Does anyone have any suggestions for craft items that can be made out of Eastern red cedar to sell at farmers markets?
I have a number of mature trees I am cutting down to remove shading on my gardens. I will have a lot of nice wood
to turn into useful objects to use around the homestead, as tools, for wildlife or just to look at.
Is this suitable wood for orchard mason bee blocks?
Ideas: candlesticks, incense burners, small planters for herbs, planting dibbles, etc.

Thanks for any ideas on this.

LFLondon

Baskets.  Apparently cedar makes for some really excellent baskets.

If you are taking down whole trees, I would think that shakes would be wise. 

Cedar posts?

Do you have a fro?

What about birdhouses?  I bet you could do some things really clever down this road.

What about green wood projects?  How about coat racks with twigs to hold the coats mounted into a piece of wood that is round in the front and flat in the back (from the sawmill) or from a piece that has been hand split.

Something else I've seen is some shelves where there is a log and a chainsaw carves out the shelves - so the shelves are one big piece of wood.  You could probably do a chair this way too.  And maybe an end table or coffee table.

paul wheaton wrote:
Baskets.  Apparently cedar makes for some really excellent baskets.

I'd have to go through a steep learning curve to be able to do that. This cedar, i.e. the red heartwood
may well be too stiff to weave unless it could be split very thin and it may be to brittle for that - there are other woods better suited - I have a lot of cedar I can take down some with trunk sections 16" diameter

Cedar posts?

I do plan to save usable lengths of the smaller diameter trunks for line posts in my deer fence-
cheaper than T posts.

Do you have a fro?

Probably do somewhere though I could easily make one from leaf spring which I have a lot of,
plus a complete working blacksmith forge

What about birdhouses?  I bet you could do some things really clever down this road.

That is a good possibility, sall ones. I would like to make small items, carefully and creatively made.

What about green wood projects?  How about coat racks with twigs to hold the coats mounted into a piece of wood that is round in the front and flat in the back (from the sawmill) or from a piece that has been hand split.

Now that's an interesting idea  It might be worthwhile making a few of these to sell.

Something else I've seen is some shelves where there is a log and a chainsaw carves out the shelves - so the shelves are one big piece of wood.  You could probably do a chair this way too.  And maybe an end table or coffee table.

That's an excellent idea. Maybe a block of wood with slots cut, like small shelves for letters, incoming and outgoing.
Mount it on a wall or sit it on a table in the foyer or hall near the front door, where it won't escape notice.

Other ideas:
small foot or bath (like the Japanese) stools
a block with holes bored for small bottles of herbal essences or aromatherapy essences
wall sconces
I still like the idea of a small planter, this time of year could be used to start narcissus bulbs on the path to blooming

Onward!

Persuade NPR to do coverage of permies.com...

LFLondon

Cedar shavings as a sachet or pillow add aroma and insect-deterrence to closets, dressers, linen closets or wherever else they are placed.

Small blocks of cedar can be placed in the pocket of a suit, in a dresser drawer, or suitcase.  These need to have rounded edges and readily take a smooth finish.  The aroma will fade over time, but can be brought back.  A set of blocks can include a sanding block to bring back the aroma.  Cedar oil is available on the market which also restores the aroma.

How about cedar coat hangers?

Cedar holds up well outdoors but red cedar tends to check if left exposed.  Spar varnish gives it all the protection it needs.  As a outdoor table, picnic table, or planter red cedar has an exceptional appearance.

I was at a flea market a few years ago.  One vendor had a booth set up with red cedar products.  The toddler training potty had a striking appearance.  Had arms, a little lid, a post for a roll of paper, and a plastic tub that slid out for easy cleanup.

i Love red cedar,
my all-time fave in softwoods,
got a big pile of it stacked.
i mainly use it for flutes and frame-drums. but also scroll feather designs on the scroll saw , and recently started making half-turned cedar log lamps on my lathe, as ewll as other turned pieces. candle sticks and votive/tea-light holders are quick and easy.
there is some on my page here.

paul mentioned using the "first-cuts"  for coat rack,
i'd also say use for the planters, round side facing out,these could be square or polygonal,(i was jsut researching staved drum shapes, planter would be similar)
also floating shelves from this is nice.drill 1/2" holes and insert threaded rod,then that embeds in wall/stud., also picture frames if cut down and mitered etc.

here are  some NICE examples of cedar work.
http://dswlogdesigns.com/designs.htm

if you turn or scroll, heres some i did years ago.

Scroll saw work is a bit too involved for me, but I like to look at it.

Ever heard of Intarsia?  The sharp contrast of red cedar would add a dynamic aspect here.

yes it can be, depending on # of blade entries,some are real quickies though.
and scrolling cedar is like cutting paper.
ive see intarsia
that's even More involved than scrollwork though! it does look pretty

Your pics came through.  NICE WORK!

#2 is a fruit bowl?

I would like to organize a craft fair on my farm when I get it going.  This sort of thing would be right in line with the quality of hand crafted goods I'd like to attract.

hi ken thanks
#2 is sort'v a "caddy corner" bowl  2 sides had flats,i liked it,kinda funky.
its maybe 6" dia.more of a candy bowl i guess.

another view'

those projects all look pretty excellent, Matthew.  nice work.

for those without the tools or skill or inclination to do such fine work, I've seen cedar planks used to cook with.  sometimes on a grill, sometimes in an oven, first used around an open fire.  traditionally used to cook salmon.  include recipes and I think you would have a salable item.

I like the insect-repellent ideas for cedar, but isn't the species in question a variety of juniper, rather than a true cedar?

I hustled up this video as an answer to this question:

http://www.youtube.com/paulwheaton12#p/u/0/aT-LRQ1ysyo

Joel Hollingsworth wrote:
I like the insect-repellent ideas for cedar, but isn't the species in question a variety of juniper, rather than a true cedar?

It is juniperus virginiana, Eastern Red Cedar.

Cedar:
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Cedrus
The true cedars, in the cedrus family, include  Lebanon, Deodar, Turkish, Cyprus, Atlas,
Others: Port Orford, much prized by Japanese joiners; others: "eastern white",  Western Red, "western white"

Juniper:
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Juniperus L.

# Juniperus virginiana - Eastern Juniper (Eastern Redcedar)

    * Juniperus virginiana subsp. silicicola - Southern Juniper

Is Red Cedar the kind with the stringy bark?

We like to make the bark into incense & smudge sticks.

Mixed with yarrow cedar can be used to make a pain & inflammation reducing salve ,
But I do not know if it is red cedar that they use. D

If you have some artistic talent, how about using the branches to make rustic arbors, trellises, furniture, etc?  Some ideas:








Seems like most work would be custom so rather than build a bunch for sale, just build a few for display?

Being a spinner, I can think of several things. 
Sock Blockers; they are sock-shaped flat pieces of wood with several holes in them, that are put inside newly washed, hand-knit socks to dry  and block them; to size and shape the socks. Every sock knitter requires at least a few sets of them.  Also key chain sized ones.

Drop Spindles; which basically;would be a smooth cedar stick thru the middle of a flat,smooth round of cedar that's about 3-4 inches in diameter and 1/4 to 1/2 inch think...We hand-spin wool on them...

Navaho Spindles; same principle as the above only a larger version.

BUTTONS !!  Personally; I am hunting NATURAL BUTTONS ALL THE TIME !!!    (GOT ANY EMAIL ME !! )    I spin natural colored wool, knit sweaters for the kids & Elders on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the Dakotas; and I REFUSE to put COMMERCIALLY made buttons on all my hand work !    I prefer buttons made from antlers FIRST, but they are very hard to get....But also use buttons made from SHELLS, and WOODS.....   3/4" -1" most of the time, sometimes a few 1 1/2 ".     The beauty comes from the irregulairy of the shapes and the colors....I DON'T want buttons that look all the same, or that are perfectly round.    I'm hunting / buying these year-round....NEEDING ALOT NOW !     CONNIE