Color Putty
Quickly Hide Nail Holes in Crown Molding
NAIL FILLER: COLOR PUTTY
Installing crown molding on cabinets is a mix of precise measurement, commitment to cutting three or four times and measuring twice, and realizing little luck is required.
Fortunately, anyone comfortable with a miter saw and brad nailer anyone can install crown molding.
In this guide, learn how to overcome common obstacles like:
- Cutting compound angles for interior and exterior corners.
- Where to start cutting
- Jigs to make installation easier
- Tricks to hiding gaps and nail holes
- Measuring tricks
Page Contents
Steps to install crown molding
While installing crown on cabinets isn’t as simple as installing trim around doors and windows, these are the steps to install crown molding on cabinets:
- Find where the longest piece of the crown will be installed and start there
- By installing the following longest pieces first any mistakes can be used elsewhere
- Determine the angles of both ends using a protractor
- Setup your miter saw and use a crown jig to layout each cut
- Cut the crown to length
- If installing by yourself, use crown hooks or a support jack to hold longer pieces in place
- Nail the crown to the cabinets
- Hide nail holes with colored putty
Step #1: Measuring crown molding
While this step might seem simple, there are a few tricks:
- Installing crown on cabinets starts with the longest piece first. If a piece is cut wrong, you can use another long piece as a backup.
- Use a 25′ or longer, wide rule tape measure to avoid the tape collapsing during measurements.
- Use a sharp pencil to make all marks.
Step #2: Cutting crown molding
You’ve heard the saying measure twice and cut once. Well, for crown molding, it can pay to measure twice and cut four times. Why would you do that? I like to make the mark on the crown and then cut longer than needed, put the piece on the cabinet, and then repeat until the fit is within 1/64″. It’s a few more trips up the ladder, but it will reduce waste and the cost of cutting a piece too short.
With complex corner cuts one of the riskiest cuts for DIY’ers, take a look at the Kreg crown molding jig to simplify the process. They include a cutting guide to facilitate the job.
Step #3: Nailing crown molding
Now that the piece is cut to length, you can start nailing.
But where do you start? Generally, when installing the crown, you’ll want to start nailing closest to the last piece installed to ensure the joint is tight.
Then, rather than nail the entire crown piece in place, professionals will check the fit on the other end of the crown and fix the opposite end.
Lastly, you can put nails about every 12 to 16 inches to complete the installation.
Are you installing the crown by yourself? Well, use a cabinet jack to support the opposite end. And they are excellent for installing upper cabinets.
Step #4: Hide nail holes & gaps in crown molding
Color putty is the secret weapon of any complete cabinet installation.
You’ll need to hide not just nail holes in the crown molding but also any imperfections in your cuts, joints and toe kick.
I wouldn’t tackle installing crown on cabinets without Color Putty on hand. You can custom mix colors to match any wood or grain pattern.
- Professional Solution - FastCap's Crown Molding...
- Durable Construction - Made from sturdy nylon, the...
- Easy to Install and Remove - The Crown Molding...
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- Efficiency Booster - The Crown Molding Clip not...
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- ROCK-SOLID NESTED CUTS: Heavy-duty metal stops...
- GUARANTEED REPEATABLE ACCURACY: This 2-in-1 system...
- PRO-GRADE DURABILITY & TRANSFER: Protractor built...
- UNIVERSAL PROTRACTOR & CUSTOM CROWN STOPS: ⚠️...
- 【Durable Material】Durable hard ABS plastic...
- 【Suitable for】Accurately mark bullnose corners...
- 【Saving More Time】Multiple fillets can be...
- 【Function】It helps layout per-fect lines for...
- 【Package Includes】1pc x Bullnose Trim Gauge....
- Simplify Complex Cutting: Streamlines crown...
- Guaranteed Repeatable Accuracy: Heavy-duty metal...
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Last update on 2026-02-12 at 19:51 / Images from Amazon
Summary
While installing crown molding properly is arguably the most challenging step of most cabinet installations, it is also the most rewarding.
Be sure to check out our cabinet installation series for your next steps.
Cabinet Installation Series
Planning & Tools To Install Cabinets
Guides for Cabinet Installation
Finishing Cabinets With Molding and Hardware
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Eric has been a professional woodworker for over thirty years and has worked in small cabinet shops making everything from kitchen cabinets to hand-made furniture. Now working from a home woodworking shop Eric is sharing his passion for woodworking, tool advice and how-to knowledge from his Minnesota-based woodshop.
