How to Build and Hang a Window Cornice
Master how to make your individual wood window cornice box to gown up your window frame. Developing a tailor made wood window valance is a good starter setting up project!
See additional of self-taught DIYer Jenny’s household and tips for commencing DIYers in this article — you won’t want to miss her stunning kitchen area and living place! Furthermore examine how to put in uncomplicated craftsman window trim close to any window.
What is a Window Cornice?
A window cornice is a 3-sided box that frames the top of a window. A cornice ordinarily covers—and extends out over—curtain rods, the top area of blinds, and window casings. It can be as tall as you treatment to make it, basic or fancy.
A window cornice is ordinarily good, like these created from wood in this tutorial, while a window valance is customarily created from cloth and additional like a limited curtain at the top of the window. A wood window valance “box” may also be named a pelmet box, which is ordinarily additional good than a valance but included in cloth to match the drapery.
No matter whether you contact it a window cornice, valance, or pelmet, the intent is to address up the window components and give your windows some existence and model!
Inventive Window Cornice Tips
Get artistic with window cornices to in good shape the perform and model of your place. Some suggestions:
- Incorporate a shelf to the top for displaying stuffed animals or kids’ soccer trophies.
- Paint the box part of the cornice a unique colour than the trim portions.
- Paint the window casing the very same colour as your cornice or vice versa.
- Layer trim parts to get a unique look or use a router to create a seriously tailor made piece.
- And, if you’re placing crown molding up in the place at the very same time as you’re performing your cornices, you can style it so that the crown molding operates seamlessly close to the place and the window cornice—-heaven!
For my wood window cornices, I employed crown molding that matched what was now in the place —- quite common builder-quality stuff that you can obtain at any significant box keep. I also employed some ogee trim (also identified as base cap).
How to Create a Do-it-yourself Wood Window Cornice
You should retain in mind that all of these wood dimensions and trim parts are precise to my cornices—-you may possibly want to do a little something unique. For example, I employed a 1″ x 8″ board for my cornice box, but if you want a taller (or shorter) cornice box, you’d want to acquire a broader, or shorter, board, and so forth.
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Wood Window Cornice Offer Listing
*This is a delicate and low-cost wood. It often has knots and is at times not straight, so be choosy when deciding upon your wood. Get the straightest achievable parts with the fewest knots. You can use a harder and bigger-high-quality wood, but it will be additional highly-priced if you plan to stain your cornice, relatively than paint it, you will likely want to devote in a bigger-high-quality wood species.
Wood Window Cornice Device Listing
Do-it-yourself Wood Window Cornice Box Assembly
Stage one: Approach & Measure
Approach the look of your cornice. Consider:
- What trim, if any, do you want to use?
- Will you stain it or paint it?
- How tall and large do you want it to be?
- How significantly place do you have previously mentioned and on the sides of the window to do the job with?
Measure your window from the outdoors edge of the window casing on a person side to the outdoors edge of the window casing on the opposite side. Do not measure just the window by itself. Include the casings!
Your cornice will dangle down about the window and the casings. I chose to add 4″ (that is 2″ for each and every side of the window) to my window measurements. Why? To make it possible for for the width of the edge of the cornice and for a very little place among the window casing and the cornice.
Useful Reading: Common Tricks for Superior Looking Curtains
Also measure out from the wall to establish how deep your cornice wants to be. Will the cornice dangle about a curtain rod or blinds? The cornice box wants to be deep adequate to extend out about any obstacles—-the window casing, blinds, or curtains.
Incorporate at minimum a one/2″ or so to your depth measurement so you won’t have to fret about your cornice scraping up from your window treatment plans immediately after it’s set up.
Centered on the clearance you have among the ceiling and your window, as effectively as your personalized choice, establish how tall you want your cornice to be.
Purchase your supplies and make a sketch of your dimensions.
Stage two: Minimize the Wood Cornice Pieces & Crown Molding
I slice all the parts for my cornice 1st.
I slice my 1″ x 8″ frequent board to length and slice both equally of the limited sides at a beveled 45-degree angle making use of a miter saw. This piece is the entrance of your cornice box.
For the top and side parts of my cornice box, I essential a shallower width of board, so I ripped my 1″ x 6″ frequent board down to 1″ x 5″ (a non-common dimension not available at my regional lumber property) making use of a desk saw. I then slice the top and side parts of my cornice box from the 1″ x 5″ board.
For the side parts, I employed my miter saw to slice 45-degree angles on a person of the very long edges.
I slice my crown molding and ogee trim, both equally the entrance and side parts, mitered to fulfill flush at the corners of the cornice box.
See this put up for tips and resources to assist you understand how to slice crown molding and other trim — and constantly remember to observe, observe, observe on some low-cost molding or scraps until you’re assured with your cuts.
For the ogee trim, established your table to 45-levels. Go away your blade on centre at -levels.
For the crown molding, you will will need to established the angles on your blade and desk in accordance to the spring angle of the crown molding you’re making use of. I employed just about the most fundamental and broadly available crown molding there is (spring angle: 53/37). I established my miter (angle on desk) to 31.five-levels and my bevel (tilt of blade) to 34-levels.
The greatest piece of crown molding, managing together the top of the cornice box, has two outdoors corners.
The still left-hand mitered outdoors corner is slice by positioning the crown to the ideal of the blade. The top edge of the crown rests up from the fence. The miter angle on the desk of your miter saw is established to the ideal of centre.
You will also slice the ideal-hand side piece of crown this way. The edge of the side piece of crown that meets the entrance piece of crown will be slice at an angle. The other side will be flush from the wall, so it’s a straight-edge slice.
The ideal-hand mitered outdoors corner is slice by positioning the crown to the ideal of the blade. The base edge of the crown rests up from the fence. The miter angle on the desk of your miter saw is established to the still left of centre.
You will also slice the still left-hand side piece of crown this way. The edge of the side piece of crown that meets the entrance piece of crown will be slice at an angle. The other side will be flush from the wall, so it’s a straight-edge slice.
When reducing crown, I constantly add a fifty percent-inch or a very little additional to the total length I measured prior to reducing. I’ll do a exam in good shape immediately after earning my 1st slice and then trim a very little additional off if I will need to, but with crown, when you slice it as well limited, you’re out of luck! So I’m constantly quite, quite cautious and take my time to be sure to get it ideal. Keep in mind, as well, that crown has to extend a little bit previous the length of your cornice box. If the slice edge of the crown traces up specifically with the edge of the cornice box, there won’t be adequate of an edge still left on the crown to fulfill up with the edge of the side piece of crown, which you will want it to do in purchase to get a neat corner.
Stage 3: Assemble the Wood Cornice
I drilled holes making use of my Kreg Jig together the top, inside edges of my entrance box piece and my two side box parts. (If you do not individual a Kreg Jig, you can join your box together by 1st gluing with wood glue and then making use of ending nails or a nail gun.)
I employed wood glue to join the mitered edges of my side box parts and my entrance box piece and clamped it all to dry. Then, I employed my eighteen-gauge nail gun to enhance the bond by nailing the parts together (you could also use a hammer and ending nails, if you do not have a nail gun).
Next, I employed my Kreg Jig screws to screw together the top piece of my box to the entrance and side box parts. Now, you have acquired you a box. Time to jazz it up!
Stage 4: Connect Cornice Trim
I connected the ogee trim flush to the base edge of my cornice box with my eighteen-gauge nail gun (you can also use ending nails and a hammer). You can glue 1st, as well, if you’d like to.
Right before attaching any trim, even though, exam the in good shape of your corner parts to make sure they in good shape together correctly. 
Make measured marks all together the length of your box where you want your crown molding to be. Then, use a amount or other straight edge to connect the marks so you have a line together which to line up the base edge of your crown molding—you want it to be amount. Nail together the base edge of your crown to attach it to your cornice box. It can be any where on the box frame you pick for it to be—-flush with the top edge of the box or someplace farther down the box. I chose to have a five-one/2″ hole among the top of my ogee trim and the base of my crown molding.
You can constantly add a shelf to the top of the cornice box, which would give the crown a little something to attach to (like it would if it have been being equipped together a wall and ceiling), but considering the fact that on this cornice, I chose not to add a shelf, I had to glue the corner crown parts to the centre crown piece to attach them.
Use painter’s tape to safe the relationship until the glue dries. Connect the base of the side parts of crown with nails together the base edge, just as you did with the entrance piece of crown.
I would recommend from hoping to nail the top piece of the side crown to the top piece of the entrance crown, as you’ll risk splitting the crown.
Stage five: End and Paint Your Window Cornice
Now, use wood filler on your nail holes and caulk all the seams.
Useful Reading: Recommendations for Caulking Like a Professional
Immediately after the wood filler and caulk have dried, do a light-weight sanding to assure a clean completed area. Wipe away all dust and particles.
I employed a person coat of primer and two coats of paint, letting everything dry thoroughly among coats.
Remember to paint the underside of your cornice box, as well, as it will be seen if another person is standing shut to, or less than, the window.
If the top of your cornice box will be seen, be sure to paint the top, as well, but most of the time, a cornice box will be so shut to the ceiling that no a person will be capable to see the top of it.
How to Cling a Wood Window Cornice
Minimize a 1″ x 2″ strip of wood just shorter than the comprehensive length of your accomplished cornice box.
Mount it to the wall previously mentioned the window where you will be hanging the cornice, making use of a amount and 2″ wood screws. Be sure to attach to studs and not just dry wall.
Keep in mind how significantly down about your window you want your cornice to hang—-that will establish where on the wall you put in the 1″ x 2″ strip of wood (your cornice box will ‘hang’ on this strip of wood).
You will attach your window cornice box by ‘hanging’ it on, and screwing it in to, your 1″ x 2″ strip, which you have mounted to the wall previously mentioned your window. It won’t be safe adequate to just ‘hang’ the cornice box on the 1″ x 2″ strip. You will need to screw down as a result of the top of the cornice box, in to the 1″ x 2″ strip at frequent intervals together the length of the cornice box.
To make the occupation simpler, I screwed my 2″ wood screws partially in to the top of my cornice box prior to hanging it, so that I’d have a lot less screwing to do immediately after placing the cornice box in location about the window. Be conscious in the placement of your screws. You do not want them so shut to the edge that the wood splits, consequently compromising the attachment. Neither do you do not want them so significantly away from the edge that they won’t screw down in to the top of your wall-mounted 1″ x 2″ strip.
You can also use the very same concept to create a decorative and/or useful shelf.
Alternatively of earning a box as you did for the cornice, use just a flat board and add a shelf on top. Connect trim just as you would for the window cornice. I employed an Ook Hangman French Cleat Photo Hanging Kit to dangle the shelf beneath in my kitchen—-performs like a dream! And, yes, you can dangle it someplace other than about a window!
Or use the very same concept to create a mattress crown cornice like Cassity did for her daughter’s place in this article:
Much more means to make your windows look incredible:
Do-it-yourself Window Cornice Right before and Afters
And just for kicks and giggles, here’s what these bedrooms seemed like when we acquired the property and what they look like now (with the window cornices and other updates):
Be sure to pin your favorites to help save for later on and share with your close friends!
Revealed 05.03.sixteen // Current 05.fourteen.twenty
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