How to Make Wood Column Wraps

Measure the height from the floor to the ceiling and the diameter of the widest part of the post you're wrapping. Find the joist that the post sits under and mark the joist's location on either side of the post. Cut four pieces of wood to this height and 6 inches wider than the post's diameter to give you enough room to work inside the column wrap. This will give you a slightly rectangular finished wrap.

Apply glue to the raw edges of one wrap side. Assemble three sides of the wrap by placing two sides, without glue, on their long, narrow edges perpendicular to each other. Put the third side, with glue on the edges, laid flat between the upright sides. Align all the edges at the top and bottom and nail the pieces together with three-quarter-inch finishing nails.

Cut four pieces from the 1-by-1-inch board 4 inches shorter than the width of the sides. If the diameter of the post was 3 inches and you cut the sides to 9 inches, then the four pieces will be 5 inches long. Center the 1-by-1-inch piece on each side, flush with the top edge and secure it with 1-inch finishing nails. Repeat for the other two sides.

Set the three-quarters-finished column wrap upright and position it so that the post is within the three sides and the joist you marked runs through two of the three completed sides. Double-check that you'll be able to put the fourth side on without bumping the post. Then put one 1 1/2-inch nail through the 1-by-1-inch board into the joist on either side of the post.

Lift the fourth side upright, apply wood glue to the long raw edges and put it into position on the column wrap, finishing the rectangle. Nail the fourth side in place.

Cut four pieces of corner molding to fit the four corners of the wrap from floor to ceiling. Attach each piece of molding with one-half-inch finishing nails every foot. Cut eight pieces of quarter-round molding to fit between the edge molding on each side of the column at the top and the bottom. Nail the quarter-round in place with finishing nails.