EASY CORNICE BOXES - I Promise!

   Finally,  after a small bout of procrastination, I have completed the CORNICE boxes!!!!
Some people call them Cornices, some call them valances, I used to call them "those fabric covered thingies that go over the curtains".BUT,
For this post we will refer to them as "CORNICE BOXES"

First lets have a:

      TUTORIAL -
What I used:

 1. Foam Board, like the kind your kids use for last minute school projects, they come in packs
of 3 - 20" x 30" pieces (about $9.99) and they actually carry them at our Grocery store, also Michaels, Target, Staples...everywhere they carry school supplies.

2. Staple gun, electric or not, and... 

3. Don't forget the size 8mm staples

4. Fabric- With 52-54" upholstery fabric you need about 1/2 yard for each CORNICE, this for solid fabric or a pattern that is horizontal. IF your pattern is vertical, then you will need the amount of yardage length that your window is wide. For example, if your window is 40" wide and you have 44" wide fabric but can use it the long way, you will need at least 49" of fabric. 

5.Quilt Batting - as thick as you want it.

6. Scissors, measuring tape and or yard stick , Matt knife,  Cutting board, packing or duck tape , super glue (optional), card board or some durable surface to staple gun over.

Okay here we go- 

First, measure your window width and then add 9", and this is why:

 You will need 3 1/2" on either side to be the SIDES and one extra inch on either side to set the Pelmet out from the window frame.

 (You will need to adjust YOUR personal measurements if you want your CORNICE Shallower or narrower or wider. 

     Now, Take your board, (I just used the exact size of the board 20" x 30" (NO cutting!) and I cut the second board so that the EQUALED the measured length I needed. IF you ant to do a pattern, Go HERE and Jenny at Little Green Notebook takes you through how to do that. Mine will just be straight.

After you get the right combined length, tape the two pieces together, back and front. 

NEXT....on one side of your board, which will be the FRONT, measure out 3 1/2" on all sides, draw a line, and cut with your mat knife, BUT only a cut half way through, you are going to bend this to make your BOX.

 ...when you get to the corners, you will have a little box, and the LOWER part, the LINE Part that is on the sides (Parallel with the floor) , you are going to CUT all the way through until you reach the side line, because when you fold that down and tuck it into the side, it will make your BOX!

while you don't do this until you have stapled your fabric on,  you are going to wrap the side fabric around both of these pieces above and staple gun it down on the inside to hold this in place...

Ready to staple now?
Annie get your gun!

NOW, lay your board down now, FACE UP  and layer on your batting...

and then your fabric..

...and then flip the whole thing over, and have INSIDE UP .

NEXT, line up your pattern to keep it straight along the edge.

(this is MUCHO IMPORTANTE) and it is why using a solid fabric is easier, but YOU CAN DO IT! Just pick a part of your fabric to line up and keep it consistent.

...see how I followed that upside down V with the line in it and kept that LEVEL,
in this way, pattern IS YOUR FRIEND!

 ...so staple all the way around about 2 inches apart, alternating sides to keep it nice and straight and NOT pulling to tight in any direction. CAREFUL not to press too hard with your gun (or too light) because you will go into your surface underneath, like I did! OR if you go too light,  the staples don't go in deep enough. The good news is : if they do not go all the way in, you can just push them in with your finger.

Lastly, I took some left over sheeting fabric to line my pelmet boxes, though lining is optional,  but our ceilings are high and you can see INTO the inside and it looks unfinished. So I used my FAVORITE thing, Stitch Witchery, and ironed on the fabric!!! I stapled areas that looked unstable...or un staPle! ha!

I added some duck Tape to the underside of the top part...to keep the fabric down and seal it up.

Now to hang them up.

I put nails all the way across the top of the window trim, about 5 inches apart,

then I hung the Pelmet Box on the nails.

To secure the box, I reached up under neath, 

(I could not photograph this) and lay down a strip of tape across the nails.)

I finished the last one a few minutes ago, It took me exactly 30 minutes to do! Yee haw, I will post pictures of the whole 

COMPLETED TEEN Room Makeover

tomorrow...for now...

Halleluiah!!!!


.PS..looks like its going to be a "Country Idol" this year
Lauren and Scotty are the finalists!
I LOVED Haley. Bye Haley, it is only the beginning.