Revamp Your Doors with Upcycled Moldings: A Beginner’s DIY Guide

Gathering Your Materials: Reusing Old Moldings

Alright, so here’s a cool DIY project that even beginners can tackle—it’s all about giving your doors a fresh look. We had this lightbulb moment when we were replacing our old moldings with wider PDF moldings. Instead of tossing out the old ones, we thought, “Why not use them to add some texture and character to our doors?”

First, we cleaned off the old moldings because, let’s face it, they had seen better days. Then, we cut them at 45-degree angles for that professional, clean look. But remember, measure twice, cut once—it’ll save you a lot of headaches down the line. We sanded them down until they were smooth as silk, perfect for painting.

Now, the fun part—getting creative with how we’d lay them out on the doors. We played around with different arrangements until we found a design that just clicked. Once we were happy with our layout, we traced it out, took the moldings off, and glued them down, pressing them onto the door and making sure they were just right before the glue set.

After the glue dried, we nailed them in place, but not too hard—just enough to keep them secure. We went for a classic square pattern, repeating it three times on each side of the door for a clean, sophisticated vibe.

Finishing Touches: Sanding, Priming, and Painting

Next up, we prepped for painting. We gave both the door and the moldings a light sanding to make sure the paint would stick well. Then, we primed everything with two coats to ensure a nice, even base. We chose a semi-gloss paint for durability and elegance, applying two coats and letting each dry before the next.

Hardware Update: Choosing and Installing New Hinges and Knobs

For the hardware, we swapped out the old stuff for some sleek chrome hinges and a new doorknob. Since the moldings added some thickness, we had to trim the door a bit where the hinges would go, but there’s always the option to place the moldings slightly away from the edge if you want to skip that step.

Here’s a handy tip: when you’re pulling out old nails, do it from the front of the molding. That way, you avoid those big, ugly holes you’d get if you pulled from the back.

Wrapping Up: Enjoy Your Revamped Doors

This project not only gave our doors a fresh look but did so in a way that was budget-friendly and good for the environment. It’s like giving your doors a makeover with materials that would’ve just been thrown away. It’s a win-win!

The photos we took show you each step, from cleaning to the final reveal, giving you a peek into how we transformed our doors without breaking the bank or harming the planet. Whether you’re looking for inspiration or just curious about the process, these images map out our journey in bringing new life to our doors.