Measuring Tips: Use a 25 or 30 foot steel tape measure. They really help with accuracy. Work with a partner, two heads are better then one and four hands are better then two. Most cornices look best when kept in proportion to the window. Make a scale drawing of the window and wall and then draw your cornice over the window. Generally 2 inches past the window is the right about for a cornice. If you are going to use crown molding on your cornice make sure that it will fit, a drawing will help you work our the bugs before they happen. Dormer window are very confined, the space above may not be appropriate for cornices. Most cornices are installed on angle brackets (sometimes called corner braces) It is a good idea to hold up a bracket to the window to see where it will work. The brackets must be installed by a screw to the wall, if the surface is not flat then the cornice will not have a proper fit. Tips for selecting materials for the cornice "box": For upholstered cornices choose 1/2 inch plywood for the face, the home center will cut it to your specifications, the top and sides will be 3/4 inch thick shelf board. For cornices that will be painted, choose wood that can be sanded, like fir, alder, oak, or birch for the face and sides, for the top choose shelving board. For cornices that will be stained or appliqued, choose stain grade clear #1 oak, birch, alder, maple or any other wood that fits your decor plan. For cornices that will remain as they are try fence board cedar or redwood, they look nice as they are and also stained with exterior stain. Here we took an idea from a cabinet and attached a marquis to the top Most of the buildouts that I have used are made from wood or metal. This design used the metal from a light fixture Stenciling adds style and makes cornices seem much more homey. Painting - stenciling Cornices: Painting or stenciling adds character and satisfaction to your work. Start with a clean dry surface and a dust free work space. Make a pattern and copy it or buy a stencil kit from your home center or paint supplier. Basically cornices are wooden boxes, after the box comes the decorations. In the twelve years I ran creative cornice we made cornices for all types of themes. A sports fan asked for a cornice for his game room where we put a lightning bolt right through the face of the cornice, another client wanted his to emulate a winery so we made them our of whiskey barrels. The only rules are in the basic construction. Designing your cornice starts with measurements click on this to see bigger picture Measuring Generally the width of a cornice is 4 inches greater than the window and its molding. If an existing treatment in on the window the measurement is 4 inches greater than the existing treatment. The length or drop is what ever looks good to the eye. click on this to see bigger picture Generally the drop (top to bottom measurement) for a cornice`s face is between 8 to 16 inches. To figure your drop, make a to scale sketch of the window you want to treat. Draw a scale model of the cornice box. Play around with the drop until you are happy with the proportions. The projection (how much a cornice comes out into the room from the wall) is determined by what it will be covering. Measure out over the molding, any blinds or drapes to the part that projects farthest into the room. Add 1" for clearance plus the thickness of the face board. Use 1/2 inch plywood sheeting for upholstery projects. The top and side leg will be cut from milled bleached and dried lumber. Generally a 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x6 or 1x8 boards from a lumber yard will do. If you are going to paint or stain the box then choose a better grade of wood for the face and sides. Pre-drill all holes and fill them with wood putty. Apply appliquιs and embellishments before you prime or stain. Painting over appliquιs and embellishments is easiest with a sprayer in a dust free zone. Stencil after second coat is dry. If you are going to texture, treat the box like dry wall. Texture, prime/seal, paint, second coat. Apply embellishments and appliquιs before texture. Stencil after second coat of paint is dry. If you are going to paper then choose MDF for top, face and sides (turn the smooth side out). Pre-drill all of the holes and fill them before papering. Use heavy duty paper glue even if the paper is pre-pasted. Making The Box The box consists of a face board, a top board (sometimes called a dust cover) and two side legs called "returns." All cornices share this basic theme. What you are going to make out of the box will determine the kind of materials you choose for its construction. click on this to see bigger picture Okay now you have the box and the plan, what do you do. Well.... there are many options. Perhaps the most popular are "cut outs". Cut-outs are shaped cut out of the box. I have drawn a couple of then for you to see. Applique: Wood or stenciled applique are very attractive finishes for cornice face boards. Upholstery: Most cornices get upholstered after the cut outs are made. The upholstery has taken a twist in modern times with the use of a wider range of materials. Add amendments: Adding crown molding to the top of bottom makes a real need look, you can also add build-outs, attachments etc.... Finishing: This means paint, stain or stenciling etc.... Upholstery: Use 100% polyester quilt battingand glue it down everywhere. Do not wrap the batting under the bottom edge or behind the top or leg, just the surface of the face leg and top. Welting can be made or purchased ready made. Standard thickness is 3/8 inch, but up to 1 inch looks good. The drawing for welting construction will help you gage your tab width. You staple the welting to most cornices between the folds of the tabs. You must glue welting onto MDF. Fabric is stapled on. Start stapling the fabric behind the face bottom to hide the staples. Staple a pattern from the center to each side. Pull the fabric up and over the top and staple behind and under the top board to hide the staples. Make sure that your fabric grain and pattern are horizontal by periodically checking them with a square. Staple from the center to the sides. Pull fabric from the face around the sides and staple behind and inside the legs to hide the staples. Finish the corners by pulling the fabric to where it looks good and placing a holding staple, then cutting away excess material. You can cover the back with lining and gimp to hide all traces of your work. click on this to see bigger picture Here is some design ideas for cornices that you may not have thought of: