DIY Making False Panels for Cabinet Doors

Remove the door or doors from the cabinets. Use a screwdriver to remove the hinges from the doors so they will lie flat on your work surface. Keep the screws and hinges in a baggie so you can use them to reattach the doors later.

Clean the cabinet doors with a degreasing cleaner and a rag. Dry the doors with a dry towel.

Measure the width of the cabinet doors and multiply the width by 0.75. This is the width of the rectangle that you should draw inside the cabinet doors. Measure the height of the cabinet doors and multiply the height by 0.75. This is the height of the rectangle that you should draw on the cabinet doors. Draw a rectangle on each cabinet door that matches these measurements. Use a ruler and a T-square to ensure that the rectangles you draw on the cabinet doors are square with the edges of the cabinets. This rectangle represents the exterior edge of the molding rectangle that you will glue on the cabinet doors.

Add up the total perimeter of each rectangle on each cabinet. This is the minimum amount of molding you must purchase. You should purchase an additional 10 percent on top of this amount to accommodate mistakes.

Purchase decorative molding from your local home improvement store. You may choose any molding that you like, but the results will be more realistic if the molding you choose is approximately 1 inch wide or less.

Cut the molding to fit the sides of the rectangles you drew on the cabinets. Use a saw and miter box to cut the edges of the molding to 45-degree angles, so the edges of the molding will meet to form perfect right angles at the corners of each rectangle.

Glue the molding down on the cabinet doors, following the rectangle guides you drew in Step 3. Wait for the glue to dry as per the manufacturer's instructions.

Nail each molding into place with two small nails -- one at the top of the molding and one at the bottom. Choose nails long enough to only sink through the molding and half way into your cabinet doors. Use a countersink to drive the nail head into the molding.

Apply wood filler to the molding where the nail heads were sunk into the molding and to any crevices in the molding joints. Wait for the wood filler to dry, then sand it with fine-grade sandpaper.

Paint the cabinet doors. This step is important for creating the look of faux paneling. Choose a paint that will adhere to the material the cabinet doors are made from. This may require you to lightly sand the cabinet doors to develop "tooth," a rough surface that the paint can cling to. Wait for the cabinet doors to dry according to the directions on the paint can, then reattach the cabinet doors using the old hinges you saved in Step 1.