How to Use Cedar Chips for Warmth

Cedar chips are useful insulators that store nutrients from the soil and repel insects such as fleas and garden pests. Cedar is also known for its pleasant smell. Chips are used in many gardens to keep the plants insulated and the soil warm. It is often used in pet bedding to repel insects and odors and to keep pets warm as they rest. Making cedar-chip beds and mulching gardens with cedar chips requires only a few steps and materials.

Things You'll Need

  • Newspaper
  • Canvas
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Zipper
  • Foam
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Instructions

  1. Gardening with Cedar Chips

    • 1

      Cultivate the soil that you will be using for your garden. Remove any rocks and weeds that may hinder the growth of your plants.

    • 2

      Lay out strips of newspaper over the soil that you have designated for your garden. Layer eight sheets of newspaper over the entire area.

    • 3

      Pour cedar chips over the newspaper until the chips are 4 inches high. Make sure that the chips are spread out evenly over the soil. The chips will insulate the soil, keeping it warm enough for your plants to thrive while still allowing earthworms, which enrich the soil, to live beneath the chips.

    Making Bedding with Cedar Chips

    • 4

      Cut out canvas to the size you desire for a dog bed. Cut it into a rectangular shape. Cut out another square or rectangle the same size as the first. For example, if you want a 5-by-5 foot bed, cut out two 5-by-5 squares of canvas.

    • 5

      Lay out both squares, one on top of the other, and secure them together with pins. Sew the borders of the two squares together, leaving one side open. Double stitch the fabric together to make the bed more durable.

    • 6

      Turn the canvas inside out so the seam is on the inside. This will prevent the pet from chewing on the seams. Add a zipper to the end of the bag that you did not sew up.

    • 7

      Add a piece of foam to the bed and spread it out flat. Beneath the foam, add several handfuls of cedar chips. The chips will repel insects, keep the bag smelling fresh and add comfort. When washing the bag, remove the foam and the chips, wash the canvas and replace the foam and cedar chips with fresh ones.