Molding ideas

Some idea for using scrap moldings. I love the shapes and profile of moldings. They come in so many shapes and weights and profiles. but all of them have potential beyond trimming a ceiling or doorway.
these ideas are either ones I have seen or tried or just thought of and I can not vouch for any results anybody gets in trying them. For the most part a miter saw and some small nails and glue are all you need to create cool things with moldings.

Picture frames: they make molding just for this but you can still use any of them though you may have to add strips of flat wood on the back to make the recess for the canvass, photo or glass.
Small shelves: I did make these and they came out really nice. Use 3 pieces of molding for the front and sides and then use a flat piece of wood for the shelf itself. You can use different kinds of molding and get an effect like a collection of architectural style.
If you can wrap your mind around compound miter cuts you can create triangular shelves that look like part of a box corner poking through the wall.
Small boxes: use the moldings for the sides of the box. if you want a lid you can create one with the same molding by using triangles and effect making a frame with no opening. then use a small square of wood that fits inside the opening glued to the bottom of the lid. Considering the weight of some crown moldings I have seen this could be a pretty good size box.
On a similar note
Display trays for jewelry: This is one I need to try. using short 1.5-2 inch wide moldings make a box that is whatever size I need to fit into my transport container. I would use wood for the bottom of the box. I would paint it shiny black and then line the bottom inside with a velvet covered pad that I can display my jewelry on. the hope would be I could transport everything without having to pack it all away into small boxes or bags anytime I was done with showing it.
Bead rolling planks: Some molding have interesting grooves that mike make interesting polymer clay beads.

Since molding come in all kinds of materials from PVC to foam to wood to composits it important that you make sure you are consistent within each project as I have found that the same profile can vary in dimension between different materials. Molding can be bought fairly cheap, but in my reuse and recycle mode I come across used and scrap molding all the time that I have made a small collection of. When I have more room and my workshop reestablished I will collect more and put some of these ideas into play.