DIY Budget Friendly Air Return Vent Cover :

DIY Budget Friendly Air Return Vent Cover

How to DIY a decorative air vent return cover easily and on a budget

What is the biggest eyesore in your home?

If you answered your return air vent cover, then you are in the right place.

We are currently in the beginning stages of making over the only hallway we have in our home. It leads to a cleaning closet, half bathroom, and our primary bedroom.

It also contains a linen storage space and a big ole return air vent. The storage is also unappealing the way it is set up but that is a problem we will address after the air return vent cover.

This air return vent cover is large and has been broken ever since we moved in. It doesn’t latch quite right because the metal is warped and that makes it very annoying to deal with. Not to mention it’s just kind of ugly.

So I decided to DIY our own budget air return vent cover that will be less of an eye sore and more of a decorative element for this hallway!

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DIY Vent Cover Supplies:

How to Cover Air Vents

Let me start by saying air vents and returns are crucial for a home’s air conditioning unit to function properly. I know that seems like common knowledge but I have covered a floor air vent before with a rug or furniture and quickly learned that was a costly mistake.

Now I know that if I cover an air vent with say a built-in breakfast nook bench, I need to build an air vent extender to maintain proper air flow throughout our home.

Luckily this method for creating a DIY decorative air return vent cover was approved by our local air conditioning expert and it can also be used to create an air register cover too!

DIY Air Return Vent Cover

The first step to creating a DIY decorative air vent cover is to remove the old one. Ours was simply attached to a metal frame that was screwed into the wall. I used a screwdriver to remove all the frame screws and the old air return frame easily came out of the opening.

Next, measure the air return vent opening and choose the correct decorative metal size. Our opening was tall and wide so we went with the largest size sheet metal Lowes had available which was 24×36″.

This size decorative sheet metal needed about an inch and a half trimmed off to be a good fit for our air return vent.

I was able to cut the decorative metal down to size using regular household scissors. It cuts very easily but you definitely need to wear gloves. I ended up with a bunch of small cuts and didn’t realize I was even being cut until the end…

The decorative metal I bought was silver because that was the only color the Lowes near me had in stock. I was impatient to get going on this project so I bought the silver and just primed and painted it gold myself.

Building the Air Return Vent Frame

The decorative metal needs a frame to attach to because it is a little flimsy and it would also look weird without one in my opinion.

For the air vent frame I cut 4 pieces of this fancy wood casing down to size. Remember to cut these pieces at least an inch longer and wider than the air vent opening so that the frame will be able to attach to the wall.

For this frame I used 45 degree miter cuts because I think that looks a little fancier than butt joints but either type of cut is fine.

After all the frame pieces were cut I lightly sanded the cut edges so that they were smooth.

Assembling the Air Vent Frame

Now that the frame pieces are cut you can assemble the air vent frame. I used a clear industrial strength adhesive and clamps to attach the four corners together.

Use a square in each corner to make sure the frame angles are correct.

I also reinforced the corners with staples, this might have been unnecessary but when you have a toddler running around nothing can ever be too secure.

Next I stained the frame pieces with Early American stain from Varathane. This is my favorite rich brown stain color and the gel stain dries in an hour which is convenient.

Staining Tip: If you also chose a casing or trim with ornamental details that are hard to reach with a regular staining cloth, put a small flat head screwdriver under the cloth to reach those detailed parts.

After the stain dried completely I sprayed the pieces with a matte finish wax to seal them. I love this spray wax, it makes sealing my wood projects much faster than using a cloth to apply the wax.

Attaching the Decorative Vent to the Frame

Once both the decorative metal vent piece and frame pieces are dry they can be attached together.

Flip the frame over so that the back of the frame is facing up. Next place the metal screen on top of the frame so that the painted side is facing down.

Attaching the Decorative Vent to the Frame

Attach the decorative metal to the wood frame using staples. If you do not have a battery powered staple gun this is your sign to treat yourself to one asap!

The staples go through the decorative metal very easily. Just be sure the metal is pulled taught as you attach it.

Installing the Decorative Return Air Vent Cover

Before attaching the new decorative air vent cover I had to install brackets that would hold the air vent filter into place. There are a lot of ways to go about this but I decided installing these small L brackets to the inside of the air vent was easiest.

The brackets are installed with screws equally placed around all four sides. The air filter simply sits in front of the brackets. These brackets just ensure that the air filter remains in place and isn’t sucked into the vent.

After the new filter was installed I attached velcro pieces to the back of the frame on the top and sides and to the wall.

This velcro can hold up to 10 pounds and this cover is nowhere near that heavy. When I need to replace the air filter I gently pull the frame off and then just reattach it.