Cedar chests are a traditional storage option with many eco-friendly benefits. Because they are made from wood, they breathe and provide added moisture to your home in dry months. They also naturally repel pests, such as moths and beetles, which helps keep stored items safe from destruction. If you’re looking for an easy DIY project that can use inexpensive materials, this is a great choice! Whether you’re an avid DIY enthusiast or a novice at the craft, DIY Cedar Chest Plans are the perfect tangible project to add to your list of DIY plans. They are easy to work with and durable, making them a natural choice for organizing and storing items of all kinds, whether clothing, linens, or kitchen utensils.
While it’s OK to opt for an already made chest if you don’t have the time or patience to create your own if you wish to build one on your own, we offer 27 DIY Cedar Chest Plans that can help you master the skill. When making these chests, there are so many decorating options – each one can be painted in a different color scheme or even stained in a darker colour! This guide has everything you need for your next DIY project, from planters to outdoor benches to countertops. These chests are sturdy and long-lasting and make excellent storage solutions at home or in the office!
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Personalized Hope Chest Toy Chest
| Materials: | Piano hinge, lid supports, rope, pocket screws, brad nails, wood screws, glue |
| Tools: | Miter saw, pocket jig, brad nailer, drill, level, square, measure |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This personalized hope chest is the perfect way to store all of your childhood memories and toys. The glossy finish and vinyl lettering add an elegant personal touch, and there are also handy paint tricks to give it a distressed, aged look. Rope handles make it easier to move around. Safety hinges and bumpers make it suitable for use as a toy chest because heads and fingers are protected. This toy box can be used as a long-lasting keepsake for children, and its primary purpose of storing toys.
Blanket Hope Chest
| Materials: | Oak plywood panels, oak posts, pocket hole screws, wood screws, hinges, lid support |
| Tools: | Sandpaper, wood filler, wood glue, satin finish |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
Blanket chests, or hope chests, are traditionally used by unmarried women for storing items ready for marriage. They can be used to hold bedding and other smaller items or to store blankets inside a bigger chest of drawers. This blanket hope chest was initially designed for storing blankets with spring-loaded lid support to protect fingers from being caught under the lid. It can also be used for other things like toys, cushions, and bedding.
Simple DIY Hope Chest
| Materials: | Plywood, pocket hole screws, wood screws, hinges, soft close support, handles, latch |
| Tools: | Miter saw, table saw, drill, pocket hole jig |
| Difficulty: | Easy/Moderate |
This DIY hope chest is a great way to add storage to your home. The wood is unfinished, so you can stain it to match your decor before painting or staining the outside. The lid has a simple design that adds an element of elegance to the piece, and the handles make it easy to move from room to room. This hope chest is also a beautiful way to store a young woman's essential belongings, such as linens and other items. By making a DIY hope chest, you can save money or customize it however you'd like.
DIY Storage Chest
| Materials: | Plywood sheet, 2x2x8s, edge beading, pocket hole screws, wood screws |
| Tools: | Circular saw, miter saw, drill, pocket hole jig |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
The DIY storage chest is all you need to give your workshop a tidy, organized look. It's big enough to hold plenty of your tools and supplies, and it's easy to build! This project uses plywood, two 2x2x8s, and a handful of screws. You'll also need some finish nails or paddle bits for edge beading, but no other special tools are required. And best of all, this project requires only basic skills using power tools like a drill press, miter saw, and router.
DIY Toy Box
| Materials: | ¾” plywood, 2×2, soft close hinges, edge banding |
| Tools: | Circular saw, miter saw, pocket hole jig, drill, |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
You know how quickly they outgrow their toy boxes if you have kids and toys. So we think it’s worth the time and effort to make this DIY toy box plan, which creates a slatted effect by cutting into the plywood panels – no realignment of slats required. We added strip-cut walnut around two sides of the box for style and sturdiness—you could just as quickly go with a more economical material like pine.
Small Toy Box
| Materials: | 1×10, 1×4, 1×2, hinges, wood glue, brad nails |
| Tools: | Power saw, brad nail gun, hinges |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
This small toy box is just one example of how simple it can be to build your own furniture. The plans are very detailed, and they can be easily modified to make a larger box if you need one. The simple design is one of the easiest on this DIY list, and it doesn’t have feet to elevate the box, but it’s simple and good-looking. The top opens to reveal a space for all of your child’s treasures, and it’s the perfect size for hard-to-fit toys.
Handmade Wooden Toy Chest
| Materials: | Panels, board, wood screws, wood filler, wood glue |
| Tools: | Miter saw, hammer, screwdriver, drill, level, measure, spring clamps |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
The handmade wooden toy chest is designed to be both functional and decorative. Its open design makes it easy to use as storage for whatever you choose, from toys to linens or blankets. This chest is made from several pieces of wood and takes some time to construct, but its unique look makes it well worth the effort. With two coats of paint on the inside and out, this hand-painted toy chest would make a great addition to any child’s room.
Rough Cedar Rustic Blanket Chest
| Materials: | PH screws, decorative hardware, 1×2, 1×4, 1×6, dowel, hardboard sheet, pine |
| Tools: | Miter saw, pocket hole jig, PH screws, hinge, wood filler, drill, sander |
| Difficulty: | Easy/Moderate |
This blanket chest offers beauty, style, and function all in one. Its handsome rustic brown cedar wood exterior protects blankets and linens from mildew and pests, while its tri-folding design saves space on your bedroom floor when not in use. Perfect for storing blankets or other bulky items in a small space. This piece will quickly become your home's most versatile storage piece, capable of carrying almost anything you can think to fill it with while keeping your blankets and linens smelling fresh.
DIY Bedroom Storage Chest
| Materials: | 1x12x8, 1x4x8, moulding, continuous hinge, pocket hole screws, soft close hinge, handles |
| Tools: | Miter saw, pocket hole jig, drill, brad nail gun |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
Turn your bedroom into an organized and beautiful space with this DIY bed storage chest. The DIY bed storage chest is ideal for any space, whether in a child's bedroom or straight from the box. Packed full of extra drawers and featuring a three-dimensional appearance, this DIY chest offers plenty of storage options while maintaining an attractive design. Its simplicity to assemble makes it easy for anyone to do so, and its extra length is perfect for placing at the end of a double bed.
DIY Storage Trunk
| Materials: | 1×6, 2×4, 1×4, 1×2, brad nails, wood glue, pocket hole screws, continuous hinge, support hinge |
| Tools: | Saw, brad nail gun, drill, pocket hole jig, sander |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
Bookworms, interior decorators, and general hoarders rejoice! Your new best friend is here. This DIY storage trunk is perfect for the living room or any room in your home. It doubles as a coffee table to store books, cushions, and remote controls inside while holding your drinks outside. It's easy to get started—all you need is a couple of hours and some essential tools to assemble this beautiful piece that will inject drama into any living room.
Wooden Pirate Treasure Chest
| Materials: | Wood, dowels, glue |
| Tools: | – |
| Difficulty: | Difficult |
The treasure chest is of the traditional design and features a three-part lid with a brass lock. Each piece of wood has been finished, sealed, and waxed to protect it from moisture damage. The base of the chest has four sturdy legs for support so that it does not wobble or tip over easily. The wooden pirate treasure chest is an excellent addition to any child’s bedroom or playroom. It also features a metal lock and key to keep your treasure safe.
Rustic Pallet Wood Storage Chest
| Materials: | 1x4s, 1x6s, strap hinges, roller wheels, wood screws |
| Tools: | Chop saw, drill, sander |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
Add a rustic charm to your home with this fantastic pallet wood storage chest. Utilizing wood offcuts, this DIY project is relatively easy to do and also makes excellent use of pallets. The solid wood provides durability and strength, making this piece a great addition to your space. The design is so easy that anyone can recreate it, making it an ideal weekend project that will bring a touch of heritage and charm to any room in your home or workplace.
Fence Board Cedar Chest
| Materials: | Fence boards |
| Tools: | – |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
There’s something about cedar that screams “rustic,” yet it is also a convenient and durable option for creating items for your home. And with this cedar chest, you can use old fence boards and make something new, but it doesn’t have to be just for show. This project also shows how to build it from scratch, from a blank canvas if you don’t have old fence panels. It’s also an excellent project for beginners to learn how to use their tools and how to build different joints in woodworking.
Cedar Lined Hope Chest
| Materials: | – |
| Tools: | – |
| Difficulty: | Moderate/Difficult |
The smell of cedar and the hope it brings to your heart. That is what our cedar-lined hope chest brings to you. With a traditional design, this chest is a perfect piece for the storage of valuables or pictures. Its cedar lining will help keep your items protected from moths, mildew, and moisture damage that can occur in an unfinished wood box. This cedar-lined hope chest is perfect for holding all the mementos you want to keep for your family.
Half Lap Blanket Chest
| Materials: | 2×4, hardwood plywood panel, hinges, |
| Tools: | – |
| Difficulty: | Moderate/Difficult |
A blanket chest is the perfect storage solution for your bedroom, and this half-lap blanket chest takes the concept a step further. This chest uses half-lap joints instead of the more common pocket joints, creating a beautiful design with minimal hassle. The combination of half-lap joints and decorative spindles gives this blanket chest a unique look. We've also included our plans and materials list so you can quickly build one yourself.
DIY Storage Chest
| Materials: | Plywood, 1×4, 1×6, Aspen boards, feet, finish nails |
| Tools: | Circular saw, miter saw, pocket hole jig, nailer, drill, sander |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This DIY storage chest has an Aspen board lid, painted wood for the box, and furniture feet that make it easy to lift and enable you to clean under it. It's perfect for storing blankets, pillows, and anything else you like to keep under your bed. This project would be an excellent gift for someone who enjoys building things with their hands. With an easy-to-follow plan on how to make it, all of the materials you need to do so, and even furniture feet to lift it, you'll be enjoying your new storage chest in no time at all!
Cedar Chest
| Materials: | Cedar, oak |
| Tools: | – |
| Difficulty: | Moderate/Hard |
Don't settle for an inferior product. If you're looking for a beautiful cedar chest that will last for a lifetime, look no further than our Cedar Chest. We've put tremendous time and effort into this piece of furniture, so it's built to last. With the premium cedar lining and ash wood exterior, your items will be kept safe and sound. This cedar chest has been designed to last for generations and would be a welcome addition to your bedroom or living room.
Barnwood Storage Chest
| Materials: | 2×2, reclaimed boards, brad nails |
| Tools: | Table saw, miter saw, drill, square, nailer |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This storage chest is made from reclaimed barn boards and wouldn't be complete without an old barn door handle. It uses bare hinges and rope to keep the lid closed, allowing you to keep your things safe inside while still allowing access to them. It's built with tongue and groove ends which have been cleaned off by hand to give them a natural finish. The material is old and strong, but it still has character—we can't build a chest like this from new wood!
Wood Storage Chest
| Materials: | 1×4, 1×2, plywood sheet, sisal rope, finishing nails, wood glue, wood stain |
| Tools: | Miter saw, nail gun, sander, router, drill |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
The wood storage chest is a familiar and practical piece of furniture that will bring character and charm to your bedroom, hallway, or bedroom. The subtle grain and tone of the wood and its simple square shape bring an inviting look to any space. Whether being used for old family photo albums or simple storage for clothes, this beautiful chest creates an aura of warmth and comfort.
DIY Blanket Storage Chest
| Materials: | 1×6, 1×4, 1×2, 2×4, plywood, handles, latch, pocket hole screws, brad nails, wood glue |
| Tools: | Circular saw, miter saw, table saw, pocket hole jig |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
If you have a lot of blankets or bedding, but don’t have much room in your closet, then this DIY blanket storage chest is a fantastic option. This chest has an extensive single storage area that can hold multiple blankets, pillows, and cushions. The best part about it is that it also has an upper tray for storing smaller items like batteries and remote controls so you can easily find what you need.
Simple DIY Wooden Storage Chest
| Materials: | ¾” plywood, 2x2x8, baseboard trim, piano hinges, soft close hinges |
| Tools: | Circular saw, jig saw, table saw |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This simple DIY wooden storage chest is easy to build, whether you have made a chest before or not. The Mitered corners and baseboard trim around the bottom give this storage chest a finished look that will work with almost any décor. It uses a piano and soft close hinges to protect fingers and the wood while providing plenty of room inside for all of your clothes or linens. This project comes with detailed step-by-step instructions and all the information you need to build this project in your home successfully.
Hope Chest
| Materials: | ¾” plywood, 1×2, 1×3, 1×4, screws, brad nails |
| Tools: | Miter saw, drill, screwdriver, sander |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This simple hope chest design sits directly on the floor, and it benefits from the addition of two storage trays. Storage trays prevent you from having to throw small items in a while, giving you convenient storage. This hope chest can be used as part of a bedroom suite or as an accent piece in any room in the home. Give the gift of hope with this simple yet functional hope chest. Practical, timeless, sturdy, and dependable, this hope chest is as strong as applicable.
Dark Walnut Blanket Chest
| Materials: | 1×2, 1×4, 1×6, ½” plywood, pocket hole screws, hinges, handles |
| Tools: | Miter saw, corner sander, pocket hole jig, nailer, drill |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
These dark walnut blanket chest plans are a great way to add storage space to your home. The dark walnut stain is achieved by using Minwax dark walnut wood stain as a base, applying multiple coats of stain, and allowing time for each coat to dry before applying another coat. The wood has beautiful grain and character that you will only get from natural wood along with waterproofing.
Outdoor Storage Bench
| Materials: | Treated pine, plywood, wood screws, glue adhesive, tee hinges |
| Tools: | Circular saw, clamps, drill |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
This outdoor storage bench will keep your stuff out of the way and make your garden look great. It's been treated to protect it from the weather and is essentially a plywood box with a plank wood finish. Although designed for outdoor use, it would be just as effective indoors and for storing bedding - there's even a piece of rope provided to serve as an optional handle.
Pallet Outdoor Storage Bench
| Materials: | Pallets, plywood board, hinges, handles |
| Tools: | Reciprocating saw, sander, miter saw, drill, nail gun |
| Difficulty: | Moderate/Difficult |
This outdoor storage bench is a very creative use of wood pallets. They are obtained for free from a local area and then transformed into an instrumental and attractive piece of furniture. This project is excellent for the home or could serve as an addition to any office building or business. The result is simple yet satisfying and would look fantastic in any garden or backyard area. With plans this detailed, there's no question of what to do with your wood.
Versatile Pallet Wood Storage Chest
| Materials: | 4 pallets, wood screws |
| Tools: | Blowlamp |
| Difficulty: | Moderate |
Our versatile pallet wood storage chest is a great place to keep your blankets and pillows for any season. This piece will look chic resting against your bed or on the floor if finished in burnished wood. You can use it as a coffee table, nightstand, or even a TV console. The lid design allows ample space under the lid to store extra blankets or pillows. Made from solid wood planks, this piece is durable and lightweight.
Cedar Chest Makeover
| Materials: | Cedar chest |
| Tools: | – |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Have an old, damaged cedar chest you’ve been looking to fix up but just haven’t gotten around to it? If so, this cedar chest makeover will give you some ideas and inspiration on how you can turn that old chest into something that is both functional and beautiful. This project is perfect for anyone with a damaged cedar chest on hand or who has seen one in need of repair. This cedar chest makeover shows you how to revitalize an old chest so it can serve as both a display and storage piece.
Conclusion:
There's something special about crafting with cedarwood. It's naturally beautiful and durable, which makes it perfect for personal uses like planters and other gardening projects and excellent material for creating high-quality storage chests. The DIY Cedar Chest Plans listed above will inspire you on your next DIY adventure. Happy Crafting!
