Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Make an Upholstered Window Cornice
Nothing beats a cornice board to jazz up a window treatment. For a formal look use it as a window topper with draperies and shears; or complement a more casual mini-blind or shade with a fabric-covered cornice board to make it complete.

A window-covering specialist will make a cornice board for about $35 per foot, which includes the labor to build, pad and cover the board with fabric. The cost of the fabric is additional. For example, a 36-inch-wide wooden cornice using $24 worth of fabric translates to $129 ($105 labor; $24 fabric) per window.

You can make your own, using a kit with 1-inch thick polystyrene panels that you cut and glue together. The kit costs about $36, plus you need fabric ($24) and polyester padding ($10) for a total of $70. Making your own window cornice saves you more than half. The savings really mount up when you have several windows to decorate.Pro vs DIY Cost and Time

This is a no-sew project that involves cutting the fabric and panels to size, gluing the panels together and the padding to it and then covering the cornice with fabric, using trim pins to secure it.

The kit is sold at large fabric and craft chain stores and includes brackets to hang the cornice.

Back to Home Improvement Preview Lawn And Garden Preview Home Decorating Shopping Center