Understand how to construct your very own wood window cornice box to costume up your window body. Developing a customized wood window valance is a fantastic novice constructing job!
See far more of self-taught DIYer Jenny’s residence and strategies for commencing DIYers here — you won’t want to overlook her lovely kitchen and dwelling space! In addition read how to put in simple craftsman window trim about any window.
What is a Window Cornice?
A window cornice is a three-sided box that frames the top of a window. A cornice generally covers—and extends out over—curtain rods, the top part of blinds, and window casings. It can be as tall as you care to make it, simple or extravagant.
A window cornice is generally solid, like these produced from wood in this tutorial, when a window valance is traditionally produced from material and far more like a short curtain at the top of the window. A wood window valance “box” may also be called a pelmet box, which is generally far more solid than a valance but covered in material to match the drapery.
No matter if you call it a window cornice, valance, or pelmet, the function is to go over up the window hardware and give your home windows some existence and fashion!
Inventive Window Cornice Tips
Get creative with window cornices to suit the operate and fashion of your space. Some suggestions:
- Add a shelf to the top for exhibiting stuffed animals or kids’ soccer trophies.
- Paint the box portion of the cornice a diverse shade than the trim parts.
- Paint the window casing the similar shade as your cornice or vice versa.
- Layer trim parts to get a distinct search or use a router to make a really customized piece.
- And, if you are putting crown molding up in the space at the similar time as you are executing your cornices, you can design and style it so that the crown molding operates seamlessly about the space and the window cornice—-heaven!
For my wood window cornices, I used crown molding that matched what was previously in the space —- very common builder-quality things that you can discover at any large box store. I also used some ogee trim (also acknowledged as base cap).
How to Make a Diy Wood Window Cornice
Remember to maintain in mind that all of these wood dimensions and trim parts are unique to my cornices—-you may want to do one thing diverse. For example, I used a 1″ x 8″ board for my cornice box, but if you want a taller (or shorter) cornice box, you’d want to purchase a broader, or shorter, board, and many others.
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Wood Window Cornice Provide Listing
*This is a tender and inexpensive wood. It normally has knots and is occasionally not straight, so be choosy when picking your wood. Get the straightest attainable parts with the fewest knots. You can use a more difficult and increased-quality wood, but it will be far more pricey if you prepare to stain your cornice, relatively than paint it, you’ll possible want to spend in a increased-quality wood species.
Wood Window Cornice Device Listing
Diy Wood Window Cornice Box Assembly
Step one: Plan & Measure
Plan the search of your cornice. Contemplate:
- What trim, if any, do you want to use?
- Will you stain it or paint it?
- How tall and huge do you want it to be?
- How considerably house do you have higher than and on the sides of the window to do the job with?
Measure your window from the outside edge of the window casing on 1 aspect to the outside edge of the window casing on the opposite aspect. Do not measure just the window by itself. Incorporate the casings!
Your cornice will dangle down over the window and the casings. I selected to include 4″ (that’s 2″ for every aspect 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 house among the window casing and the cornice.
Beneficial Examining: Universal Methods for Excellent Looking Curtains
Also measure out from the wall to decide how deep your cornice requires to be. Will the cornice dangle over a curtain rod or blinds? The cornice box requires to be deep enough to lengthen out over any obstacles—-the window casing, blinds, or curtains.
Add at least a one/2″ or so to your depth measurement so you won’t have to stress about your cornice scraping up against your window solutions immediately after it is put in.
Centered on the clearance you have among the ceiling and your window, as properly as your particular desire, decide how tall you want your cornice to be.
Invest in your components and make a sketch of your dimensions.
Step two: Slice the Wood Cornice Pieces & Crown Molding
I reduce all the parts for my cornice 1st.
I reduce my 1″ x 8″ typical board to duration and reduce the two of the short sides at a beveled forty five-degree angle using a miter observed. This piece is the front of your cornice box.
For the top and aspect parts of my cornice box, I necessary a shallower width of board, so I ripped my 1″ x 6″ typical board down to 1″ x 5″ (a non-common size not accessible at my regional lumber property) using a desk observed. I then reduce the top and aspect parts of my cornice box from the 1″ x 5″ board.
For the aspect parts, I used my miter observed to reduce forty five-degree angles on 1 of the extensive edges.
I reduce my crown molding and ogee trim, the two the front and aspect parts, mitered to fulfill flush at the corners of the cornice box.
See this publish for strategies and means to support you master how to reduce crown molding and other trim — and always remember to apply, apply, apply on some inexpensive molding or scraps until finally you are self-assured with your cuts.
For the ogee trim, established your table to forty five-levels. Leave your blade on middle at -levels.
For the crown molding, you’ll need to have to established the angles on your blade and desk in accordance to the spring angle of the crown molding you are using. I used just about the most fundamental and widely accessible crown molding there is (spring angle: fifty three/37). I established my miter (angle on desk) to 31.five-levels and my bevel (tilt of blade) to 34-levels.
The most significant piece of crown molding, operating together the top of the cornice box, has two outside corners.
The still left-hand mitered outside corner is reduce by positioning the crown to the appropriate of the blade. The top edge of the crown rests up against the fence. The miter angle on the desk of your miter observed is established to the appropriate of middle.
You will also reduce the appropriate-hand aspect piece of crown this way. The edge of the aspect piece of crown that satisfies the front piece of crown will be reduce at an angle. The other aspect will be flush against the wall, so it is a straight-edge reduce.
The appropriate-hand mitered outside corner is reduce by positioning the crown to the appropriate of the blade. The bottom edge of the crown rests up against the fence. The miter angle on the desk of your miter observed is established to the still left of middle.
You will also reduce the still left-hand aspect piece of crown this way. The edge of the aspect piece of crown that satisfies the front piece of crown will be reduce at an angle. The other aspect will be flush against the wall, so it is a straight-edge reduce.
When slicing crown, I always include a 50 percent-inch or a very little far more to the complete duration I measured right before slicing. I’ll do a take a look at suit immediately after creating my 1st reduce and then trim a very little far more off if I need to have to, but with crown, the moment you reduce it way too short, you are out of luck! So I’m always incredibly, incredibly cautious and consider my time to be certain to get it appropriate. Preserve in mind, way too, that crown has to lengthen a little bit previous the duration of your cornice box. If the reduce edge of the crown strains up exactly with the edge of the cornice box, there won’t be enough of an edge still left on the crown to fulfill up with the edge of the aspect piece of crown, which you’ll want it to do in purchase to get a neat corner.
Step three: Assemble the Wood Cornice
I drilled holes using my Kreg Jig together the top, inside edges of my front box piece and my two aspect box parts. (If you do not very own a Kreg Jig, you can join your box together by 1st gluing with wood glue and then using finishing nails or a nail gun.)
I used wood glue to join the mitered edges of my aspect box parts and my front box piece and clamped it all to dry. Then, I used my eighteen-gauge nail gun to fortify the bond by nailing the parts together (you could also use a hammer and finishing nails, if you do not have a nail gun).
Up coming, I used my Kreg Jig screws to screw together the top piece of my box to the front and aspect box parts. Now, you’ve received on your own a box. Time to jazz it up!
Step 4: Connect Cornice Trim
I connected the ogee trim flush to the bottom edge of my cornice box with my eighteen-gauge nail gun (you can also use finishing nails and a hammer). You can glue 1st, way too, if you’d like to.
Prior to attaching any trim, nevertheless, take a look at the suit of your corner parts to make certain they suit together correctly. 
Make measured marks all together the duration of your box exactly where you want your crown molding to be. Then, use a amount or other straight edge to link the marks so you have a line together which to line up the bottom edge of your crown molding—you want it to be amount. Nail together the bottom edge of your crown to attach it to your cornice box. It can be everywhere on the box body you select for it to be—-flush with the top edge of the box or somewhere farther down the box. I selected to have a five-one/2″ gap among the top of my ogee trim and the bottom of my crown molding.
You can always include a shelf to the top of the cornice box, which would give the crown one thing to attach to (like it would if it had been currently being equipped together a wall and ceiling), but due to the fact on this cornice, I selected not to include a shelf, I had to glue the corner crown parts to the middle crown piece to attach them.
Use painter’s tape to safe the connection until finally the glue dries. Connect the bottom of the aspect parts of crown with nails together the bottom edge, just as you did with the front piece of crown.
I would suggest against hoping to nail the top piece of the aspect crown to the top piece of the front crown, as you’ll risk splitting the crown.
Step five: Finish and Paint Your Window Cornice
Now, use wood filler on your nail holes and caulk all the seams.
Beneficial Examining: Ideas for Caulking Like a Professional
Following the wood filler and caulk have dried, do a gentle sanding to be certain a sleek finished surface area. Wipe absent all dust and debris.
I used 1 coat of primer and two coats of paint, allowing anything dry extensively among coats.
Don’t forget to paint the underside of your cornice box, way too, as it will be seen if anyone is standing near to, or less than, the window.
If the top of your cornice box will be seen, be certain to paint the top, way too, but most of the time, a cornice box will be so near to the ceiling that no 1 will be in a position to see the top of it.
How to Hold a Wood Window Cornice
Slice a 1″ x 2″ strip of wood just shorter than the whole duration of your finished cornice box.
Mount it to the wall higher than the window exactly where you’ll be hanging the cornice, using a amount and 2″ wood screws. Be certain to attach to studs and not just dry wall.
Preserve in mind how considerably down over your window you want your cornice to hang—-that will decide exactly 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 higher than your window. It won’t be safe enough to just ‘hang’ the cornice box on the 1″ x 2″ strip. You need to have to screw down by means of the top of the cornice box, in to the 1″ x 2″ strip at frequent intervals together the duration of the cornice box.
To make the job a lot easier, I screwed my 2″ wood screws partially in to the top of my cornice box right before hanging it, so that I’d have a lot less screwing to do immediately after putting the cornice box in put over the window. Be aware in the placement of your screws. You do not want them so near to the edge that the wood splits, hence compromising the attachment. Neither do you do not want them so considerably absent 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 similar thought to make a decorative and/or purposeful shelf.
Alternatively of creating a box as you did for the cornice, use just a flat board and include a shelf on top. Connect trim just as you would for the window cornice. I used an Ook Hangman French Cleat Image Hanging Package to dangle the shelf under in my kitchen—-will work like a desire! And, sure, you can dangle it somewhere other than over a window!
Or use the similar concept to make a mattress crown cornice like Cassity did for her daughter’s space here:
A lot more strategies to make your home windows search incredible:
Diy Window Cornice Prior to and Afters
And just for kicks and giggles, here’s what those bedrooms looked like when we acquired the dwelling and what they search like now (with the window cornices and other updates):
Be certain to pin your favorites to preserve for later and share with your close friends!
Published 05.03.sixteen // Up to date 05.fourteen.twenty
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