Cornice Box Tutorial Using $1 Foam Board!

 

The door to our back patio needed a little love...

Of course my first choice would have been to buy a new door altogether, but that is just not in the budget right now! So, what does any designer do in this situation? Dress it up! 

I decided to make a cornice box to add some pattern and color. I thought about making a roman shade, but we don't really need the privacy, and I had about 1/2 yard left of the fabric I used to cover my couch pillows, so I thought a cornice was the best option! 

Not only did I use fabric I already had, but I built the box out of a large sheet of foam poster board from the dollar store! 

Since this project turned out so well and was sooooo cheap, I wanted to put together a tutorial for you! This is definitely a beginner level project that anyone can do! Let's get started!

STEP 1: Measure your door window opening and decide what size you want your cornice box to be. I made mine about 1" larger on each side of the window and about 9" long. Using a ruler, mark the large front piece first, then the top, and 2 sides. You can use an exacto knife to cut along each line.

These are the 4 pieces you should end up with. 

STEP 3: Tape your pieces together. I used a heavy duty masking tape to secure all of the seams and corners. *Tape until your heart is content because you will never see it!

More tape!!

STEP 5: Lay your fabric out under the cornice box and begin wrapping it like you are wrapping a gift with paper. I used a staple gun to attach the fabric. 

You won't see the inside, so don't worry about raw edges or messy folds. 

And here it is! You can use small "L" brackets, Velcro, or 3M tape to secure your cornice box to the door. It weighs nearly nothing, so you do not need heavy duty hardware. 

The fabric I used is Spring Mix Aloe by Robert Allen. One of my favorite fabrics!!! You can see it used on my couch pillows here.

Now the door ties in with the valance over my kitchen window! (you can see my window panels here as well)

I am so pleased with how this turned out and how easy it was!! You can use this simple cornice box tutorial for almost any window in your home! 

So, what are you waiting for!?