If you want to have great finished woodworking projects, you need to start with great woodworking plans! Have you ever found yourself neck deep in sawdust, trying for all your worth to get your woodworking projects parts to fit together and they just won't go according to the plans? What went wrong? Sometimes, it's pilot error, we all make mistakes sometimes.
Sometimes though, the fault lies in the woodworking plans themselves.
Are they poorly drawn up? Do the fail to mention critical steps? Are the measurements off? All these things, and more, can result in major frustration and even totally shut down a woodworking project.
Free woodworking projects and plans are a big source of this aggravation.
While I admit that there are some very good free plans out there, often these are just a bunch of re-hashed designs that are thrown together quickly to entice someone to buy a product or service.
Even purchased plans aren't automatically up to par.
Sometimes they're unclear from the start, sometimes paid plans are just junk from someone trying to make a quick buck.
They can be lacking critical information that hinders your success.
Here are several things to specifically ask yourself when searching for great woodworking projects & plans:

• Do the plans indicate what skill level is needed?
• Do the plans tell you what woodworking tools you will need?
• Do the plans include a materials list? This can be extremely helpful for newer woodworkers.
  
• Do the plans include a cutting schedule...
  what pieces get cut from what piece of wood?
• Do the plans clearly outline how to assemble the project?
• If hardware is needed, does the woodworking project plan tell you where you can buy the hardware?
• Does the plan seller offer a preview? Can you see the quality before you buy?
• Are the pictures and diagrams big enough and clearly labeled? Here's a good example of a nice preview.
  Craftsman Style Library Stand
• Does the seller offer a money back guarantee?

To me, it really doesn't matter so much whether a project plan is free or whether I pay for it, I consider all of the things listed above.
A plan doesn't have to have every one of these features in order to be a great woodworking plan, but it will have most.
High quality pictures, step by step cutting and assembly instructions, and a materials list are probably the bare minimum.
A professional woodworker can often just look at a single clear picture and get right to work, but the majority of folks need a lot more direction, don't we?