How to Build and Hang a Window Cornice
Understand how to create your possess wooden window cornice box to gown up your window frame. Building a custom made wooden window valance is a fantastic novice creating job!
See much more of self-taught DIYer Jenny’s dwelling and strategies for commencing DIYers right here — you will not want to skip her wonderful kitchen and residing home! Furthermore browse how to set up quick craftsman window trim around any window.
What is a Window Cornice?
A window cornice is a three-sided box that frames the prime of a window. A cornice typically covers—and extends out over—curtain rods, the prime segment of blinds, and window casings. It can be as tall as you care to make it, basic or extravagant.
A window cornice is typically reliable, like these manufactured from wooden in this tutorial, even though a window valance is historically manufactured from cloth and much more like a quick curtain at the prime of the window. A wooden window valance “box” may possibly also be named a pelmet box, which is typically much more reliable than a valance but included in cloth to match the drapery.
Whether or not you contact it a window cornice, valance, or pelmet, the goal is to deal with up the window hardware and give your home windows some presence and fashion!
Inventive Window Cornice Ideas
Get innovative with window cornices to match the function and fashion of your home. Some suggestions:
- Incorporate a shelf to the prime for displaying stuffed animals or kids’ soccer trophies.
- Paint the box part of the cornice a unique shade than the trim portions.
- Paint the window casing the very same shade as your cornice or vice versa.
- Layer trim items to get a distinct seem or use a router to generate a really custom made piece.
- And, if you’re putting crown molding up in the home at the very same time as you’re executing your cornices, you can style it so that the crown molding operates seamlessly around the home and the window cornice—-heaven!
For my wooden window cornices, I utilised crown molding that matched what was presently in the home —- quite normal builder-quality things that you can uncover at any big box store. I also utilised some ogee trim (also acknowledged as foundation cap).
How to Construct a Diy Wood Window Cornice
Remember to hold in head that all of these wooden proportions and trim items are unique to my cornices—-you could want to do one thing unique. For case in point, I utilised a 1″ x 8″ board for my cornice box, but if you want a taller (or shorter) cornice box, you’d want to obtain a wider, or shorter, board, etc.
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Wood Window Cornice Provide Listing
*This is a comfortable and economical wooden. It usually has knots and is occasionally not straight, so be picky when deciding upon your wooden. Get the straightest feasible items with the fewest knots. You can use a tougher and bigger-excellent wooden, but it will be much more highly-priced if you program to stain your cornice, alternatively than paint it, you are going to possible want to devote in a bigger-excellent wooden species.
Wood Window Cornice Software Listing
Diy Wood Window Cornice Box Assembly
Action one: Approach & Measure
Approach the seem of your cornice. Consider:
- What trim, if any, do you want to use?
- Will you stain it or paint it?
- How tall and vast do you want it to be?
- How much place do you have over and on the sides of the window to get the job done with?
Measure your window from the outside edge of the window casing on one aspect to the outside edge of the window casing on the reverse aspect. Do not evaluate just the window by itself. Include the casings!
Your cornice will hold down about the window and the casings. I chose to insert 4″ (that is 2″ for every single 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 minimal place among the window casing and the cornice.
Beneficial Examining: Common Tricks for Superior Looking Curtains
Also evaluate out from the wall to establish how deep your cornice desires to be. Will the cornice hold about a curtain rod or blinds? The cornice box desires to be deep enough to lengthen out about any obstacles—-the window casing, blinds, or curtains.
Incorporate at minimum a one/2″ or so to your depth measurement so you will not have to stress about your cornice scraping up towards your window treatment options immediately after it is mounted.
Centered on the clearance you have among the ceiling and your window, as effectively as your particular desire, establish how tall you want your cornice to be.
Order your products and make a sketch of your proportions.
Action 2: Lower the Wood Cornice Pieces & Crown Molding
I slice all the items for my cornice first.
I slice my 1″ x 8″ typical board to length and slice both of those of the quick sides at a beveled forty five-degree angle making use of a miter saw. This piece is the entrance of your cornice box.
For the prime and aspect items of my cornice box, I required a shallower width of board, so I ripped my 1″ x 6″ typical board down to 1″ x 5″ (a non-normal measurement not available at my regional lumber property) making use of a table saw. I then slice the prime and aspect items of my cornice box from the 1″ x 5″ board.
For the aspect items, I utilised my miter saw to slice forty five-degree angles on one of the very long edges.
I slice my crown molding and ogee trim, both of those the entrance and aspect items, mitered to satisfy flush at the corners of the cornice box.
See this put up for strategies and resources to aid you discover how to slice crown molding and other trim — and constantly don’t forget to observe, observe, observe on some economical molding or scraps until eventually you’re assured with your cuts.
For the ogee trim, established your table to forty five-degrees. Depart your blade on centre at -degrees.
For the crown molding, you are going to need to established the angles on your blade and table according to the spring angle of the crown molding you’re making use of. I utilised just about the most primary and widely available crown molding there is (spring angle: 53/37). I established my miter (angle on table) to 31.5-degrees and my bevel (tilt of blade) to 34-degrees.
The major piece of crown molding, operating along the prime of the cornice box, has 2 outside corners.
The left-hand mitered outside corner is slice by positioning the crown to the right of the blade. The prime edge of the crown rests up towards the fence. The miter angle on the table of your miter saw is established to the right of centre.
You will also slice the right-hand aspect piece of crown this way. The edge of the aspect piece of crown that satisfies the entrance piece of cr
own will be slice at an angle. The other aspect will be flush towards the wall, so it is a straight-edge slice.
The right-hand mitered outside corner is slice by positioning the crown to the right of the blade. The base edge of the crown rests up towards the fence. The miter angle on the table of your miter saw is established to the left of centre.
You will also slice the left-hand aspect piece of crown this way. The edge of the aspect piece of crown that satisfies the entrance piece of crown will be slice at an angle. The other aspect will be flush towards the wall, so it is a straight-edge slice.
When chopping crown, I constantly insert a half-inch or a minimal much more to the full length I calculated in advance of chopping. I’ll do a check match immediately after building my first slice and then trim a minimal much more off if I need to, but with crown, when you slice it way too quick, you’re out of luck! So I’m constantly really, really watchful and just take my time to be absolutely sure to get it right. Maintain in head, way too, that crown has to lengthen a little bit past the length of your cornice box. If the slice edge of the crown strains up particularly with the edge of the cornice box, there will not be enough of an edge left on the crown to satisfy up with the edge of the aspect piece of crown, which you are going to want it to do in purchase to get a neat corner.
Action three: Assemble the Wood Cornice
I drilled holes making use of my Kreg Jig along the prime, within edges of my entrance box piece and my 2 aspect box items. (If you really do not possess a Kreg Jig, you can be a part of your box together by first gluing with wooden glue and then making use of ending nails or a nail gun.)
I utilised wooden glue to be a part of the mitered edges of my aspect box items and my entrance box piece and clamped it all to dry. Then, I utilised my 18-gauge nail gun to reinforce the bond by nailing the items together (you could also use a hammer and ending nails, if you really do not have a nail gun).
Following, I utilised my Kreg Jig screws to screw together the prime piece of my box to the entrance and aspect box items. Now, you have acquired you a box. Time to jazz it up!
Action 4: Connect Cornice Trim
I connected the ogee trim flush to the base edge of my cornice box with my 18-gauge nail gun (you can also use ending nails and a hammer). You can glue first, way too, if you’d like to.
Just before attaching any trim, though, check the match of your corner items to make absolutely sure they match together correctly. 
Make calculated marks all along the length of your box the place you want your crown molding to be. Then, use a amount or other straight edge to hook up the marks so you have a line along which to line up the base edge of your crown molding—you want it to be amount. Nail along the base edge of your crown to connect it to your cornice box. It can be everywhere on the box frame you pick for it to be—-flush with the prime edge of the box or someplace farther down the box. I chose to have a 5-one/2″ gap among the prime of my ogee trim and the base of my crown molding.
You can constantly insert a shelf to the prime of the cornice box, which would give the crown one thing to connect to (like it would if it had been currently being equipped along a wall and ceiling), but considering that on this cornice, I chose not to insert a shelf, I had to glue the corner crown items to the centre crown piece to connect them.
Use painter’s tape to secure the connection until eventually the glue dries. Connect the base of the aspect items of crown with nails along the base edge, just as you did with the entrance piece of crown.
I would suggest towards making an attempt to nail the prime piece of the aspect crown to the prime piece of the entrance crown, as you’ll risk splitting the crown.
Action 5: Complete and Paint Your Window Cornice
Now, use wooden filler on your nail holes and caulk all the seams.
Beneficial Examining: Tips for Caulking Like a Pro
Right after the wooden filler and caulk have dried, do a gentle sanding to make certain a sleek completed floor. Wipe absent all dust and debris.
I utilised one coat of primer and two coats of paint, letting everything dry completely among coats.
Bear in mind to paint the underside of your cornice box, way too, as it will be visible if anyone is standing near to, or less than, the window.
If the prime of your cornice box will be visible, be absolutely sure to paint the prime, way too, but most of the time, a cornice box will be so near to the ceiling that no one will be ready to see the prime of it.
How to Dangle a Wood Window Cornice
Lower a 1″ x 2″ strip of wooden just shorter than the whole length of your accomplished cornice box.
Mount it to the wall over the window the place you are going to be hanging the cornice, making use of a amount and 2″ wooden screws. Be absolutely sure to connect to studs and not just dry wall.
Maintain in head how much down about your window you want your cornice to hang—-that will establish the place on the wall you set up the 1″ x 2″ strip of wooden (your cornice box will ‘hang’ on this strip of wooden).
You will connect 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 over your window. It will not be secure enough to just ‘hang’ the cornice box on the 1″ x 2″ strip. You need to screw down by means of the prime of the cornice box, in to the 1″ x 2″ strip at typical intervals along the length of the cornice box.
To make the career less difficult, I screwed my 2″ wooden screws partially in to the prime of my cornice box in advance of hanging it, so that I’d have fewer screwing to do immediately after putting the cornice box in area about the window. Be mindful in the placement of your screws. You really do not want them so near to the edge that the wooden splits, therefore compromising the attachment. Neither do you really do not want them so much absent from the edge that they will not screw down in to the prime of your wall-mounted 1″ x 2″ strip.
You can also use the very same thought to generate a decorative and/or purposeful shelf.
Instead of building a box as you did for the cornice, use just a flat board and insert a shelf on prime. Connect trim just as you would for the window cornice. I utilised an Ook Hangman French Cleat Picture Hanging Package to hold the shelf below in my kitchen—-operates like a desire! And, yes, you can hold it someplace other than about a window!
Or use the very same strategy to generate a mattress crown cornice like Cassity did for her daughter’s home right here:
Far more techniques to make your home windows seem astounding:
Diy Window Cornice Just before and Afters
And just for kicks and giggles, here’s what people bedrooms looked like when we bought the residence and what they seem like now (with the window cornices and other updates):
Be absolutely sure to pin your favorites to help save for later on and share with your pals!
Posted 05.03.sixteen // Current 05.fourteen.twenty
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