Weekend Project: How to Create Faux Crown Molding

Thin molding and paint are used to give the illusion of high-end crown molding.

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Decorative molding is hung a few inches below plain molding on the ceiling line. Then both pieces of molding and the space in between are painted the same color to make it all look like one continuous piece of crown molding.

Related To:

Tools and Materials:

thin decorative molding
glue
laser level
nail gun and nails
paintbrush, paint and primer

Steps:

1. Based on the size of the existing molding and the size of the room, determine what additional molding you’ll need. Here are a few tips:

Adding dentil molding to a more basic molding can add drama and style to something simple.
Adding skinny molding to the bottom of average sized moldings can make the entire molding seem larger, thus making your room feel smaller and less daunting.
If you have a more rounded molding, try adding two pieces of a squared-off molding, one to each side of the original rounded section.

2. Measure to determine how much molding you’ll need and then add 10 percent for waste.

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3. Use a miter box and hand saw to cut the molding to size.

4. Glue and nail the molding into place with a nail gun. For thicker molding, leave a two-inch gap in between the existing molding and the molding you just added. For thinner molding, such as the type we’re used, try a four-inch gap.