Guide to Cedar Chests

Cedar Chests
A Guide to Our Amish Crafted Chests

Blanket Chests, Quilt Chests, Memory Chests, Hope Chests - these are all common names used for Cedar chests. They are all traditional gifts for Weddings, Anniversaries, and Holiday gifts.

All of our cedar chests are created individually by hand from solid wood (not veneer) to your specifications. There is no assembly required. The 100% American made hardware is used for the standard back and elbow hinges supporting the lid. This guide answers several common questions about our cedar chests.

Commonly Asked Questions

• What styles of cedar chests do you have?
• How do I choose the right size of cedar chest?
• What kind of custom work do you do?

What styles of cedar chests do you have?

We have many styles of cedar chest in 6 sizes, including 36" Twin, Queen and King, to fit the end of your bed: Blanket, Classic, Dowry, Florenceville, Harmony, Heritage, Hope, Lancaster, Mission, Shaker, and Sleigh. We also smaller Memory chests available in 24", 30" and 36" widths. This list of styles is always accessible when you click 'Chests' in the Product Categories menu at top right of every page.

Our chests are available in several hardwoods: Oak, Quarter-Sawn Oak (QSO), Cherry, Walnut, Hickory, and Maple.

Each hardwood is available in many finishes. We show a basic selection of finishes for each wood when you are shopping. To help you decide on a wood and a finish, individual wood samples and wood sample color collections are available.

All of our hardwood chests are cedar-lined, (we can customize without cedar) and arrive fully assembled and ready to use - there is no installation necessary. The cedar lining helps keep moths and insects away from your clothing and blankets.

Each chest has a piano-style hinge connected the lid to the back of the chest. it also has at least two safety elbow hinges supporting the lid. The lid will not snap down and will stay up to allow easy placement of linens, bedding or clothing.

We offer several options of locks, trays, and casters.

• The lock is provided with two keys. It may only be locked from the outside.
• Trays come in several sizes and are used for socks, handkerchiefs and fine linens or smaller items. We are trying a new smooth maple design for the interior trays.
• Casters, for either carpeted or hardwood floors, may be added to a chest to help move it around your home.

A standard hardwood chest in any style will have a cedar back. A finished back is an additional option. Many people have the cedar back as the chest is placed against the end of the bed or against a wall for use.

Several of our styles are available in 100% cedar. The size options for these chests are a slightly different, because cedar is a softer wood and cannot support the same weight as oak, cherry, hickory, or walnut.

How can I personalize my chest?

We also offer custom laser engraving, which can add photographic imagery as well as text to the wood. The image to the right shows a photo engraved in maple with a natural finish, which is inlaid on oak with a blackened finish. This image also shows text that is laser engraved in the oak.

How do I choose the right size of cedar chest?

All of our chest measurements are exterior measurements. To determine the interior storage capacity of a chest, a simple rule of thumb is to subtract 2-4" from the length, 2-4" from the depth and 4-8" from the height. (The amount to subtract varies, depending on the style and size of the chest. Dowry chests stand higher off the ground than Blanket chests, for example, and Harmony chest lids are thicker than Shaker chest lids).

Examples

What kind of custom work do you do?

We can accommodate most custom requests that do not change the overall character of the design, or compromise its strength and integrity.

Custom sized chests are priced based on the cost of materials, there is no custom design fee. We can create a chest up to 80" in length in hardwood, or up to 50" in length in 100% solid cedar.

We can also make simple modifications to the design: removing the legs from a chest, replacing the handles with metal hardware, etc.

"After picking up our shaker cedar chest ... my wife and I eagerly moved the chest to our bedroom, and we quickly unwrapped it. All I could say was 'Wow!' My wife was a little more eloquent. Her comment was something to the effect of 'This makes that other cedar chest look like a cardboard coffin!' As I noted in a previous email, we had previously purchased (and returned) two cedar chests from (Company Name Removed) that were seriously lacking in quality.

No such problem here. I would say that the chest is exactly as pictured on your web site. But that wouldn't be quite accurate. It is MUCH more beautiful than could ever be depicted in a photograph. The wood actually seems to glow. We are also very impressed with the construction. Not only is the chest constructed from solid wood throughout, the boards utilized seem to be thicker than I've typically seen in 'solid wood' furniture sold through retail chains."

- William Hachfield from Apple Valley, MN

Back to Top

Quality Construction

We specialize in handcrafted, made-to-order Amish made chests. Our quality and craftsmanship is unmatched.

100% Made in the USA. Locally grown wood and American-made hardware.

All of our chests are created by hand to your specifications. Our guide to cedar chests answers many of the common questions about our chests.