Young House Love

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How To Add Crown Molding To Cabinets

Updated January 2022

Do your kitchen cabinets feel a little bit unfinished? Or maybe don’t quite reach your ceiling, leaving a weird gap? We’ll gonna show you how we installed crown molding to give our upper cabinets a simple DIY upgrade. It’s one of my favorite, easy kitchen projects – and we completed it in just 3 hours!

Adding Crown Molding To Kitchen Cabinets

Why We Added Crown Molding To Our Kitchen Cabinets

When we finished our kitchen reno last year we decided to forgo any crown molding on the top of our upper wall cabinets because we decided we liked the clean, modern look of the square edge. Plus we had never installed crown molding before, so I think we were subconsciously too intimidated to try.

Side By Side of White Kitchen Cabinets Without Any Crown Molding On The Uppers

But after having learned to install crown molding on a ceiling, we decided it was time to add it to our upper kitchen cabinets.

Steps For Adding Cabinet Crown Molding

This is a surprisingly easy project with only 4 basic steps, so it’s something you can easily complete in a day. Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll be doing:

  1. Attach scrap wood above your cabinet to nail the crown into
  2. Measure and cut your crown molding
  3. Nail in the crown molding
  4. Caulk and paint

And as you can see above, it makes a big difference!

Side-by-side before & after of white kitchen cabinets during crown molding installation

Tools & Materials Needed

To add crown molding or other trim to the top of your cabinets like we did, there are a few tools you’ll need on hand to make things go faster and more smoothly.

  • Crown molding
  • Measuring tape
  • Nail gun (we currently use this one that doesn’t require an air compressor)
  • Wood glue
  • Kreg Crown Pro
  • Miter Saw
  • 1 x 2″ white wood or pine (scrap wood works too)
  • Paintable caulk
  • Paint*
  • Short handle paint brush
  • Painter’s Tape

*If your cabinets are wood, you’ll want to source crown molding in a stain color and wood grain that coordinates with your existing cabinets. Check with your cabinet manufacturer because they typically set an assortment of matching trims.

Step 1: Measure Your Cabinets

Before you even purchase your crown molding, carefully measure the top edge of your cabinets to determine how much you will need. Just be sure to buy more than the length of your cabinets. Since crown molding is cut at an angle, your cut piece will actually need to be longer than the top of your cabinets.

Top of white cabinets before crown molding is added

Step 2: Attach Scrap Wood Around The Top

We started off by attaching some scrap 1 x 2″ (leftover from the fireplace build) to the tops of the cabinets with our old nail gun and some wood glue, like so. This extra height provided more surface for the crown to rest against since our cabinet doors leave little space above them. Plus, we didn’t want to cover up any more of the cabinet box than necessary because it would only make them look shorter, not taller.

John using nail gun to attached scrap wood to top of cabinet

All of this will be hidden by the crown molding itself, so it doesn’t have to be particularly pretty (hence the use of scrap wood). Just be sure to add it along the entire perimter of your upper cabinetry.

Scrap wood nailed along perimeter of upper cabinet in kitchen

Step 3: Cut Your Crown Molding

If you’ve installed crown molding on your wall before, then this part follows the same process. If you haven’t – check out our detailed how to install crown molding tutorial or watch the video below. The gist is:

  • Measure (preferably twice!)
  • Cut your molding
  • Nail it into place

We make our cuts using our miter saw and love using a Kreg Crown Pro to help hold the wood in place as we cut. It makes this sort of process sooooo much easier because it holds your molding at the correct 45-degree angle while you cut. You can see it in action in the video below.

How to cut crown molding

If you’d like see the process of cutting a piece of crown molding on video, this tutorial below covers everything from measuring, cutting, and installing. It shows installation on a bedroom ceiling, but the same concepts work for adding crown molding to your kitchen cabinets.

Note: You can also watch this video on YouTube.

Step 4: Nail The Crown Molding Into Place

Once your molding pieces are cut, use a nail gun to attach the molding to the scrap wood that you added to the tops of each upper cabinet. Just a small nail every few inches should do.

John using nail gun to attach crown molding to the top of the cabinets

TIP: Tape & Glue Your Outside Corners

These outside corners can be a little tricky. You’ll want them to hold tightly together, but nailing such small corner might splinter or break your wood. Instead, we to squeezed a bit of wood glue between them and tape everything together while it dried. A few hours later we removed the tape and it worked like a charm. Whew.

Green painters tape on the corner of kitchen crown molding while glue dries

Alternatively you could also try clamping a small piece of scrap wood behind the corner and nailing both pieces of crown into it.

Step 4: Caulk & Paint Your Crown Molding

Once the crown molding was installed around the whole room, we broke out the ol’ caulk gun to fill in some of the seams and nail holes. We like to use the Alex Plus Fast Dry caulk because it is ready to paint within an hour.

Kitchen Crown Caulking Seams

We waited about 45 minutes later and applied a coat of paint in the same color as the cabinets (Benjamin Moore’s Cloud Cover). Since the crown molding was already primed white, it only took one coat, but if you’re doing a darker color you may need two coats.

Painting crown molding on a kitchen cabinet with a short handled paint brush

Once your paint is dry, you’re done! Woo hoo!

How Much Did It Cost?

In addition to this project being pretty easy – it was pretty darn cheap too. Our only expense was the three pieces of 8ft crown that we bought, so the grand total was about $35 for this entire project. Not bad, right?

Side-by-side before & after of white refrigerator cabinets during crown molding installation

It’s definitely one of those projects that Sherry and I are kicking ourselves for not doing sooner, but they do say better late than never, so we’re happy we eventually climbed aboard the S. S. Molding. Ahoy.

Side-by-side before & after of white kitchen cabinets during crown molding installation

The crown molding has been a great way to help transition our kitchen from a modern space to a more traditional one, and we think the result is quite stately looking!

More DIY Molding Projects

Want to see more crown molding applications? Check out some other do-it-yourself fixes we’ve tackled.

More DIY Kitchen Cabinetry Projects

Marking Holes For Cabinet Hardware With Template

Looking for some other ways to update your kitchen cabinets? Here are some other do-it-yourself solutions we’ve used in our kitchens.

*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

Comments

  3. Joan says

    It is amazing what a huge impact $35 can make. You are giving me courage to tackle my dream of adding crown to my ceilings!

    Reply

  4. Kristi says

    I’ve always wanted to do this! We mentioned it to a window installer, and he told us you can purchase crown that mounts to the top of the cabinet (so you don’t need to add the 1×3 strip first). I haven’t come across it yet, but just thought I’d mention it in case anyone else is looking!

    Reply

  5. Megan says

    Yes! I’ve been on “team molding” since the kitchen reno was completed but kept quiet since it’s your kitchen, not mine! I think it looks great with the fireplace redo, it really ties both spaces together. [Borat voice] Very nice!

    Reply

  6. Megan says

    I’m glad you gave it a second look. To me, it is what makes a room look finished. The affects of crown molding never cease to amaze me. Well done!

    Reply

  8. Cara D says

    It looks very nice! I like a mix of modern and traditional. Perfect timing as I am getting ready to put in built in bookcases adn want to add crown. I’ve never done anything with crown molding before. Will this jig work with a 10″ miter saw? Also when doing regular crown on the ceiling you can nail into a stud on the wall, do you try to nail into a joist on the ceiling or just the drywall?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      By jig do you mean Kreg Crown Pro? It works great with our miter saw (we think it’s pretty universal). With regular crown molding you can nail into a stud (since drywall isn’t as strong) and then we just fired a nail into the ceiling at the same spot (held nice and firm, probably because at least all of the base nails went into studs). Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

    • Cara D says

      Yes, I meant Crown Pro :) Thanks. I am going to order one of these with my amazon gift card. I did get the Kreg pocket hole jig after one of your post and I LOVE it! It is fun to use and it actually gave me the confidence to build from scratch instead of just making over existing furniture.

  11. Melissa says

    It looks great!! I can’t tell from the pictures, but what did you guys decide to do about lining it up (or not) with the door next to the pantry?

    Reply

  12. Tom Corliss says

    Yet another great project. It is funny, when we were younger we did not like trimwork so much but, as we have matured and completed tons of DIY projects we hae truly loved using crown trim. We use it in every room including bathroom and hallways.
    I see you use DAP caulking. I would suggest you try Polyseam seal by locktite. It does cost a little more but it is suppior quality and it has adhesive in to to insure a continued tight joint fit in the future. Again great work.

    Reply

  13. jeni says

    I just LOVE how you guys can pull a space together! Your kitchen is amazing and reading about all your DIYs gave me the courage to do our kitchen too! We jumped on the white cabinet train, and I used a walnut stain pen to add a little detail. I could not figure out how to hang the crown, so I used case molding! I actually like it BETTER! :) Here is a link to my kitchen! http://jensidea.blogspot.com/2013/03/from-drab-to-fab-kitchen.html I would love any feedback you could give me!

    Thanks
    Jeni

    Reply

  14. Jennifer says

    I wish the cabinets went to the ceiling! The crown molding looks weird b/c it just stops like 6″ from the ceiling.

    Reply

  16. Gayla says

    WOW! What a big difference the crown makes. I mean.. its the difference in a commoner and royalty.

    haha! love it!

    Reply

  17. Jen says

    You guys, I LOVE the kitchen now! I hate to say it because I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I wasn’t a fan of the grellow. It was so loud and bright. :/ I LOVE the blue. You guys are awesome. <3

    Reply

  18. MJB says

    Maybe because I’m more traditional-modern than super modern, I love the changes: the perfecta trifecta (crown, paint, fireplace.)

    Reply

  23. Grambie of Six says

    As both a Certified Kitchen Designer and someone old enough to be your mom, may I just say this: I’m SO proud of you two!

    Reply

  24. Karen Z says

    Hey, a question for you, if you have time to answer (totally understand if you don’t!). So. Our last house, I painted all the doors and trim white. I painted all the walls. I painted the kitchen cabinets (properly, which as you know takes mucho effort!) This house, similar story: I am in the midst of painting and staining the stair railings, the trim, the doors, the walls. I like painting, but I am burning out, especially on the white trim, which takes 3-4 coats, as you well know!

    So my question: What self-talk do you do to keep yourself painting? How do you keep chugging along when it is such tedious work? I know you have done cabinets, trim, molding, fireplace surround, board and batten, furniture pieces, and SO MUCH MORE. My life is so full and busy, as is yours, and recently the last thing I have wanted to do was pick up my angled brush and get to dippin’. Do you have any secrets to your diligence?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I like music! I turn on some good tunes (we’re fans of Pandora) and that helps the time go by. I’ve even been known to listen to things (like NPR podcasts or even TV shows like Law & Order, even if I can’t see them). For some reason it helps me plug along. Oh and eat first! Painting when you’re hungry stinks. Haha!

      xo
      s

    • Karen Z says

      Thanks so much! I will make sure I provide sufficient entertainment for myself. I think I don’t do that consistently. I do think that can be the key to mental health ;)

      And yes- snacks help with the happy! :)

    • Kathryn says

      Loved this question, Karen Z.! And thanks for answering it, Sherry! I think for myself, getting psyched up to do a project is one thing, ‘toughing it out’ is another entirely.

      My tip (although I’ve in no way done something like a seven hour paint marathon. We’re talking spring cleaning rampage here at most.) is audiobooks on the iPod. Obviously not ideal if you’re doing something where an aspect of concentration needed, but as far as pure elbow grease grunt work, I’d go slightly batty without them! Plus, you get the added benefit of getting to engage in ‘book-chat’ even if the task at hand means curling up with a book is a luxury you don’t have. (They’ll never know you just listened to it, honest!)

  25. HK says

    Double sorry for not noticing my comment posted. I went through every page of comments twice before posting my last comment and then of course I noticed my original comment posted. How did I miss it!? Twice!?!!? UGH I should have known you two are not comment Nazis.

    Reply

  26. Amy M says

    I just installed crown molding to our existing kitchen cabinets. It makes a world of difference! They went from “builder’s basic” to more of a custom look in just a few hours. The only tricky part for me was matching the painted and antiqued look that the cabinets had been painted before we moved it. Now that it’s done, I wish I had done it sooner.

    Nice job!

    Reply

  27. Loren says

    I’m generally not a fan of crown molding on cabinetry, I always feel like it looks to ‘fussy’. But these before & after photos may have changed my outlook. The after looks so much classier and more ‘finished’. Great choice!

    Reply

  28. Nicki D says

    I am soooo glad you posted this! My husband and I plan on tackling the crown molding on our kitchen cabinets this weekend. I couldn’t figure out how to actually attach the molding, when I saw the picture of the scrap wood being attached I had a total Ah Ha moment!

    Thanks again!

    Reply

  31. Kristen says

    OK, now that you’re steering slightly more traditional AND you’re becoming millwork experts, will you please coffer the ceiling in your living room? I’d like you to work all the kinks out before I do mine :)

    (Cabinets looks great – bravo to you on the recent tweaks to the kitchen!)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ahhhhh, wouldn’t that be insane?! Oh how I’d love to. The only challenge is that those beams aren’t evenly spaced (why???? whyyyyyy????) so the squares would all be different sizes :(

      xo
      s

  32. Fiona Potter says

    SO PRETTY. Molding used to be this tacky, old fashioned thing, but with clean colours and lines it makes a room look so much more classy!

    Also, it just goes to show that sometimes all you need to do is to shake things up a bit.

    Reply

  34. Hannahhenning says

    Wow! Love the crown molding! A fantastic upgrade! Looks especially good with the new wall color! (I think that’s enough exclamation points for one comment, don’t you?!) Oops.

    Reply

  36. Cat Morris says

    Totally off topic here, but have you seen the blog “One Hundred Dollars a Month” by Mavis? She’s like you guys, except she has a gardening and cooking focus. I say she’s like you guys because she has a cool DIY projects, a totally can-do attitude, is into saving money and is a very fun read. You have to scroll through a few days to see the range of stuff she does.

    How to build and plant a square foot garden

    Send in the gomes project

    Here is a little wall project I could totally see you guys doing!

    Living Wall Planter

    Reply

  37. Meredith says

    This has nothing to do with anything, but I was randomly re-reading old posts and was reminded that you guys applied for The Amazing Race together before you became a couple. I totally bet you’d make it on the show now as celebrity bloggers! (I realize you’d have more logistical challenges as you now have Clara…) I’ve never heard of the “YouTube hosts” pairing they have this year—and you’re best-selling authors! Just in case you’re looking for something to add to your extremely busy lives. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, you’re so sweet! Thankfully we didn’t get picked because I later realized I’d be TERRIBLE on that show. I have no sense of direction, I’m a terrible driver, I’m a total stress case, and I only run when I’m being chased. Haha! I’d be epically bad! John would rule though, so I hope he goes on with his sister or brother in law someday. I’ll hang back with Clara. Haha!

      xo
      s

  38. Carolyn says

    Isn’t it amazing what a little crown moulding will do and how dramatic it makes something look? I’m always impressed by it. Look at you guys go! You are very busy. It’s looking great. I’ll have to search your blog for the hexagon tile you did. Looks like a ton of work but so gorgeous!

    Reply

  42. Mary A says

    Love it! I am working on a bathroom cabinet right now. I decided to paint and wanted Benjamim Moore Advanced like you used on your cabinets. Be glad you live in a major city;my local Ben Moore retailer could not even order it for me. I am ordering from a store 30 miles away and they could not order the Advanced primer in a quart size.

    Reply

  43. sara says

    I love your blog and have been following it since you started with your first house, I haven’t been following it for awhile, but I still am a fan of the projects and all. But I wonder if you ever just stop and say “I think we are done” I mean I love all the rooms and everything, is it always in need of touch ups, new paints, new rugs etc…when do you think that you’ll be truly done with your home and sit back and relax in your ‘already beautiful home’ and be fully settled in. It just feels like the house has been a projects for years now. I love it, don’t get me wrong. Just a thought :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we learned with our first house that it takes forever so instead of rushing for the finish line it’s all about enjoying the ride! It took us 4.5 years with that house to be “done” and we’re on year 3 here, but we love DIY (it’s completely our passion and we did it for fun well before it was our full time job). Here’s a post with more on that subject :)

      xo
      s

  49. Leah says

    Honestly – When do you guys sleep? I’m serious. On average, how many hours of sleep do you get every night? Between your blogging, your book, your side projects (i.e. Shades of Light), you DIY projects, partying (Clara’s birthday, etc.) and hanging with your family…when do you sleep?!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, in all honesty we go to bed around midnight to 1am and get up around 7-8. So not too bad (6 hours on a bad night, 8 hours on a good one). We’re definitely busy bees and we work nights weekends, and even on vacation, but I think since this all started as a hobby it’s still fun for us, and it’s what we’d be doing on nights and weekends anyway (although probably not on vacation, haha!

      xo
      s

  50. Koliti says

    Ahhh…the crowning touch!

    Things happen in their own due time…
    If you had “tried” to do all of this crown molding before the Kreg Crown Jig and the nail gun – the “cuss-word factor” rating would have been through the roof. You would have had to “bleep” out every other word of your post :)

    Now nothing is safe from a little crowning addition.
    And John is a happy (and sexy!) nail gun slinger.

    As for cheap (free!) upgrade…I have a round flat “pseudo” flush-mount ceiling light fixture in the kitchen – that I would look at and think, “it bugs me that you don’t sit flush against the ceiling”. I dug around in my metal stash and found aluminum slightly-corrigated 4″ wide edging (originally for the garden?) – I cut a length to wrap around the circumference of the light fixture with a little over-lap and taped the over-lapped edges together with aluminum tape – and viola! A nice snug “sleeve” that wraps around the light fixture and sits flush against the ceiling and that can be “wiggled” off for access to clean, change the bulb, etc.

    Reply

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