A cornice is a wooden frame used a top treatment. It not only frames and finishes a window treatment but also saves energy by enclosing the top of a treatment.

Ths corice is easy to build, requiring only simple carpentery skills. It is trimmed with decorative moldings, available in a variety of styles and sizes. Crown molding or chair rail frames the upper edge, and outside corner molding finishes the lower edge.

Cornices can be covered with wallpaper or lightly padded and covered with fabric. To avoid piecing, choose wall paper or fabic that can be turned sideways and used lengthwise.

Take the measurements for the cornice after the drapery hardware is in place. The cornice should clear any undertreatment rod by at least 3", and it should extend to at least 2" beyond the end brackets of the rod on each side. These measurements are the inside measurements of the cornice.

In determining the height of the cornice, keep in mind that the cornice should completely cover any drapery headings and hardware. Also the height of the cornice should be in proportion to the total length of the window or window treatment. A cornice may be up to one-fifth of the window treatment, but to keep the window treatment from appearing to top-heavy or overpowering, small cornices are sometimes desired. Smaller cornices also look sleek, making them especially suitable for contemporary rooms.

MATERIALS

• Note: Where these instructions refer to plywood and nails, feel free to substitute items such as foamcore board or cardboard; and for the nails just use glue. We have seen Christopher do it many times over. These instructions should serve as a guide line.

  1/2" plywood
• Outside corner molding, for the lower edge of the cornice; crown molding or chair rail, for the upper edge.
• Miter box and back saw, or power miter saw.
• Angle irons, shorter than the width of the board for the cornice top; flat-head wood screws.
• Wood glue; 16 x 1 1/2" brads; heavy-duty stapler and staples.
• Paint; or stain and matching putty.
• Primer for unfinished wood, wallpaper , and wallpaper paste, for wall papered cornice.
• Decorator fabric, lining, batting, spray adhesive, and fabric glue, for fabric=covered cornice.

CUTTING DIRECTIONS

Measure and cut the cornice top piece to correspond to the inside measurements, as calculated for clearance. Cut the cornice front piece to the desired height of the cornice; the cut width of the cornice front is equal to the width of the cornice top plus two times the thickness of the wood. Cut cornice side pieces to the height of the cornice by the depth of the cornice top.

The fabric, batting, wall paper, and molding pieces are cut after step 2, based on the cornice measurements.

HOW TO MAKE A FABRIC-COVERED CORNICE

1. Glue and nail each side piece to the top piece, aligning upper edges; secure with nails. Repeat for front piece, aligning it to top and side pieces.
2. Place corner molding on lowe edge of cornice; mark a line on cornice front and sides at edge of molding. Repeat for crown molding or chair rail at the upper edge of the cornice.
3. Cut a strip of decorator fabric equal to height of cornice by the distance around the outside of the cornice plus 8"; if necessary, fabric may be pieced and seamed together, pressing seams open. Cut batting equal to the distance between marked lines on cornice by the distance around the cornice. Affix batting to the cornice between the marked lines, using spray adhesive, stretching the batting slightly across the width of the cornice.
4. Position fabric, right side up, centered on cornice front; secure with staples at center front, close to upper and lower edges. Pull taught to one end of cornice; secure with staples on the cornice side, near end. Repeat for opposite side.
5. Wrap fabric around the side piece to inside of cornice, mitering corner at the upper edge; glue in place. Repeat for opposite side. Allow glue to dry; remove staples.
6. Glue raw edhe of strip to cornice along lower edge; glue in place.
7. Cut a piece of lining to inside height of cornice plus 1/2"; length of lining is equal to inside measurement of front and sides. Secure lining to inside of cornice, using spray adhesive, aligning one long raw edge at the top. Clip lining at corners; glue to lower edges of boards. Cut a piece of lining to fit cornice top; affix, using spray adhesive.
8. Miter corner moldings for sides of cornice at front corners; leave excess length on the molding strips. Miter one corner on molding for the front of the cornice, leaving excess length.
9. Position mitered front and side molding strips at one corner. Mark the finished length of the side piece for a straight-cut end.
10. Place side molding at opposite end. Using a straight edge, mark outside edge of front molding where miters will meet. Mark angle of cut. Cut miter.
11. Reposition moldings; mark and straight-cut second sede piece to fit.
12. Cut crown molding or chair rail to fit around upper edge of cornice, following same sequence used for corner molding. To miter crown molding, place upper edge of molding tight against the bottom of miter box; cornice side should be tight against back of miter box. To miter the chair rail, place flat side of molding against back of miter box.
13. Paint or stain moldings as desired. Secure moldings to cornice, using finishing nails, predrilling nail holes with 1/16" drill bit. Use glue to secure mitered ends of molding.
14. Secure upper edges of crown molding if used with one nail at each corner. Countersink nails, using a nail set; fill holes with putty to match stain or touch up with paint.

    SEEHOW TO INSTALL AN OUTSIDE MOUNTED BOARD

    HOW TO MAKE A WALLPAPERED CORNICE BOARD

    
    
    1. Follow step 1 above; countersink nails on front of cornice at sides. Fill nail holes and side edges of cornice front board with wood filler; sand edges smooth.
    2. Prime wood. Cut wall paper equal to the height of the cornice by the distance around the outside of the cornice plus 8"; wallpaper may be pieced by butting edges together, if necessary. Apply wallpaper, using wallpaper paste, wrapping ends around sides to inside of cornice.
    3. Cut a piece of wallpaper to inside height of cornice plus 1/2"; length of wallpaper is equal to inside measurement of front and sides. Secure wallpapaer to inside of cornice, using wallpaper paste, aligning one long edge to the top. Clip wallpaper at corners, and paste it to the lower edges of the cornice boards. Cut a piece of wallpaper to fit inside top of the cornice; apply with paste. Finish cornice as in steps 8 thru 15 above.
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