It's funny...I was just thinking about this last weekend.
When I first got into timber framing, I was looking for a book on simple timber framing projects, but as far as I could find, no such book existed.
The standard starter project seems to be 'the shed' but that was more than just a weekend project.
So, the Timber Mailbox came to be (especially since I needed somewhere to put my mailbox)
However, there were some other basic projects that I thought of:
1. arbor or trellis
2. a hitching post....(you know--a place to hitch your horses)
3. A hanging sign (trestle or post).
4. A coat rack (trestle or post).
5. A small bench.
6. A plant holder/hanger
7. Shelf brackets.
Good luck on your project. Let me know if want exact dimensions on the Timber Mailbox.
-Steve