>>>I started making violins.
>>
>>Now that is a skill I would love to acquire!:-)
>
>Well, it's easier than you think.
>You get some wood
>Then you remove all the bits o f wood that don't look like a violin part.
>Then you put the parts together and you have a violin.
>
>Or if you're serious, look here http://www.bartruff.com/howto/
>It's a good place to start. I'm thinking about giving a cello a try next.

I bet it's incredibly hard to make something that not only looks good, it is constructed correctly to produce the right sounds.