How to Cut Cornice Molding

Cornice molding creates an interesting design around your windows. While you can purchase some molding pieces from hardware stores, cutting your own is more exciting. In creating your own cornice molding, you can create any look that appeals to you.

Choose Your Molding Design

Look around your home for other molding examples in order to create a consistent look. Or you can examine design magazines, websites, and watch home improvement shows to help you choose the right design. Go to hardware and home improvement stores to find molding pieces which have already been cut.

Supplies You Will Need

For this project, you will need: wood/pieces of molding, miter saw or compound miter saw, measuring tape, felt tip pen, nails, hammer, protractor or angle tool, and level. You will also need a large space in which to measure and assemble the molding, depending on the size of the finished project.

Step 1 - Make a Design Plan

To begin, you will want to sketch out what your final molding will look like. Include measurements of all pieces as well as the measurements of the stylish lines you may want on the front surface so you can account for space around the molding. If you can find a picture of your desired outcome, that is the best idea.

Step 2 - Measure Your Wood

Measure the wood pieces you need, marking the area with a pen before cutting the wood. It will help to have another person check your measurements to ensure you are getting the same outcome. You will need to measure the space where the wood will rest. Take a protractor or an angle tool to find out the angle between the sides of the wall you need to fit. Write down this measurement.

Step 3 - Cutting the Molding Pieces Properly

You can use a miter saw or a compound miter saw to cut cornice molding. Since you have the angle measurements, all you need to do is to set the saw to these measurements. Rest the wood along the cutting surface, checking to make sure you’re at the proper direction. Cut slowly for longer pieces, but quicker when you have short pieces.

Step 4 - Connecting the Molding to the Window

All you need to do once the cornice molding has been cut is to attach the pieces to each other with nails at the corners, and then attach the molding to the cornice box or boxes. Use a level to make sure each of the sides is properly aligned. It's best to attach the molding to a cornice box when the box is installed.

Molding Design Time

Once the cornice molding is in place, you might choose to paint or stain these pieces to match the rest of the room. Some like the paint or stain ahead of time too, so this is an option too. Doing the painting ahead of time can be more efficient.

Your cornice molding is helpful for adding drama to a room without a lot of work or money. Learning to cut molding also helps in other projects around your home.