How To Add a Window Sill for Under $50

In my farmhouse kitchen fantasy, I picture an adorable, white window above my kitchen sink. I imagine myself looking out my kitchen window to a beautiful view, while admiring a vase of of fresh flowers atop a clean, white window sill.

In reality, the view from my kitchen window isn’t quite breathtaking. It basically looks out onto a dirt retaining wall. In the future, with a lot of hard work, it has some potential. However, the part of my fantasy that could realistically be accomplished on a budget was adding a pretty, white window sill.
I came across a tutorial on Pinterest by “BLESS’ER HOUSE”-Tutorial link , and I thought to myself, hey, my husband could probably help me do that. I honestly thought that convincing him would be the hardest part. I started the conversation how I begin all of our conversations, “Hey Beybehhhh…”. As soon as he hears that, he knows something is coming. When I showed him the tutorial, to my astonishment, he said, “Ya, we could probably do that.” The next weekend, he went to Home Depot and bought the materials. Shockingly, we accomplished this little window makeover within the time constraints of our daughter’s two hour nap time. NO JOKE, this is the quickest time frame that a project has ever been completed in our house…EVER. So, if you’re looking for a budget friendly way to update and elevate a window in your home, I highly recommend this project.

Note: You will need to have a chop saw and a finish nailer

Here is the completed project (still have plans for a backsplash 😋)

Materials:
* 1 sheet of plywood (3/4″) (around $35)
* (2) 8 ft. 1×3 pieces of wood ($4.50 each)
* White paint (I used Valspar Oxford White from Lowes. It was leftover from painting our walls so we didn’t pay anything. If you don’t have any lying around, get a couple of the sample sizes or a quarter gallon at most)
* Caulk ($5)

Tools
* Chop saw
* Finish nailer
* Sanding block

This gives you an idea as to how we used the wood. Because our window sill area was so wide, my husband thought that plywood would be the best option for the base.

Note: Our window sill area was very wide (8″) and we wanted the lip of the window sill to stick out about 1 1/2″ further than that. Therefore, my husband thought using plywood would be the best option for our window sill base. If you have a window sill that is smaller, using a 1×6 (like the “BLESS’ER HOUSE”-Tutorial link) might be a better and even cheaper option.

Step 1 (Create the Window Sill)
Start by measuring the depth of your widow sill. Our depth was 8″ and we wanted it stick out about an 1 1/2″, so we cut the plywood to a 9 1/2″ depth.

Next, measure the length of your window and then add two to three inches to both sides of the original measurement. The length that you add on is up to you, every kitchen is different. Think about what will look best with your cabinetry. Because we were using 1×3’s for the framing portion of the window, we decided that the sill should be a little longer than the framing. We added 3 1/2″ to both sides of our window length.

Then, my husband marked the measurements to notch out the plywood. He then, slid the plywood piece into the window to make sure that it fit.

Step 2 (Cut the Framing Pieces)
Next you’re going to measure for the framing pieces. You will be using your 1×3 pieces. We left the window sill base in, and measured from the base to the top of the window. The mark that you make at the top of the window will be where you start your cut. You will be making a 45 degree angle cut from that mark (the mark will be the short end of your cut).

You will need two of these. One for each side of the window.

Then, measure the length along the top of your window. Make a mark at both ends of your measurement. The marks that you make will be where you start your cut. You will be making 45 degree angle cuts from both of your marks (the marks will be the short ends of your cuts).

Note:
*Your saw will need to be set to the 45 degree angle setting.
*Your top 1×3 will need a 45 degree angle at both ends.
*Your side 1×3’s will only need a 45 degree angle at the top end.

Here, you can see how the bottom of the side 1×3’s are flat against the window sill base. At the top, they all fit together at 45 degree angles.

Step 3 (Paint it all White)
Once you are sure that everything fits together how you want it, it’s time to paint! I took all of the pieces outside on our porch, and lightly sanded them. Then, I wiped them clean and started to paint. It took three coats of white paint before I was satisfied with the look.

Step 4 (Almost at the FINISH Line!)
Once the paint is dry, use a finish nailer to nail it all in place. Make sure your 45 degree angles are lined up correctly and touching before nailing in the 1×3’s.

Step 5 (Calk and Paint Make a Carpenter What He Aint)
Time to get your caulking on! Place a line of caulk along any edges or nail holes, and then wipe it away with a clean finger.