, the channel offers a thorough manual for woodworking. The main focus remains on creating exquisite furniture, with Matthew showing various combinations of approaches throughout the uploads. Usually beginning with the choice of raw materials, such as logs, his videos follow the process from start to finish, according to methodical techniques presented through a pleasing narrative arc that consistently sustains the audience’s interest. Matthew’s work easily sticks out among the competition thanks to his meticulous attention to detail, no matter the project at hand. From grinding the wood to the last assembly and finishing touches, he painstakingly describes every phase of the process, providing a type of completeness that guarantees viewers of all ability levels access to challenging undertakings.
The channel often explores the more intricate side of woodworking, like shop setup and tool maintenance, which he insists are essential components of the craft. Thus, his advice on how to maximize workspace and preserve equipment remains priceless to anyone seeking to up their game in the niche. The varied combination of these useful tips provides the channel with yet another level of value, allowing for even greater interest from the worldwide audience. Matthew also likes to switch up project magnitude, sometimes working on little, detailed pieces, such as jewelry boxes, as well as large-scale ideas such dining tables and cupboards. Also part of his successful recipe, project diversity guarantees that the channel has something to offer for everyone, regardless of their particular interests or degree of ability.
Naturally, every video features Matthew’s personal touch, in the form of tales about the ideas behind his works, difficulties he encounters during the process, and general plans for the future of both his channel and project portfolio. Matthew’s persistence in narration thus gives the material a human quality that viewers can easily connect with on an emotional level, as well as always be aware of what to expect in future uploads. This aspect is boosted by his contagious energy, which easily translates into increased engagement all across the channel and other social media websites. To top it off, the channel sometimes features various other woodworkers and craftspeople, all of whom introduce the audience to several methods and styles, thereby diversifying the content to an advanced extent. These joint efforts most of the time result in unique and creative pieces that go beyond and challenge conventional woodworking practices, setting new standards in the industry.
His greatest success
Matt’s most popular upload is entitled “Spalted Silver Maple Slabbing [Embedded Steel, Brass, & Copper]”, with nearly three million views. It refers to the milling of a large silver maple log, which has been sitting for almost a year and has considerable spalting, which is an intriguing feature caused by fungal growth in wood that creates unique patterns and colors, thereby adding to the material’s visual appeal. Matt starts by describing the log’s history and dimensions, highlighting its size and potential due to its spalting and the time it spent rotting, which could enhance its coloration and patterns.
He meticulously plans the milling process, considering the orientation of the log to maximize the quality and beauty of the resulting slabs, with evident attention to detail as he examines the log, noting areas of potential rot and predicting how these features will affect the final products. The excitement builds as he begins sawing and the first slabs are revealed, displaying the unique characteristics of the tree’s composition. The video’s uniqueness grew further as Matt discovered metal objects embedded in the wood, treating these findings as special opportunities to incorporate interesting stories and features into the wood slabs.
The man in charge
Born on 18 August 1987, in Grant, Minnesota USA, Matthew Cremona seems to have always been destined for what he does today. His venture into woodworking started long before he shot to popularity on the internet, as a passion resulting from unwavering creativity and curiosity, as well as his father’s company. Whenever a handyman would appear to handle a problem at the family home, Matthew’s father would try to emulate the fix and solve the issue on his own. This incessant DIY discipline had a profound effect on young Cremona, who came to love the idea of being his own man who didn’t need to ask anyone for help.
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Following his matriculation in 2005, Matthew took a vastly different path from what most would expect in his youth, majoring in finance with a minor in information systems at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in business by 2009. From thereon he eventually landed a gig at a startup that focused on creating medical records software, where he played a key role in making sure the product met the users’ needs. The start-up unfortunately failed to grow fast enough, crumbling and leaving the future star unemployed in 2014. Sick of pursuing what he never truly loved in the first place, Matthew made the risky decision early in 2015 to use time for the creative endeavors that truly fulfil him, taking to YouTube to share his woodworking adventure with the globe. His thorough instructions and interesting presentation technique helped the channel take off relatively quickly, much to his own surprise.
Aside from everything, Matthew is also a devoted family man, frequently offering peeks into his personal life, comprising his wife Lindsay, their daughter Eloise, and their two boys – JR and Max. The family also owns a loving French Bulldog named Pancake, who gets his own spotlight from time to time as well. The star’s love for woodworking extends way past career interest, seeing as he participates actively in the Society of American Period Furniture Makers, the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild, and the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association, among other woodworking organizations.
His reasons for maintaining a YouTube presence are numerous, but it all started with overcoming the discomfort of public speaking, which is what his initial videos were for. Cremona believes in empowering people to see beyond store-bought wood, to mill their own lumber, and to realize the endless possibilities in furniture design. He loves demystifying the sometimes complex processes in woodworking, especially traditional joinery methods, so as to make it approachable to everyone. His ultimate mission is to present even complex woodworking as fun and accessible, encouraging practice and persistence throughout the daunting learning curve.
What’s his net worth?
Reputable sources on the topic have evaluated Matthew’s net worth in excess of $300,000, which is derived from a number of income streams. First and foremost, Social Blade estimates that he makes anywhere up to $25,000 on an annual basis from ad revenue alone, while he sometimes also partners up with brands to realize sponsorship deals.
— Matthew Cremona (@MattCremona) September 18, 2018
That said, the most significant contribution to Matt’s wealth is undoubtedly his personal website, featuring various purchasable items, ranging from branded t-shirts, hats and stickers to various woodworking project kits, such as several chair styles coming in unassembled parts that allow the customers to build their own furniture, with advice on how to optimize their creation both on the channel and in the instructions that come with the package.
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