If You Give a Mom Some Tools :: Easy DIY Interior Door Update

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If you give a mom some tools easy diy interior door update

So many of you have probably read or at least heard of the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. If you haven’t, basically the mouse keeps asking for more things after each thing he’s given. Give him a cookie, he’ll want milk, then a straw, then a napkin, and so on.

For me that happened this summer with an unexpected and much needed kitchen remodel.

I got “new to me” cabinets, new countertops, and put a new paint color on the walls. But that wasn’t enough. It became more than just updating the kitchen … I also needed to update the doors that can be seen in my kitchen, which includes the door to the laundry room, the one to my room, and the pantry door. If everything else was going to look new, updated, and inviting, then I just had to do something with the doors. They were becoming an eyesore.

The DIY kitchen remodel got to a point that my husband never knew what I was going to do next to bring the room together.

Now if you love those flat, hollow doors, that’s great. I just don’t like them — never have and thought I couldn’t afford to ever have anything but those doors. And then there was a fresh, new kitchen and endless hours searching the internet for ideas on what to do that would be cheaper than door replacement.

How to Take Your Doors from Drab to Fab … By Yourself!

So here’s how I took my flat, hollow wood doors from drab to a little more fab. And for the moms who are too busy or too scared, I hope this will give you the confidence to try it out. While this can be a weekend project, it’s okay to do it all in stages over a week or two (like I had to do). Afterall, I still had to take care of my 3 kids, as well as officially return to work.

Doors before they received their update.
Doors before they received their update.

Materials:

The best news is I already had a lot of these items on hand!

  • Sanding block
  • Sandpaper (80 grit)
  • Moulding
  • Liquid Nails
  • Miter box and saw
  • Primer
  • Paint
  • Caulk
  • Level
  • Sharpie
  • Paper towels
  • Caulk gun (for the liquid nails and the caulk)
  • Painter’s tape

 Getting Started: 

1. Measure your door.

2. Sketch out possible design ideas for the moulding. Draw as close to scaled as possible so you can figure out how much moulding you will need.

3. Buy your materials from your local home improvement store.

Directions:

1. Using your sanding block and sandpaper, scuff up the surface of your door. Just enough to get some of the glaze or paint off.

Door after the top glaze was sanded.
Door after the top glaze was sanded.

2. Using a level, measure out your design and draw it on your door.

Design is drawn onto the door to help with placement of moulding.
Design is drawn onto the door to help with placement of moulding.

3. Take your measurements from your sketch and chosen design and start cutting your moulding using the miter box. Be real careful about how you place your moulding in the box so your angles are cut in the right direction.

Cut moulding using a miter box. Be careful to mark only on the measure side. Pay attention to where the angle will be.
Cut moulding using a miter box. Be careful to mark only on the measure side. Pay attention to where the angle will be.

4. Check your work by laying out your cut pieces to replicate the design you chose.

Lay the design out on the floor
Lay the design out on the floor

5. Move to the door. If you want to make sure of all your measurements, use some painter’s tape to hold your moulding in place.

Tack moulding up with painters tape.
Tack moulding up with painters tape.

6. Take one piece of moulding at a time and apply liquid nails to the back. I prefer to start with a piece that is vertical.

Add liquid nails to the back of the moulding
Add liquid nails to the back of the moulding

7. Press the moulding to the door and wipe up any excess with a paper towel. If it’s a lot, then you can wipe some of it off on the next piece of moulding you will put up.

Notice the extra liquid nails on the side. Wipe up the excess.
Notice the extra liquid nails on the side. Wipe up the excess.

8. Using your level, make sure your moulding is straight. Make any adjustments if you need to.

Check your individual pieces as well as make sure each section is lined up and level with each other.
Check your individual pieces as well as make sure each section is lined up and level with each other.

9. Continue steps 6-8 until all your moulding is in place. Allow all pieces to dry and set for about 24 hours.

Allow moulding do set up before painting.
Allow moulding do set up before painting.

10. Sometimes a gap may happen at one of your angles. If that is the case you can fill in with some paintable caulk.

See the gap on the bottom left corner. Fill it in with caulk and allow to dry. Add more if needed.
See the gap on the bottom left corner. Fill it in with caulk and allow to dry. Add more if needed.

11. Prime and paint your door.

After 2 coats of primer....the wood still showed through after coat 1. Not as bad here.
After 2 coats of primer….the wood still showed through after coat 1. Not as bad here.

12. Enjoy your new update. Or if you’re like me debate whether to add a little something to your newly created “panels.” Hmmm … should I go for it or leave them white? What are your thoughts?

Doors are finished! Basic bright white satin paint.
Doors are finished! Basic bright white satin paint.

If you’ve been looking for a way to update your doors, give this a try — the possibilities are endless! Have you refurbished doors in your home? What worked best for you?

** Come back next month to find out how I took my louvered pantry doors and updated them with a little work, some moulding, liquid nails, and paint. Take a sneak peek at these before and after shots. **

 Louvered Pantry Doors    After the update

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Brandi Cade
Brandi Cade is a Christian, wife, mom, and Instructional Facilitator at a local elementary school. She is the youth coordinator and also teaches Sunday School for K-5th graders at her church. She married Mark in July 2004. Together they have 3 children: Bradley (10), Tori (8), and Aubrey (4). Bradley and Tori have taught her about parenting children with multiple medical needs. Fortunately their youngest is simply full of life and keeps Brandi and Mark on their toes that way. Brandi holds a BA in Early Childhood, an MA in Curriculum & Instruction, and two Certificates of Advanced Graduate Studies in Doctoral work in Instructional Leadership and Educational Leadership. As an Instructional Facilitator she works with teachers as well as students on best practices for learning in the classroom. Brandi loves the beach, music, reading, writing, blogging, sewing, and her new found interest: Bible journaling. Her newfound interest lead her to create the group Scripture Sketchers for local Bible Journaling fans. She hopes to turn this into a business within the next year or two. She is also a Beachbody Coach and works as an Independent Damsel Pro for Damsel in Defense.

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