We have one of those smart thermostats and I love it! But wow, do I think it’s ugly. I’ve been wanting to cover it. I’ve seen people use art or a basket to hide theirs, but I wanted to put my own spin on it. So when I noticed that one of my Sheila’s houses was the perfect size, I knew I had to make a DIY thermostat cover!

Here’s a before picture of my thermostat.

how to make a diy thermostat cover

SUPPLIES

Mini Hinges
1×2 Wood
Velcro Command Strips
Sheila’s Wood House
Paint (match your walls- I used Ultra Pure White)
Miter Saw (I used a special portable saw that also stores in a small space)
Drill

step 1- measure

Start by making sure the house (art or basket) is big enough to cover the thermostat. It should be at least a little taller and wider than the thermostat.

Measure the depth of your thermostat. This will help you select the wood that’ll be deep enough to go around it.

I have a Nest thermostat. It is 1″ deep. So I selected wood from my scrap pile that’s 1-1/8″ deep (a 1×2 piece of lumber will work great for this). That gives the thermostat a little breathing room so it works correctly even with a cover on it. This is especially important if your thermostat has buttons- you don’t want them pressed by the cover.

Next, measure the height of the house or frame. My house is 5″ tall so I decided to cut the wood to 4-3/4″ long.

step 2- cut and prep the wood

Now that you have your measurements, it’s time to cut. For this you’ll need a 1×2 board. Cut it down into two pieces. I cut mine down to 4-3/4″ long.

For this project I’m using a small portable saw. Sometimes a big miter saw is overwhelming for me to pull out, so this is a great option!

Since I used scrap wood that was in rough shape, I next sanded it smooth.

Then I painted it to match the walls of the room- Ultra Pure White by Behr. You can choose any color or stain that’ll match your house, frame, or wall.

step 3- install the diy thermostat cover

And now, turn the house or frame on the back and install two of the mini hinges. I found it easiest to drill a small pilot hole and then screw the hinge into place.

Take the wood pieces and mark center and about 3/4″ down on each end of the wood. Then drill a pilot hole in those that’s about the same thickness as the screws you’ll be using.

On the wall, mark level marks next to the thermostat. Use a pencil to draw a line that the wood can be lined up with so it’ll be installed level. You’ll want to make sure that they’re the correct distance apart so they can sit under your house or frame. I drew the lines 5-3/4″ apart. That worked perfectly for my wood house cover and thermostat.

Line the first board up with the measurement you made on the outside of the board. Screw into place.

Before screwing the second board in place, make sure the art or house will fit over the two pieces of wood. Then screw in place. In this picture the line I made on the wall is somewhat visible. It’s just a straight line, but important for getting the wood installed in the right place and level.

Last, screw the mini hinges into the brackets on the wall.

When the thermostat cover was in place, it wouldn’t stay shut. So I ended up adding velcro Command strips so it will stay closed. A magnet might be a better option, but I had the strips on hand and it was an easy fix.

after

I was so excited with how the cover turned out, it looks so cute on the wall- like whimsical art!

We ended up painting the whole room a mint color (Mountain Morn by Behr).

Now I love the little house up on the wall even more! It has so much personality.

If you’re into the Cottagecore look, I think this would be a great project.

And you could tweak it to work with a frame or other art.

does the thermostat still work with a cover on it?

One of the biggest questions I get is whether the thermostat still works with a cover over it- and the answer is yes! This has been up for about six months now and we haven’t had any issues at all.

The DIY thermostat cover is open on the top and bottom and there’s still airflow in front of the thermostat, so it can read the room temperature normally. The only change we made is turning off “Away Mode” on our smart thermostat since the motion sensor is now covered. When we’re gone, we simply adjust the temperature from the app instead.

price breakdown

For me, this was a really affordable project. I already had the house, wood, and screws on hand. I only bought the hinges which cost $5.

Anyway, I thought this was a fun project so I wanted to share it with you. It’s a great way to make something utilitarian look really lovely. Would you try this out? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below.

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