How to Wrap Porch Posts for a Modern Look

Give new life to your home by learning how to wrap porch posts! This easy home improvement project packs a majorly stylish punch and revives any front yard.

how to wrap porch posts
how to wrap porch posts

During our front yard landscape project, we wanted to include an update to the facade of our home as well. Our ranch-style home was built in the mid-fifties, and was ready for a modern refresh.

After having created new backyard landscaping and a DIY pergola in the backyard as well, the goal was to bring that same feel into the front yard.

So creating this DIY to wrap our front porch posts was a quick, easy, and affordable way to accomplish that. You can see more of our front yard landscaping here as well.

wrapped front porch posts
wrapped wood posts on front porch

Easy DIY Porch Column Wraps

There are actually pre-fabricated porch column wraps that you can order, in a variety of styles and colors. However, as avid home improvement enthusiasts, we were excited to try these on our own!

If you’re new to woodworking or home improvement projects, this might be a great project to start on. It’s low-pressure and doesn’t require any advanced skills or fancy tools. Just a basic saw, drill, and the like.

woman sitting on front porch with wrapped posts
blue tile front porch

Why Make Porch Post Covers?

If you’re on the fence about making porch post covers or wrapping your front porch posts, let me share a few reasons why we decided to go for it!

  • It’s an easy way to make a big impact on the look of your home.
  • The porch post covers will modernize the asthetic of your home’s exterior.
  • Wrapping porch posts is a relatively affordable home improvement project with big bang for your buck.
  • If you ever decide you don’t like it, the wraps are completely removable and the only damage left will be easily fillable nail or screw holes.
wrapped wood post on front porch
wrapped front porch posts

Can You Remove Porch Post wraps?

Speaking of removing your porch post wraps — yes, you can!

If for some reason you wrap your posts and decide down the line you don’t like it or need to remove it for some other reason, no problem.

You can simply pull out the screws or nails, remove the planks, and patch the holes. It’s as simple as that.

wrapped wood post on front porch
how to wrap front porch columns on a 1950's ranch style house

Types of Wood for Wrapping Posts

As you’re selecting wood for wrapping your front porch posts, keep a few things in mind!

It’s a good idea to consider whether you’ll paint or stain your wood, and choose a wood that will work well with your chosen finish.

Some great economy wood choices are fir or yellow pine, especially if you’re painting. If you’d like something higher-end, you could look into oak, birch, or even mahogany.

What you see here is redwood with a stain. We had some extra redwood left over from our DIY outdoor kitchen design and we really liked how the color popped against the white stucco of the house. So another thing to think about is the color of your home, and how you’d like to accent it with the wood.

wrapped front porch posts

Supplies You’ll Need

Wood. Check out wood prices at your local hardwood store. Compare and contrast quality with price to make sure you get the right wood for you.

Saw. A table saw works well for this project, but you could accomplish it with a mitre box in a pinch!

Sander or Planer. A planer will cut way down on sanding time (and will save your arm from exhaustion).

Stain. Search for a stain in your desired color that’s rated for outdoor use.

Paintbrushes. Here is a variety pack with various sizes that’s good to have in your supplies.

Drill. This drill is affordable and a great starter if you’re new to home improvement projects.

Screws. Be sure to use screws that are long enough to pierce your wood planks and sink into the existing posts.

how to wrap porch posts

How to Wrap Porch Posts

  1. Strip your existing posts of any added enhancements like corbels, address numbers, and the like.
  2. As you’re purchasing your wood, ensure that you get planks that are wide enough to cover your posts. You’ll need two planks to cover the exact width of your existing posts, and two that are wide enough to cover the post plus the added width of the other two planks.
  3. Measure the height of your posts and cut four planks of wood accordingly.
  4. Next, measure and cut two planks of wood to the exact width of the sides of your post if you’re looking at it from the front.
  5. Then, measure and cut two planks of wood to the width of the front of your post PLUS the width added when you have the two side planks added. For example, if your post is 6″ wide and you’re adding two planks that are each 1/2″ deep, you’ll need to cut your front and back blanks to 7″ wide each.
  6. Plane and sand all of the cut wood. This part is crucial, especially if you’re staining, to get that smooth and modern look. It’ll also create nice tight joints once the wood is affixed to your original posts.
  7. After sanding, clean the wood thoroughly of any sawdust or debris.
  8. Stain each plank of wood. You can skip staining the sides of the planks that will be facing inward toward your existing posts; these sides won’t be seen. Save the time and effort!
  9. Once your planks have dried, start affixing them to the existing posts. Use a drill and screws to screw them directly into the posts. Start with the two side planks, then the front plank, and finally the back plank. You should end up with the front and back of your post covering the two side planks so that you only see the seams in the wood from the sides.
wrapping front porch posts
wrapping front porch posts

Front Porch Post Wrap Before and After

When it was all said and done, I was so happy with the results! Here’s a side by side before and after.

I love the contrast of the house and the wrapped porch posts, and how they look with the tile patio too! It’s a lovely mix of textures and colors.

I’d love to know if you’re tackling this project in your own home! If you do, feel free to rate the DIY below and share a photo with us. Have fun! xoxo

front porch with columns
modern front porch design
modern front porch design

How to Wrap Porch Posts

Yield: Wrapped Porch Posts
Active Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated Cost: $150

Give new life to your home by learning how to wrap porch posts! This easy home improvement project packs a majorly stylish punch and revives any front yard.

Materials

  • wood planks
  • stain
  • screws

Tools

  • paintbrushes
  • measuring tape
  • saw
  • drill
  • planer

Instructions

  1. Strip your existing posts of any added enhancements like corbels, address numbers, and the like.
  2. As you're purchasing your wood, ensure that you get planks that are wide enough to cover your posts. You'll need two planks to cover the exact width of your existing posts, and two that are wide enough to cover the post plus the added width of the other two planks.
  3. Measure the height of your posts and cut four planks of wood accordingly.
  4. Next, measure and cut two planks of wood to the exact width of the sides of your post if you're looking at it from the front.
  5. Then, measure and cut two planks of wood to the width of the front of your post PLUS the width added when you have the two side planks added. For example, if your post is 6" wide and you're adding two planks that are each 1/2" deep, you'll need to cut your front and back blanks to 7" wide each.
  6. Plane and sand all of the cut wood. This part is crucial, especially if you're staining, to get that smooth and modern look. It'll also create nice tight joints once the wood is affixed to your original posts.
  7. After sanding, clean the wood thoroughly of any sawdust or debris.
  8. Stain each plank of wood. You can skip staining the sides of the planks that will be facing inward toward your existing posts; these sides won't be seen. Save the time and effort!
  9. Once your planks have dried, start affixing them to the existing posts. Use a drill and screws to screw them directly into the posts. Start with the two side planks, then the front plank, and finally the back plank. You should end up with the front and back of your post covering the two side planks so that you only see the seams in the wood from the sides.

Notes

As you're selecting wood for wrapping your front porch posts, keep a few things in mind!

It's a good idea to consider whether you'll paint or stain your wood, and choose a wood that will work well with your chosen finish.

Some great economy wood choices are fir or yellow pine, especially if you're painting. If you'd like something higher-end, you could look into oak, birch, or even mahogany.

What you see here is redwood with a stain. We had some extra redwood left over from our DIY outdoor kitchen design and we really liked how the color popped against the white stucco of the house. So another thing to think about is the color of your home, and how you'd like to accent it with the wood.

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5 Comments

  1. Beautiful work on your house and yard! The tropical plants you chose for around the pergola are perfect with it, too.
    (And I LOVED that background music on the “Before/After” shots ! ??? 1940’s??? )