How to Use a Cedar Chest

Cedar chests hold everything from blankets and sweaters to toys and dishes.

Cedar chests provide roomy storage areas for large items that don't fit well in closets or smaller plastic storage containers. Many home owners store bulky tablecloths, blankets and winter sweaters in cedar chests, as the real estate in the chest allows for mass storage that would otherwise take up space on shelves. Aside from their containment value, cedar chests also add a certain aesthetic value to the room and give off a cedar scent to objects kept inside of them. Cedar chests make a quality addition to a bedroom or living room when pieced with other wooden furniture, even if such furniture is not made of cedar.

Instructions

1. Store large clothing items, such as wool sweaters or blue jeans, in the cedar chest. Using the cedar chest for this purpose frees up space in dresser drawers that would otherwise hold such heavy items. Leave out softer garments made with linen, cotton and rayon. According to the Ohio State University, the cedar acid will eventually weaken such fabrics over time.

2. Allocate the cedar chest as a hope chest for a young girl. Although some girls use other types of chests -- or even large plastic containers -- as hope chests, cedar chests are the traditional wood type for such uses. Unmarried women often collect items they'll need for marriage during their single years and store them inside their chest. Such items might include fancy dishes, pots and pans, baby clothes, bedspreads and blankets.

3. Contain small children's toys in the cedar chest. Some cedar chest lids are heavy enough that only parents can lift it. In this case, children will only have access to the toys if parents take them out of the chest for them.

4. Keep fragile decorations, such as decorative plates, candles and candlesticks, glass jars or floral arrangements, inside the cedar chest. Such items often feature awkward shapes and as such prove difficult to store in other locations.

5. Stow spare sheets, blankets or pillows in the cedar chest. This frees up space in linen or bedroom closets and keeps such items at the ready when changing sheets or piling on blankets on winter evenings. Also, keeping such items in the cedar chest allows them to pick up the cedar scent, which might be attractive to many individuals. However, you should refrain from putting bedding material in a cedar chest if you do not enjoy the scent of cedar.

6. Use the cedar chest as a placeholder for decorations. Display photographs, decorative arrangements, candlesticks or picture books on the lid. You can use the cedar chest as the room's centerpiece or as a display table in front of a sofa or on top of a rug.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of choosing between using the cedar chest for storage and for decoration, use it for both. Place it at the foot of a bed and store sheets, blankets or sweaters for bedroom use. Keep home decor in the chest when using it in a living room or family room

• Don't assume sweaters and blankets will remain safe from moth damage in a cedar chest. According to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, seals on cedar chests don't trap in enough of the toxic cedar oil to keep moths away, so don't rely on the cedar chest alone to keep precious items moth-free.

References

• University of Kentucky College of Agriculture: Clothes Moths
• Home Furnish: Cedar Chest FAQ's
• Ohio State University: Storing Wedding Gowns and Textile Heirlooms
• Bethel College: Mennonite Life: More Than an Anabaptist Vision: A Call for Radically New Relationships Between the Sexes