{DIY Window Casings)…to match the doors

A while back, we posted about how to do {DIY Door Casings}…the easy way.  We never would have expected how awesome our entry way casings turned out, or the response we would get from DIYers out there!  Adding charm to our builder grade home was always the goal, and they certainly added that charm we were looking for!

We knew we wanted to do the windows to match, but we just needed the time and money!  Well, we finally got time and the project only cost around $50, so it wasn’t a huge investment.  The investment will be when we finish all the windows in our house, but we’ll do them one-by-one.

Well, the windows are finally done!  Well, at least the dining room window is finished.  We still have six more window sets to do in our downstairs! 

We think they turned out great and we can’t believe how much bigger the addition of casings make the windows look and feel.

It was actually pretty easy, and only took a little chunk out of our day to complete. Priming and painting was done the second day after the putty and caulk were dry.

Here are the steps to make this BIG change with HUGE payoff…

We started with this pretty builder grade window casing, that wasn’t a casing at all, just a sill with a bottom piece of trim wood. 

We removed those two pieces by cutting the caulk perimeter with an exacto-knife and then using a hammer to pop off the top, first.  Then we just popped the bottom trim piece off with a hammer.  Our piece were just nailed with finish nails and were not glued, so it was pretty easy just to pry this off.  We didn’t worry too much about damaging the dry wall since we were covering it with new wood, but we didn’t want to wreck the wall or the vertical edges of the drywall surrounding the window.

Once all the old trim was removed, it was time to add the new wood.  We started with this diagram.

What you’ll need…

For the sill and bottom piece:
1 (1x4) pine lumber – width of your window opening + 1 foot for waste
1 (1x3) mdf – pre-primed – width of your window opening + 1 foot for waste

For the casing around the window:
1 (1x6) mdf – pre-primed - width of your window opening + 1 foot for waste – for the top horizontal piece
2 (1x4) mdf – pre-primed – height of your window opening + 1 foot for waste – for the two vertical side pieces
1 (1x2) pine lumber – width of your window opening + 1 foot for waste
1 cove molding – width of your window opening + 1 foot for waste

Nail gun with finish nails
Saw or Miter box
Wood Putty
Sand Paper
Primer
Trim Paint

Then we added the sill.  This was a 1x4 piece of paint grade (unprimed) pine wood.  This was cut to fit and extended beyond the window opening on each side of the window by 3 1/2 inches + 2 centimeters.  Which means you will need to cut the width of your sill using the width measurement + 7 inches + 4 centimeters, total.  The 3 1/2 inch extension is for the vertical pieces of the wood (that will be going up the window and resting on the over hang), and then the 2 centimeters is for the sill to extend beyond the vertical casing.  Each piece was nailed with our nail gun.

The bottom trim piece is a pre-primed 1x3 piece of mdf and it is cut 4 centimeters shorter.  This will allow for this piece to line up with the vertical casing pieces on either side.

Then we measured the vertical opening and cut two pieces of 1x4 pre-primed mdf to length and attached them to each side of the window opening.

Now, you’re ready to add the top pieces.  This is where the magic happens!  You’re going to follow the {DIY Door Casings} exactly.  Using a horizontal 1x6 mdf measured to the ends (outside) of each vertical casing piece (opening of window + 7 inches). Then lay a 1x2 on it’s side as a ledge – this was wood.  The 1x2 will be cut at a length that allows for the cove molding that will be wrapped around (about 3/4 of an inch on both sides).

(This picture is from the door casings.)

Once all the pieces have been nailed in place, prime and paint with your trim color.  Our trim color is Sherwin Williams Extra White.  The paint color in this dining room is Restoration Hardware’s Silver Sage.  We will be updating and changing the color in the near future!  We will be adding a version of board and baton to the walls in this room, so we haven’t painted the walls our final color, yet.

I love how they look with the door casings.  I can’t believe how BIG the casings have made our windows look.  We are so happy with the way it looks.