Moulding Trim Boxes: Quick and Easy!

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By far, the messages and comments that I get most often are from people who are afraid to start with DIY because they don’t know where to begin. This week, I was able to start and complete a DIY that I realized would be the perfect starter project for anyone who is a little intimidated by this wild world of DIY.

Moulding trim boxes are a classic look that has become more streamline lately, and I have been wanting to incorporate them into the new house. I always joke that whenever I say that a project is going to be quick and easy, it always gives me grief. This project DID in fact give me grief, but that is only because a tube of caulk exploded all over my couch... totally not project-difficulty-level related! In fact, this project is so easy that it could easily be done without the use of any major power tools.

I’m an extremely visual person, and so for most of my projects, I like to use painters’ tape to get an idea of what the finished product will look like, so I started there. By taping off the wall where I thought the boxes would look best, I was able to get the measurements for my boxes and determine exactly how much trim I needed. For my project, I wanted to keep it simple, so I chose some PVC trim that is incredibly lightweight and easy to cut. There isn’t even any need for a saw if you don’t have one (or aren't ready to take the leap of using one quite yet). I myself used some miter sheers to cut the mitered corners of the trim pieces. You can set the sheers to the correct angle and use them like a scissors, which meant no trips back and forth to the garage for cuts – total time saver! Measuring the sides from inside corner to inside corner and cutting the pieces to length is all the prep that I had to do before I was ready to hang the trim.

As for hanging, I used my finish nailer, but you could easily use liquid nails if you don’t have that tool. Using a level to ensure that my boxes are square and even with each other, I hit the pieces with a few nails per piece, and filled the small holes with spackling. Caulk around the seams ensures that there are no gaps between the wall and the trim, giving a more finished look. I chose to paint the moulding the same color as my wall (Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze) and added sconces to the outside boxes. Using my favorite DIY hack of all DIY hacks, I placed a puck light inside the sconce since they aren’t actually hard wired. This is a little trick that allows the use of a sconce as an accent without having to rip your wall apart.

The details of this little hack are really as easy as purchasing battery operated puck lights (if they come with a remote, it's an added bonus) and supergluing one to the inside of the sconce. I like to use a PVC pipe end cap from the plumbing department that will fit where the lightbulb would normally be screwed in and glue the puck light to that. Since the wires aren’t necessary, I usually cut them right out and then attach the sconce to the wall with anchors and screws.

So there you have it! If you’re looking for a starter project, and you are able to use a measuring tape and a level, then I assure you that you can complete this project with ease, and bring any wall or room in your house to an elevated level of design in just an afternoon!