To give a little hope to those of you who think this tradition has passed on, it hasn't! I'm 31 and made my own cedar/hope chest. I put things in it both linens, kitchen things, as well as odds and ends. It still sits at the foot of my bed. It's currently empty right now but hope to be putting memories of my two boys growing up in there.
I've never even thought about building/ buying chests for my boys but now that the bug is there I'll have to do it and start collecting for them!