Sounds pretty hopeless.

For replacement suggestions, try the GW conifers forum, or better yet, the UBC Conifers Photo Gallery, accessible at the link below...
The listing is alphabetical, so you need to go to pages starting with the letter 'T' for Thuja, or 'J' for Juniperus, and possibly 'P' for Platycladus....

Here is a link that might be useful: UBC Conifers Photo Gallery

Hello, A cedar isn't a juniper. If it's a cedar, it will regrow new branches - but slowly and it's branches are fairly flexible. If it's a juniper, it doesn't regrow branches so don't do any cuttings unless absolutely certain. I wish you can post a photo or provide descriptions to assist with identification.

If it's cedar, the most popular one available for tall hedging is the Emerald Cedar. Cedars produces mini conifers - much like a miniaturized pine cone. leaves are soft. Junipers have a more silvery and sharp prickly leaves and will produce greyblusih berries which appear like little pearls from afar. Not all juniper plants bear berries.

Don't give up on the plant yet. There are many ways to re-train branches. You certainly can do as you proposed to do by gathering the branches and securing them with a net or even simple cords. If this doesn't work due to the weight of teh branches, there are still other methodology such as using wooden stakes & heavy but malleable wires to retrain branches.

I neglected to mention that some of the Chamaecyparis ("false cypress") cultivars resemble junipers.
These cultivars are grown for their ability to maintain juvenile foliage throughout their life, which is what gives them that curious appearance.
They do however often remain less hardy than the species, because of the juvenile foliage, so its important to check whether they are appropriate to your location (i.e. hardiness zone).
You didn't say where you're located.

Thanks very much for your input Jaro and ianna! Yes, I know cedars and junipers are different types of trees; I intitially wrote that because I had hoped to post pictures that I took and request help identifying which one it is. I think it is a cedar, based on the type of foliage , green and fairly similar to a plain old white cedar. BUT, it has interesting acorn-sized, tourqoise coloured 'cones' (that dont look at all like cones) If anyone can point me in the direction of 'how to post pictures' on this forum, I will do so. I'm in Toronto, ON by the way.