Peyton Wolff
I’m happy to say I’ve figured out how to build farmhouse-style trim cheap using common lumber. I’m replacing all of the builder-grade trim in my entire home one wall or area at a time.
It’s an extensive job, but for the charm and character it adds, it is totally worth the time and effort. What’s even more ironic is though it is a less expensive option for builder grade it is at least $2.50/per sq.
Builder grade trim lacks definition, it’s thin at only 2 1/2″ so it doesn’t make much of a statement. The answer to that question is simple, you buy the cheapest wood without sacrificing quality, which is common lumber and furring strips.
I am using 1x6x8 for the header above windows and doors, 1x4x8 for the sides, bottom, and windowsill, and 1x2x8s between the other two to build all of my farmhouse-style trim in my home. The whole process starts in the hardware store, I actually go through the entire process of how to pick the best cheap wood in my post How to Make Cheap Wood Look Pretty which is a prerequisite to this post.
Baseboard and chair rail are super easy as they’re just a 1x4x8 trimmed down in the process explained here. But if you didn’t mind a more plain trim it would be even cheaper and simpler to make. Typically they’re pretty homely looking, but with a few extra steps using a table saw and an orbital sander they clean up really nicely. And once you sand it you’ll never know this is basically the lowest quality pine you can purchase!
This is the same process you would use if creating a Farmhouse-style chair rail as I’m using in my dining room project. I go through this entire process in detail in my post How to Make Cheap Wood Look Pretty. But essentially for a 1x4x8, you will start by taking your table saw and adjusting your guard to 3 1/4″ for the first pass. This will eliminate the rounded edge and give your wood a premium appearance for pennies on the dollar.
I typically start with an 80 grit sanding pad to really get all the roughest spots off. Be careful on the sides to sand extremely straight otherwise you will round your edges that you just cut flat.
Being off that small won’t be a huge thing to cover with caulk if you are planning on painting. So, measure the inside width of your window then add 3″ to each side to account for the trim. For the footer – Take your 1×4 and lay it on its side on a hard flat surface, apply wood glue (spread it thinly with your finger), lay the 1×2 on the top edge, and make sure the ends are flush.
You’ve done the hard part, now time for the reward, seeing the beautiful handmade farmhouse-style trim installed.
Header – Have your measuring tape in hand, prepped at 6″ and locked in that position. Hold up your completed header and measure 4″ on either side of the window to ensure you’re installing it in the center evenly.
Pop one brad nail in the top to hold it in place, then go down the length of it ensuring you’re pulling it flush with the window edge as you go down until you hit the bottom. Farmhouse-style trim was installed on my back door in the dining room. Continue to Content How to Build Farmhouse-Style Trim Cheap Yield: Window, Door, Baseboard, & Chair Rail Trim Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Active Time: 30 minutes Additional Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes Difficulty: Medium Difficulty Estimated Cost: $50.00 - $75.00 This is the entire process, step by step, how to build farmhouse-style baseboard, window trim, door trim, as well as chair rail trim. Pencil Instructions Step One - Rip Your Boards on a Tablesaw *OPTIONAL I go through this entire process in detail in my post How to Make Cheap Wood Look Pretty. But essentially for a 1x4x8, you will start by taking your table saw and adjusting your guard to 3 ¼" for the first pass. This will eliminate the rounded edge and give your wood a premium appearance for pennies on the dollar.
Step Two - Sand Your Boards Smooth I use my orbital sander (which is on my list of The 10+ Essential Tools for the DIYer). I typically start with an 80 grit sanding pad to really get all the roughest spots off. Be careful on the sides to sand extremely straight otherwise you will round your edges that you just cut flat. Being off that small won't be a huge thing to cover with caulk if you are planning on painting.
So, measure the inside width of your window then add 3" to each side to account for the trim. For the footer - Take your 1x4 and lay it on its side on a hard flat surface, apply wood glue (spread it thinly with your finger), lay the 1x2 on the top edge, and make sure the ends are flush.
Header - Have your measuring tape in hand, prepped at 6" and locked in that position. Hold up your completed header and measure 4" on either side of the window to ensure you're installing it in the center evenly.
Pop one brad nail in the top to hold it in place, then go down the length of it ensuring you're pulling it flush with the window edge as you go down until you hit the bottom.
Notes The number of boards you will need (1x6x8, 1x4x8, and 1x2x8) will solely depend on the size of your door, window, or room project you're doing. American Craftsman style was inspired by the British Arts and Crafts movement. Like political elections, architectural movements are often a result of what has come before, a rebellion against the status quo.
Craftsman homes are an American architectural tradition that emerged and spread primarily between 1900 and 1929. It was a backlash against the mass-produced, Industrial Revolution-fueled Victorian architecture boom that prized ornament and decoration made all the more accessible by new technologies.
If the Industrial Revolution celebrated the wonders of manmade materials and the possibilities of what machines could do for people, Craftsman architecture was an aesthetic reaffirmation of the beauty of natural materials and forms, and the marvels of what humans can make with their own hands. For now, I will simply build farmhouse-style trim in this house by using the Arts and Crafts Style as my inspiration!
During the period of Queen Victoria’s reign — from 1837 to 1901 — intricate trim styles abounded, reflecting the enthusiasm of a nascent middle class and the scroll saw’s ability to replicate fancy stonemasonry designs in wood. Trim motifs are as diverse as the Victorian era with its succession of revival styles.
A plethora of scrolled and geometrical styles intermix easily for exterior and interior use, and for an ultra-custom Victorian look, you can paint your trim. A medium-density fiberboard is a popular option for trim because it’s typically the cheapest. And while this is the least expensive option, typically, I personally never choose to use anything other than real wood. So, to build farmhouse-style trim I chose to use Common Lumber and Furring Strips which is real pine wood and is a comparable price to MDF sheets. In essence, you save $1.00 per board to use MDF vs real pine wood. Mother to five beautiful kids, Homeschool Educator, Writer, Handicraft & DIY Enthusiast, Photographer, Thrifter, and Furniture Restorer.
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