How To Install Picture Frame Moulding

Have you ever walked into a room that has elegant, detailed, classic trim work and think, “I wish I could do that!”. You can. I promise. I have slowly been adding more picture frame moulding throughout the house. I’ve now done a few rooms so I think it’s time for a full tutorial on how to install picture frame moulding. It’s a request that keeps coming in, and I’m now familiar enough with the process to share all my tips and tricks!

What Is Picture Frame Moulding?

First let’s back up. What exactly is classified as picture frame moulding? Picture frame moulding is essential using beveled wall trim to create a box frame on the wall. You can use many different kinds of trim, as long as it’s flat on the back. You can choose your thickness, design, etc. Entirely up to you. It’s all installed the same way.

I’ve now installed it in two rooms in our home, my daughter’s vintage boho bedroom and my son’s classic sports themed bedroom.

It’s a classic, timeless look that adds character to any space. It’s also a great way to add design elements to a room where you don’t want or can’t have a lot of wall art. Or on the other hand, a great way to make a large wall interesting.

How To Install Picture Frame Moulding

Supplies

PVC Moulding | Brad Nailer | Miter Shears | Caulk | Plastic Wood Filler | Level | 3″ piece of trim/wood to use as a guide | Nail Setter Punch

One of the reasons this project is so easy, is that you can use Miter Shears to cut your trim at 90 degree angles! You don’t have to use a miter saw for this if you don’t want to. Miter Shears WILL work on wood trim, it’s its a lot harder to cut. I prefer using this PVC Moulding when using the shears. It makes the entire process so much easier! I will go into more details below!

Step 1: Plan For Your Boxes

With most DIY projects, the planning phase actually takes the longest and is the most time consuming. Figuring out the math on this project will probably be the hardest part. First, you have to decide, how many boxes do you want on the wall? What width are you hoping for? Do you want both top and bottom boxes or just bottom boxes and a chair rail?

I did slightly different patterns in each of the bedrooms. For my daughter’s room, there was already an existing chair rail, so I did picture frame boxes above and below it. In my son’s room, I wanted taller top boxes and shorter lower boxes. I opted not to do a chair rail in here because it felt like too much. My box sizes area always dictating by design elements in the room. For my son’s room, I based the moulding sizes around the large wall mural behind his bed.

Step 2: Measure Your Boxes

I always sketch/trace all of my boxes onto the walls first. One trick I’ve learned is to use a piece of 3″ trim as a guide. First, I butte the trim up against the corners of each wall, the ceiling and the baseboards and draw a straight line. This is an easy way to measure the outside edges of all your boxes and have them be the same distance from all the edges. You will also use this same piece of trim as a guide for between each picture frame box as well. But we have to calculate those measurements first.

When calculating my boxes I use the following formula.

TOTAL WALL LENGTH IN INCHES MINUS (3* X HOW MANY SPACES YOU HAVE) DIVIDED BY NUMBER OF BOXES YOU WANT

*this is the width of your spaces between the walls and in-between each box. Your number may vary depending on the width you choose between each frame.

FOR EXAMPLE: IF this is my wall measurements above these are the numbers I will be using:

124″ – (3X6 = 18) divided by 5 (frame boxes) = 21.2″ per box

Step 2: Cut Your Moulding at 45 Degree Angles

Use Miter Shears with PVC Moulding

One of the reasons this project is so easy, is that you can use Miter Shears to cut your trim at 90 degree angles! You don’t have to use a miter saw for this if you don’t want to. Miter Shears WILL work on wood trim, it’s its a lot harder to cut. I prefer using this PVC Moulding when using the shears. It makes the entire process so much easier! It also eliminates running up and down stairs to cut on the miter saw and saves a ton of time!

Caution: those shears ARE sharp! So just watch your fingers :)

Step 3: Install Trim Using A Brad Nailer

I typically cut each piece as I go so I can get a very accurate length down to the nearest millimeter. Then I install it using my Brad Nailer. I use this in almost everyone of my projects, it’s a tool everyone should have! You’ll want to adjust the settings to get the nails to sink in and not stick up, but if any of them do we’ll fix that in the next step!

I do all my lower boxes first and then move to the top section!

Step 4: Set Your Nails

For any of those nails that didn’t quite go in all the way, you can fix those using a Nail Setter Punch. You steady it in the center of the nail head, tap it with a hammer until it sets into the moulding.

Step 5: Fill & Caulk Your Trim

Once all the nails are set, time to make those trim seams and nail holes disappear. My favorite wood filler is the DAP Plastic Wood Filler . But I also fund that since this is PVC trim, caulk also worked great too. As I caulked around the inside and outside edges, I would use the excess to fill in the nails.

Step 6: Prime & Paint Your Trim

You will definitely want to prime your trim before you paint it your chosen color. Since I am painting the entire room, I am spraying it with my favorite paint sprayer. But you could also do it by hand as well. Typically you will have your walls a flat or eggshell and then your trim in satin for semi-gloss so it pops a little from the wall.

DIY Picture Frame Moulding

I love the classic timeless look it gives this space. It makes it feel so luxe now! You can tour more of this blue boys bedroom here!

Watch The Process