At Do It Yourself, we may be fond of hollow-core doors as building blocks for clever projects, but hanging in our doorways? Not so much.

That’s why we celebrate Christine Hofmann-Bourque as Reader Projects. Christine transformed bland, brown hollow-core doors into faux-panel wonders.

Click here to see a door, awaiting treatment in her basement.

Christine recommends removing the doors so it’s easier to patch them and accurately apply the faux panels. Here’s her process:

1. Remove hinges and knobs, clean the doors.

2. Patch any dings with wood filler and sand smooth.

3. Use construction adhesive to attach precut frames from your home improvement center (find them in the aisle dedicated to molding and trim). “Clamp” the frames with heavy books while the glue cures.

4. Caulk the frames to hide any gaps. Allow to dry, then prime and paint.

Door awaiting primer and paint. Christine also added shiny new hinges.

Click here to see other doors in Christine’s home.

Here’s another DIY project that features a slab door.