DIY Cedar-Lined Closet

5 Materials
$125
3 Hours
Easy
A cedar lined closet is one of life's little luxuries that you can't fully appreciate until you've got one! I recently used cedar planking to line the closet in my son's nursery, and the end result is absolutely stunning - and smells amazing to boot! If you love this project, you can find more easy and affordable DIY ideas on my blog, Love & Renovations.
Originally, the closet was mostly functional but not ideal for a nursery. It had wire shelving in it, no hanging space, and wasn't really anything special to look at!
I started by removing all of the shelving and marking the studs on each wall in my closet. I used a level to draw a line all the way down the wall to help me know where to nail in.
Once my studs were marked, I began cutting the cedar planks down to fit the wall (using my miter saw), and then nailing the boards into place with a nail gun - be sure to nail directly into the studs! Repeat the process on each of the walls of the closet. I also added cedar cove molding in each of the corners of the walls for a finished look - if you choose to skip that step, you'll want to be extra careful to be sure that your boards meet up neatly for a clean look.
Once the closet was fully lined, I added a hanging rod and a dresser in the bottom half of the dresser and called it complete! The dresser looks absolutely beautiful, and it smells wonderful every time I open the door. If you want to see more details on this project, including all of the sources for the products and a video detailing the installation process, be sure to check out the full blog post.
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Love & Renovations
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 4 questions
  • Fanny Fanny on Sep 08, 2018

    When I think of cedar, I think of a closed off area or a chest to protect items from moths. Is it OK to be smelling cedar all the time? Especially, young lungs?

  • Itsmemic Itsmemic on Sep 22, 2020

    I have multiple dogs and fell so in love with the cedar planks I put in my closet, I ended up doing my entire cottage !! Not only does the house smell devine? If there's a smudge on the wall? I just lightly sand and voila!! Renewed smell !

  • Em Em on Sep 24, 2021

    I know why people have a cedar closet, but why for baby clothes?

Comments
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4 of 13 comments
  • Cedar isn't toxic to insects that I know of - it is just something that smells very strongly to them and not in a good way. I've seen cedar planks sold for using on a grill to use when cooking fish fillets - not that I've grilled any salmon on a cedar plank lately. I'd rather smell cedar than mothballs - those are toxic to insects and not good for people to breathe in the fumes of "every day".

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    • Sue Hinytzke Gordon Sue Hinytzke Gordon on Sep 23, 2020

      There's a HUGE difference between the cedar you hang, and food grade cedar.

  • Linda Abate Linda Abate on Sep 21, 2021

    I have a cedar closet in my home, and it is awesome. I store winter clothes when not in use, especially coats and jackets and extra pairs of curtains. Just love it.

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