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Handcrafted Cedar Products
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WHY CHOOSE NORTHERN LIGHTS?
100% Clear Western Red Cedar
Cedar has long been the premier sauna wood. Clear Cedar has no knots ensuring the longevity of our product products
Electric - Wood Fired - Infrared
The most heating choices to build your sauna. Choose from wood fired, infrared or our surgical stainless steel electric sauna heaters
Best Warranty
Our commitment to quality has been the conrner stone of our success. Our barrel saunas come complete with a full 5 year warranty.
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We are Sauna Enthusiast first and foremost. Give us a call and let us help discuss all your sauna needs.
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This category is the side business of running a cedar sauna factory: we accumulate extra clear-grade western red cedar offcuts and one-off pieces, and our shop turns them into handcrafted home items. Cedar cutting boards, planter boxes, end tables, wine racks, a birdhouse — six items, 100% western red cedar, all hand-finished in our Canadian shop. Prices $42-$245. None of these are mass-produced; if you see one listed, we have it. When it's gone, we make more when we have material.
Why western red cedar makes good housewares
The same properties that make cedar the standard for sauna interiors — rot resistance, dimensional stability, light weight, aromatic oils — also work for furniture and kitchen pieces. Cedar cutting boards don't warp from washing. Cedar planters don't rot from soil contact. Cedar birdhouses don't need painting because the wood weathers gracefully on its own. The smell is the bonus most people don't expect — every cedar item retains its aromatic oil for years.
One trade-off: cedar is softer than maple or walnut, so cutting boards show knife marks more visibly. Most owners consider this character; if you prefer pristine boards forever, hardwood is a better choice. For cedar that gets used and develops a patina, our boards are ideal.
Cutting and serving boards
The handcrafted cedar cutting/serving boards come in two sizes ($42 small, $42 large — same price, you choose the size). Western red cedar, dimensional and food-safe. Use them for charcuterie, cheese boards, serving sushi, or light prep work. Avoid for heavy chopping (cedar is soft) and high-acid foods (acid darkens cedar visibly over time, which some love and some don't).
Care: hand wash, never the dishwasher. Oil monthly with food-safe mineral oil to maintain the surface and prevent drying.
Cedar planters and outdoor pieces
The Handcrafted Cedar Planter ($244) is a substantial outdoor planter box, hand-built from clear-grade cedar with brass screws (no rusting hardware). Drainage gaps in the bottom. Designed for outdoor use without a sealer — cedar weathers to silver-gray within a year and stays that way for decades. Inside diameter is generous enough for shrubs or large perennials.
The Handcrafted Cedar Bird House ($53) is a smaller outdoor piece — single-entry birdhouse sized for songbirds (chickadees, wrens, nuthatches). Ventilation gaps in the roof, drainage in the floor, and a small clean-out door. Mount on a tree or post 8-15 ft up.
Indoor furniture: end tables and wine racks
The Handcrafted Cedar End Table ($245) is the most substantial piece in this category — solid cedar slab top with a hand-built base. Light enough to move around, robust enough for a lamp and a stack of books. The aroma stays in the room for years; some buyers put it next to their reading chair specifically for that.
The Cedar Wine Rack ($79) holds 8-12 bottles depending on configuration. Cedar is actually a decent wine storage material because it absorbs ambient moisture without releasing odors that would taint corks. Not climate-controlled, so not for serious cellar storage, but works for everyday racking.
What sets these apart from mass-produced cedar items
Two things. First, the wood quality — we use the same clear-grade western red cedar that goes into our premium sauna interiors. Most cheap cedar housewares use juniper or western red cedar shavings glued into plywood with cedar veneer. These are solid wood, dimensionally stable, and will last decades.
Second, the construction — hand-finished, glued with food-safe wood glue, fastened with brass or stainless hardware (no rusting), and oiled rather than varnished so the cedar can breathe and continue to release its aromatic oils. Mass-produced items often get a thick polyurethane finish that seals the wood and kills the smell within a year.
Care and longevity
Indoor cedar (cutting boards, end tables, wine racks): oil with food-safe mineral oil every 3-6 months, or whenever the wood looks dry. Cleaning is wipe with damp cloth, mild soap if needed.
Outdoor cedar (planters, birdhouses): no maintenance required for the wood itself. The cedar will silver to gray within a year and stays structurally sound for 15-25 years. If you want to preserve the original red-brown color, apply a UV-blocking outdoor cedar oil annually — but most owners let it weather naturally.
Frequently asked questions
Are cedar cutting boards safe for food?
Yes. Western red cedar is food-safe and used in commercial salmon-grilling cedar planks. Hand wash only, oil with food-safe mineral oil. Don't use for heavy chopping of acidic foods like citrus — they darken the wood over time.
Why does the cedar smell so much stronger than store-bought cedar furniture?
Most mass-produced cedar items get sealed with polyurethane or stain, which traps the aromatic oils inside the wood. Our items are oil-finished (mineral or paraffin oil), which lets the wood continue to breathe and release its scent for years.
Will the cedar planter last outdoors without sealing?
Yes. Cedar's natural oils make it rot-resistant. Expect 15-25 years of outdoor service. The wood will turn gray within a year (cedar silvers from UV exposure) but stays structurally sound.
Why do these items go in and out of stock?
They're made from offcut and leftover cedar from our sauna production. When we have material we make more; when we don't, the listing goes inactive until we do. Not built-to-order — built-when-material-allows.
Can I commission a custom cedar piece?
Sometimes, depending on the project and our shop schedule. Contact us with what you have in mind — small furniture pieces and planter sizes we can usually accommodate; large furniture or production runs are out of scope.
