How to Build and Hang a Window Cornice

Kennith Bogan

Study how to develop your personal wood window cornice box to costume up your window body. Constructing a tailor made wood window valance is a excellent newbie setting up challenge!

See additional of self-taught DIYer Jenny’s property and recommendations for commencing DIYers right here — you will not want to pass up her stunning kitchen area and residing place! Moreover read how to set up straightforward craftsman window trim all-around any window. 

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice

In my son’s place, the window is on the wall opposite the doorway. The window is the focal issue of the place, the to start with detail you see. I dressed it up with a Diy window cornice. The cornice provides pounds and visual interest. It is also a ornamental accent that provides a bold pop of color to the place. (I appreciated how it turned out so perfectly, that I built identical cornices for my other sons’ rooms.)

DIY wood window cornice box, window treatment to hide curtain rod hardware

 

Table of Contents

What is a Window Cornice?

A window cornice is a three-sided box that frames the best of a window. A cornice commonly covers—and extends out over—curtain rods, the best part of blinds, and window casings. It can be as tall as you care to make it, very simple or extravagant.

A window cornice is commonly stable, like these built from wood in this tutorial, while a window valance is typically built from material and additional like a short curtain at the best of the window. A wood window valance “box” could also be known as a pelmet box, which is commonly additional stable than a valance but lined in material to match the drapery.

Irrespective of whether you phone it a window cornice, valance, or pelmet, the purpose is to protect up the window components and give your home windows some existence and model!

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

Inventive Window Cornice Tips

Get inventive with window cornices to in good shape the operate and model of your place. Some concepts:

  • Insert a shelf to the best for exhibiting stuffed animals or kids’ soccer trophies.
  • Paint the box portion of the cornice a various color than the trim parts.
  • Paint the window casing the same color as your cornice or vice versa.
  • Layer trim parts to get a unique seem or use a router to create a truly tailor made piece.
  • And, if you’re putting crown molding up in the place at the same time as you’re doing your cornices, you can structure it so that the crown molding runs seamlessly all-around the place and the window cornice—-heaven!

For my wood window cornices, I utilised crown molding that matched what was previously in the place —- really typical builder-quality things that you can come across at any major box shop. I also utilised some ogee trim (also regarded as foundation cap).

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

How to Construct a Diy Wood Window Cornice

Please continue to keep in brain that all of these wood dimensions and trim parts are particular to my cornices—-you may well want to do anything various. 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 purchase a wider, or shorter, board, and so forth.

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Wood Window Cornice Source Checklist

*This is a soft and affordable wood. It typically has knots and is sometimes not straight, so be picky when picking out your wood. Get the straightest doable parts with the fewest knots. You can use a more difficult and higher-quality wood, but it will be additional highly-priced if you plan to stain your cornice, fairly than paint it, you’ll likely want to spend in a higher-quality wood species.

Wood Window Cornice Device Checklist

DIY wood window cornice box to cover curtain rod hardware

Diy Wood Window Cornice Box Assembly

Step 1: Prepare & Measure

Prepare the seem of your cornice. Look at:

  • What trim, if any, do you want to use?
  • Will you stain it or paint it?
  • How tall and wide do you want it to be?
  • How a great deal room do you have higher than and on the sides of the window to function with?

Measure your window from the exterior edge of the window casing on a person aspect to the exterior edge of the window casing on the opposite aspect. Do not measure just the window by by itself. Consist of the casings!

Your cornice will dangle down in excess of the window and the casings. I selected to incorporate 4″ (that’s 2″ for each individual aspect of the window) to my window measurements. Why? To let for the width of the edge of the cornice and for a minimal room among the window casing and the cornice.

Handy Looking through: Common Methods for Very good Seeking Curtains

Also measure out from the wall to identify how deep your cornice wants to be. Will the cornice dangle in excess of a curtain rod or blinds? The cornice box wants to be deep enough to lengthen out in excess of any obstacles—-the window casing, blinds, or curtains.

Insert at the very least a 1/2″ or so to your depth measurement so you will not have to fret about your cornice scraping up towards your window therapies following it is installed.

Based on the clearance you have among the ceiling and your window, as perfectly as your individual desire, identify how tall you want your cornice to be.

Acquire your products and make a sketch of your dimensions.

Step 2: Reduce the Wood Cornice Parts & Crown Molding

DIY Wood Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

I slash all the parts for my cornice to start with.

I slash my 1″ x 8″ frequent board to size and slash both of those of the short sides at a beveled forty five-degree angle employing a miter saw. This piece is the entrance of your cornice box.

For the best and aspect parts of my cornice box, I necessary a shallower width of board, so I ripped my 1″ x 6″ frequent board down to 1″ x 5″ (a non-typical dimension not accessible at my local lumber property) employing a table saw. I then slash the best and aspect parts of my cornice box from the 1″ x 5″ board.

For the aspect parts, I utilised my miter saw to slash forty five-degree angles on a person of the extensive edges.

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

I slash my crown molding and ogee trim, both of those the entrance and aspect parts, mitered to meet flush at the corners of the cornice box.

See this write-up for recommendations and resources to help you understand how to slash crown molding and other trim — and normally recall to apply, apply, apply on some affordable molding or scraps right up until you’re self-assured with your cuts. 

For the ogee trim, set your table to forty five-degrees. Leave your blade on heart at -degrees.

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

For the crown molding, you’ll need to have to set the angles on your blade and table in accordance to the spring angle of the crown molding you’re employing. I utilised just about the most primary and extensively accessible crown molding there is (spring angle: fifty three/37). I set my miter (angle on table) to 31.5-degrees and my bevel (tilt of blade) to 34-degrees.

The major piece of crown molding, jogging along the best of the cornice box, has 2 exterior corners.

The remaining-hand mitered exterior corner is slash by inserting the crown to the ideal of the blade. The best edge of the crown rests up towards the fence. The miter angle on the table of your miter saw is set to the ideal of heart.

You will also slash the ideal-hand aspect piece of crown this way. The edge of the aspect piece of crown that fulfills the entrance piece of crown will be slash at an angle. The other aspect will be flush towards the wall, so it is a straight-edge slash.

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box using crown molding

The ideal-hand mitered exterior corner is slash by inserting the crown to the ideal 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 set to the remaining of heart.

You will also slash the remaining-hand aspect piece of crown this way. The edge of the aspect piece of crown that fulfills the entrance piece of crown will be slash at an angle. The other aspect will be flush towards the wall, so it is a straight-edge slash.

DIY Wood Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

 

DIY Window Cornice Box | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

When cutting crown, I normally incorporate a 50 percent-inch or a minimal additional to the complete size I calculated right before cutting. I’ll do a exam in good shape following building my to start with slash and then trim a minimal additional off if I need to have to, but with crown, at the time you slash it much too short, you’re out of luck! So I’m normally incredibly, incredibly cautious and acquire my time to be confident to get it ideal. Keep in brain, much too, that crown has to lengthen a little bit previous the size of your cornice box. If the slash edge of the crown lines up accurately with the edge of the cornice box, there will not be enough of an edge remaining on the crown to meet 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 employing my Kreg Jig along the best, inside edges of my entrance box piece and my 2 aspect box parts. (If you really do not personal a Kreg Jig, you can join your box collectively by to start with gluing with wood glue and then employing ending nails or a nail gun.)

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

I utilised wood glue to join the mitered edges of my aspect box parts 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 parts collectively (you could also use a hammer and ending nails, if you really do not have a nail gun).

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance boxhow to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

Following, I utilised my Kreg Jig screws to screw collectively the best piece of my box to the entrance and aspect box parts. Now, you have received oneself a box. Time to jazz it up!

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

Step four: Connect Cornice Trim

I hooked up 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 to start with, much too, if you’d like to.

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

Before attaching any trim, nevertheless, exam the in good shape of your corner parts to make confident they in good shape collectively thoroughly. how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

Make calculated marks all along the size of your box where you want your crown molding to be. Then, use a level or other straight edge to connect the marks so you have a line along which to line up the base edge of your crown molding—you want it to be level. Nail along the base edge of your crown to connect it to your cornice box. It can be any where on the box body you pick out for it to be—-flush with the best edge of the box or someplace farther down the box. I selected to have a 5-1/2″ gap among the best of my ogee trim and the base of my crown molding.

install crown molding on a diy wood window cornice box

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

You can normally incorporate a shelf to the best of the cornice box, which would give the crown anything to connect to (like it would if it have been remaining fitted along a wall and ceiling), but because on this cornice, I selected not to incorporate a shelf, I had to glue the corner crown parts to the heart crown piece to connect them.

Use painter’s tape to secure the link right up until the glue dries. Connect the base of the aspect parts of crown with nails along the base edge, just as you did with the entrance piece of crown.

I would recommend towards making an attempt to nail the best piece of the aspect crown to the best piece of the entrance crown, as you’ll risk splitting the crown.

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

how to build a DIY wood window cornice, solid wood window valance box

Step 5: Complete and Paint Your Window Cornice

Now, use wood filler on your nail holes and caulk all the seams.

Handy Looking through: Suggestions for Caulking Like a Pro

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

Following the wood filler and caulk have dried, do a mild sanding to make sure a smooth finished area. Wipe absent all dust and debris.

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

I utilised a person coat of primer and two coats of paint, permitting everything dry totally among coats.

Try to remember to paint the underside of your cornice box, much too, as it will be seen if a person is standing close to, or less than, the window.

If the best of your cornice box will be seen, be confident to paint the best, much too, but most of the time, a cornice box will be so close to the ceiling that no a person will be equipped to see the best of it.

DIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.comDIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

How to Dangle a Wood Window Cornice

Reduce a 1″ x 2″ strip of wood just shorter than the comprehensive size of your accomplished cornice box.

Mount it to the wall higher than the window where you’ll be hanging the cornice, employing a level and 2″ wood screws. Be confident to connect to studs and not just dry wall.

Keep in brain how much down in excess of your window you want your cornice to hang—-that will identify where on the wall you set up the 1″ x 2″ strip of wood (your cornice box will ‘hang’ on this strip of wood). 

how to hang a wood window cornice box or wood valancehow to hang a wood window cornice box

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 higher than your window. It will not be secure enough to just ‘hang’ the cornice box on the 1″ x 2″ strip. You need to have to screw down by the best of the cornice box, in to the 1″ x 2″ strip at common intervals along the size of the cornice box.

To make the work easier, I screwed my 2″ wood screws partially in to the best of my cornice box right before hanging it, so that I’d have considerably less screwing to do following putting the cornice box in put in excess of the window. Be mindful in the placement of your screws. You really do not want them so close to the edge that the wood 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 best of your wall-mounted 1″ x 2″ strip.

how to hang a wood window cornice boxDIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build and hang a wood window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

how to hang a wood window cornice box

 

diy wood window cornice for a boys room window treatment to cover window blind hardware

DIY wood window cornice box hides window shade or blind hardware

You can also use the same strategy to create a decorative and/or functional shelf.

Alternatively of building a box as you did for the cornice, use just a flat board and incorporate a shelf on best. Connect trim just as you would for the window cornice. I utilised an Ook Hangman French Cleat Image Hanging Kit to dangle the shelf down below in my kitchen—-works like a dream! And, sure, you can dangle it someplace other than in excess of a window!

Build an above-window shelf with hooks, perfect for a country cottage farmhouse kitchen! Tutorial on Remodelaholic.comBuild an above-window shelf with hooks, perfect for a country cottage kitchen! Tutorial on Remodelaholic.comBuild an above-window shelf with hooks, perfect for a country cottage kitchen! Tutorial on Remodelaholic.com

Or use the same plan to create a mattress crown cornice like Cassity did for her daughter’s place right here:

Girls Bedroom with stenciled wall and crown cornice canopy bed blue and green (7) featured image

Extra means to make your home windows seem amazing:

Diy Window Cornice Before and Afters

And just for kicks and giggles, here’s what those bedrooms seemed like when we acquired the household and what they seem like now (with the window cornices and other updates):

before and after boys' bedroom with DIY wood window corniceDIY Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

DIY Wood Window Cornice | detailed step-by-step photo tutorial to build a window cornice, on Remodelaholic.com

Be confident to pin your favorites to save for later and share with your good friends!

This DIY window cornice gives windows a MAJOR new look! Full detailed step-by-step photo tutorial on Remodelaholic.comHow to build and hang a wood window cornice, window valance box

Released 05.03.sixteen // Current 05.14.twenty

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About Jenny McArthur