How To Put Up Crown Molding On Kitchen Cabinets: Easy Guide

Yes, you can absolutely put up crown molding on your kitchen cabinets yourself. Installing cabinet crown molding is a popular and relatively straightforward DIY project that makes a big difference in how finished your kitchen looks. This guide will walk you through every step, from picking the right molding to the final touch-up paint.

Why Add Crown Molding to Kitchen Cabinets?

Crown molding adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to your kitchen. It closes the gap between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling. This creates a seamless, custom-built appearance. Instead of looking like separate boxes, your cabinets look like one continuous, high-end unit. Securing upper cabinet molding transforms the whole room’s feel.

Selecting Your Crown Molding Profiles for Kitchen Cabinets

Not all crown molding is the same. Different shapes, or profiles, work best for different looks. When you are attaching crown molding to kitchen cabinets, the profile choice is key.

Common Crown Molding Profiles

Profile Name	Look / Style	Best For
Soffit Mount	Simple, clean line.	Modern or basic cabinets.
Cove Molding	Curved shape, classic look.	Traditional kitchens.
Ogee Molding	S-shaped curve, very detailed.	Formal or ornate cabinets.
Stacked Molding	Combining two or more simple pieces.	Achieving a tall, custom look.

Tip: Measure the height of the gap between your cabinets and the ceiling. You need molding tall enough to cover this space, but not so tall that it looks bulky. Bring a sample piece home to hold it against your cabinets before buying large quantities.

Tools and Materials Needed for Your Project

Gathering everything first makes the job much easier. A good preparation stage is the secret to a successful DIY cabinet top molding installation.

Essential Tools Checklist

Miter Saw (A power miter saw is best for accurate cuts).
Tape Measure.
Pencil.
Safety Glasses and Ear Protection.
Stud Finder (To locate wall studs, if needed).
Caulk Gun.
Finish Nailer (Pneumatic or cordless).
Small trim pry bar or shims (for leveling).
Clamps (optional, but very helpful).

Materials List

Crown Molding (Buy about 15-20% extra for mistakes or complex corners).
Finish Nails (1 1/2 inch or 2 inch, thin enough not to split wood).
Wood Glue (For securing joints).
Painter’s Tape.
Wood Filler or Paintable Caulk.
Primer and Paint (to match your cabinets).

Step 1: Measuring and Cutting Cabinet Crown Molding

Accurate cutting is the most crucial part of this project. Poor cuts mean wide gaps, which are hard to hide later. This section covers measuring and cutting cabinet crown molding precisely.

Measuring the Run

Start by measuring the total length of the cabinet run where the molding will go. Measure the top of the cabinets, not the ceiling, as cabinet tops are usually straight.

Fathoming Outside and Inside Corners

Crown molding meets itself in corners. This requires angled cuts called miters.

Outside Corners (The molding sticks out): Both pieces meet at an angle, pointing away from the corner. A standard outside corner is 45 degrees.
Inside Corners (The molding turns a corner): Both pieces meet at an angle, pointing toward the corner. A standard inside corner is also 45 degrees.

Important Note on Miter Saw Settings: When cutting molding, you must set the saw for the spring angle. The spring angle is the angle the molding sits at when resting against the cabinet or ceiling. Most cabinet molding has a standard spring angle (often 38 or 45 degrees).

If your saw has a bevel setting (tilts side to side) and a miter setting (pivots left and right), follow these general rules for a standard 90-degree corner, assuming a 45-degree spring angle setup on your saw:

Outside Corner: Set the miter angle to 45 degrees and the bevel angle to the angle required by your molding’s spring position (often 30 or 35 degrees, depending on how the molding sits).
Inside Corner: Set the miter angle to 45 degrees and the bevel angle to the opposite direction of the outside cut.

Tip for Beginners: Many DIYers find it easier to use compound miter angles (using both bevel and miter settings). If your molding has a 45-degree spring angle, you often cut at 31.6 degrees on the miter and 33.9 degrees on the bevel for a perfect outside corner. However, many modern miter saws have specific settings marked for “Crown Molding” that simplify this. Always test cut on scrap wood first!

Step 2: Dry Fitting and Leveling

Before any glue or nails go in, test fit every piece.

Dry Fitting the Pieces

Place the cut pieces up where they belong. See how the joints line up. Use painter’s tape to hold them temporarily if needed. Look closely at all corners. Small gaps (less than 1/16 of an inch) are okay for now; we will fix those later.

Making Sure It’s Level

Cabinets are rarely perfectly plumb (straight up and down) or level (straight across). The ceiling is often uneven too. Your molding needs to follow the line of the cabinet, not the ceiling.

Hold the first piece of molding in place.
Use a long level to check if the molding is level across the front of the cabinet.
If the cabinet top slopes up toward the ceiling on one side, your molding might look slightly off if you just nail it flat against the ceiling edge.
Shimming: If necessary, use thin cardboard shims or wood veneer behind the molding piece where it meets the ceiling or wall to make the line look straight across the cabinet run.

Step 3: Attaching Crown Molding to Kitchen Cabinets

Now it’s time for the real work: nailing crown molding to cabinets. You must secure the molding in at least two places: to the cabinet face frame and to the ceiling/wall above.

Nailing Strategy

The goal is to secure the molding firmly without blowing out the thin wood or leaving big holes.

Nailing to the Cabinet: Drive finish nails down through the molding and into the solid wood frame of the upper cabinet face. Use an angled shot (toe-nailing) slightly inward.
Nailing to the Wall/Ceiling: If the molding rests against the wall or ceiling, you also need to nail it there. Use a nailer to shoot nails at an upward angle into the ceiling joist or wall stud if possible. If nailing into drywall or plaster, use shorter nails so they don’t poke through the surface.

Toe-Nailing Technique for Strong Holds:

Toe-nailing means driving the nail at an angle (about 30 to 45 degrees). For attaching crown molding to kitchen cabinets, you generally want to:

Nail from the top edge down toward the cabinet frame.
Nail from the bottom edge up toward the ceiling/wall.

This cross-hatch nailing pattern creates a very strong hold.

Using Adhesive for Extra Security

While nails do most of the work, using glue adds strength, especially at the mitered joints. The best adhesive for cabinet crown molding is a strong construction adhesive or high-quality wood glue.

Apply a thin bead of wood glue to the mitered joint before putting the pieces together. Wipe off any squeeze-out immediately with a damp cloth.
If using construction adhesive on long, straight runs, run a thin bead along the back edges that touch the wall and ceiling. This helps seal the gaps later.

Step 4: Dealing with Irregularities and Joints

No kitchen is perfectly square. You will have gaps. This is normal for a kitchen cabinet molding installation guide.

Handling Inside Corners

If the inside corner is slightly wider than 90 degrees (e.g., 92 degrees), a standard 45-degree miter cut won’t close the gap.

The Fix: You need to “cheat” the cut. Instead of cutting both pieces at 45 degrees, you might cut one at 44 degrees and the other at 46 degrees. Test these slight adjustments on scrap wood until the joint closes tightly.

Finishing Seams on Kitchen Cabinet Molding

This is where the magic happens. Finishing seams on kitchen cabinet molding hides your hard work and makes the installation look professional.

For Mitered Joints (Corners):

Use a small amount of wood filler or a paintable acrylic caulk designed for paint.
For joints that close very tightly, caulk is usually better. It stays flexible as the house moves.
For joints that have a small gap remaining, use wood filler first, let it dry, sand it smooth, and then caulk the very outer edge if needed.

For Straight Runs (Where molding meets the wall/ceiling):

Caulk the entire line where the molding meets the wall and ceiling. This seals out dust and hides any slight unevenness in the wall or ceiling surfaces. Use a good quality paintable acrylic latex caulk. Smooth the bead with a wet finger or a caulk tool.

Step 5: Finishing Touches and Painting

Once all the molding is up, the adhesive is dry, and the caulk has cured (usually 24 hours), it’s time to paint.

Filling Nail Holes

Every nail hole must be filled for a smooth finish.

Use a quality wood putty or filler that matches your cabinet color, or one that accepts paint well.
Press the filler into the holes with a putty knife. Overfill them slightly, as the filler often shrinks a little when it dries.
Once fully dry, lightly sand the filled spots smooth using fine-grit sandpaper (220 grit). Wipe away dust.

Painting the Molding

If your existing cabinets are factory-finished, matching the sheen and color can be tough.

Prime First: Always apply a high-quality bonding primer over the bare wood filler and any raw wood exposed by sanding. This prevents flashing (where the paint looks duller or shinier over the patched areas).
Paint Coats: Apply two thin coats of your cabinet-matching paint. Thin coats prevent drips and give a harder finish than one thick coat. Follow the paint manufacturer’s drying times carefully.

Advanced Techniques for Complex Kitchens

Some kitchens require specialized approaches, especially those with bulkheads or soffits.

Dealing with Soffits or Bulkheads

If your cabinets do not go all the way to the ceiling, but instead meet a soffit (a dropped section of drywall), the installation method changes slightly.

The molding will need to be attached to the soffit edge instead of the ceiling.
This connection point often requires more careful caulking, as the angle between the soffit and the wall might not be 90 degrees. Use a level to determine the exact angle of the soffit edge before cutting the top edge of the molding.

Installing Molding Over Uneven Cabinets

If your cabinets themselves are slightly bowed or not perfectly aligned vertically, the molding will emphasize these flaws if you just nail it straight.

Remedial Action: Use shims frequently behind the molding where it meets the cabinet top. This allows you to adjust the molding piece to look perfectly level, even if the cabinet below it is slightly off. This requires constant checking with a level.

Comprehending Crown Molding Installation Safety

Safety is paramount when using power tools.

Eye Protection: Always wear safety glasses when cutting or nailing.
Hearing Protection: Use earplugs or muffs, especially when using a pneumatic nailer.
Proper Tool Handling: Keep hands well away from the blade when making cuts. Ensure the molding is held tightly against the saw fence for every cut.
Nailer Safety: Never point a nail gun at anyone. Check the depth setting on your nailer; you want the nail heads just below the surface of the wood, ready for filling.

Final Review: Your Kitchen Cabinet Molding Checklist

Review this list before stepping back to admire your work:

[ ] Did I buy enough extra material for mistakes?
[ ] Did I test cut all corner angles on scrap wood?
[ ] Is the molding level across the entire cabinet run?
[ ] Are all miter joints glued and secured with nails?
[ ] Did I toe-nail the molding into both the cabinet and the wall/ceiling?
[ ] Are all gaps between molding pieces caulked?
[ ] Are all nail holes filled and sanded smooth?
[ ] Have I primed and painted the final coats?

Following these steps ensures a strong, beautiful finish for your installing cabinet crown molding project. The effort you put into accurate measuring and cutting directly translates to a professional-looking result.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I use construction adhesive instead of nails for attaching crown molding to kitchen cabinets?

A: While construction adhesive provides great holding power, it is generally not recommended to use it instead of nails for securing upper cabinet molding. Nails lock the pieces in place immediately while the adhesive cures. Adhesive alone can cause the molding to bow or sag before it sets. Use adhesive in addition to nails for the strongest hold.

Q: What is the standard spring angle for cabinet crown molding?

A: The spring angle refers to the angle at which the molding sits when installed against the cabinet face and the ceiling. While this varies, many standard crown molding profiles for kitchen cabinets are designed to sit at a 45-degree spring angle. However, always check the manufacturer’s specifications for your specific profile, as angles of 38 or 52 degrees are also common.

Q: How do I hide the seam where the molding meets the ceiling if the ceiling isn’t flat?

A: This is common. Use a high-quality, flexible paintable acrylic caulk. Apply a continuous bead along the entire joint. Use a slightly damp sponge or a specialized caulk tool to smooth the bead, pushing excess caulk into the gap. The caulk will bridge the slight variations in the ceiling surface, creating a clean line when painted.

Q: Should I paint the molding before or after installing it?

A: For simpler, straight runs, painting before installation (priming and one coat) is often easier for achieving an even finish, especially on the detailed curves. However, for corners and complex joints, it is better to install everything first, then caulk the seams, and finally, paint the installed molding and caulk lines together. This ensures color consistency across all joints.