Repairing Damaged Furniture – Making Moulding to Match

I picked up this beauty at a local Goodwill store. If you look at the top large drawer on the left you will notice a strip of the decorative trim is missing. On most makeovers, I would just leave the missing piece and paint over the area, but this trim is part of the outline on the drawers and would really distract from the look if not repaired.
So here we go, a step by step process on how to make a mold and a new piece to replace the missing trim.  In the past I have used silicone for this process, but this time I decided to try a different product.

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Step 1:
Purchase Das Clay to make the mold.  This can be found at most arts and crafts stores.

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Step 2:
Roll out the clay on a cutting board or other smooth surface.
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Step 3:
Next, cut the clay into a long strip that would fit over the piece of trim that you are using as the mold.  Obviously, when deciding whether to buy a damaged piece of furniture, you would need to choose one that had at least some of the original moulding intact.  Otherwise, you wouldn’t need to match it as much as just replace it.

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Step 4:
I sprayed WD-40 on the clay prior to pushing it on the trim so it would be easy to remove. I pressed the clay on the trim strip that I was using for the mold and pushed into the detailed crevasses to be sure to form the detail. Then I gently peeled the clay off the trim piece as to not stretch it out of shape and then placed it in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees.  Below is a picture of the clay as soon as I removed it from the trim. Once hard and dry all the way through, this is your mold.

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It will continue to harden so if you leave it overnight, that would be the best option. Below are two of my molds after being removed from the oven.

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Step 5:
Now to make the actual trim piece. On this step I first tried KwikWood, an epoxy/wood filler type product. I had trouble removing this from the mold in one piece so I decided to try the Das Clay again. (I think I may have pressed too hard on the KwikWood, so that may have been operator error, not the product.)  I sprayed the mold with WD-40 and pressed the clay into the mold, leaving some clay over the edge giving me a piece to hold onto when I removed it. I only left it in the mold for a few minutes and then pulled it out and let it set overnight. I did a few different pieces so I would have enough for the entire strip and some extras, just in case. I sanded the edges of the new pieces and glued them to the dresser. Since I will be dry brushing the area, I needed the new trim to match the original trim, so I stained and painted it a bit to help it match.  You can see here, the new trim is on the left and the original trim is on right.

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Step 6:

Paint and you are on your way!  Here is the trim with my first coat of paint. If you did not know the difference it would be difficult to tell!  Give it a try!

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Post courtesy of Chris Hardine of Midwest Cottage and Finds

Comments

  1. Excellent info. I have a piece that I need to do the same thing with and have been toying with different ideas, but haven’t actually put any into action. This worked, so no need for me to try my ideas. Thanks again!

  2. Question. You said that you made the new molded piece and left it overnight. Did you bake it also, like the mold, first? or was it only air dried? Thanks for the information!

  3. Karen Holleman says

    Thank you so much. Somewhat labor intensive, but not nearly as much as I thought. I also have seen pre-cut, pre-made moldings at Hobby Lobby. But, I know they don’t match all. You did a great job and I’m so glad to have this as a reference.

  4. awesome! I’ve not purchased some pieces just because trim was missing. Problem solved!

  5. Meredith Hess says

    Thank you for showing me how to make appliqués!

  6. What type product did you pour in mold??? I made a mold but need to find the product
    to cast the mold.
    Thank You,
    Julia

    • mm American Paint Company says

      Refer to step 5 in the blog post as to which product the artist used in repairing damaged furniture. There may be other products available in your area as well.

  7. Wonderful Job! Have been looking & looking on the Internet for someone to show me how to do this! Thank you so very much! Ready to tackle my recent thrift store find with the same problem.

  8. What type of paint did you use & how are you applying it?

  9. I had already refinished my dresser before I noticed that a piece of trim was missing. Will WD40 affect the finish? I clear coated it in poly acrylic.

    • mm American Paint Company says

      You need to contact the manufactures of WD40 and Poly Acrylic they may be able to help you. We do not manufacture either of these products and cannot determine their outcome.

  10. Fantastic project! I love it! I have almost the same old cupboard at home. I am going to try to redecorate it like yours. Wish me luck. 🙂

  11. Very helpful–thanks! What did you use to glue the new trim with?

  12. Love this… what was used to glue the new trim onto the drawer with?? Thanks!!

  13. Carol Sanders says

    I have a buffet that needs a piece of trim replaced on the door. The trim piece is very similar to the trim piece you replaced. However, my trim piece is curved. The doors on the buffet are curved. I didn’t want to spend alot of money on a custom replacement piece because the buffet was free. Any suggestions?

    Thanks,

    Carol S.

  14. Hi

    This is a great idea, but I have a mould for a dressing table that curves on the side do you think this would work for me ? Also what would you use to glue it on?

    Regards sue

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