Home Makeover: DIY Foam Cornice Boards

So, a few months back, I found this amazing blog http://southernhospitalityblog.com/a-diy-cornice/ about making your own cornice boards from foam boards. Naturally, I thought, oh, I am SO doing that....one day. Well, after putting it off, and practically killing myself over which fabric to choose, I finally decided to tackle it this weekend!!

I saw in an old movie, a window treatment idea I LOVED!! Cornices with matching curtains on either end, and sheers in between. It looks so classy, in my opinion! *Remember with me, I'm making my single-wide a mansion, on a cheap-skate budget!!* 

So, the search began...how to make your own curtains and cornices, so I could make them match! The lowest price for fabric, and sheers. After much debate, I decided NOT to use upholstery fabric...it is so expensive, and I was concerned about how heavy it is(trailer Sheetrock is thinner than normal). Hobby Lobby had this adorable fabric:

for $8.99/yard. Well, here's a little Hobby Lobby secret...if you get your fabric cut as one solid piece, you can use the 40% off coupon found on their smartphone app, and get 40% off the whole lot!! Yay!! So, my fabric had to be ordered(this took about a week to get in) since I needed two whole bolts(20yds). My total with my discount was $107. While at Hobby Lobby, I grabbed a $15 bag of batting, to give them a little fuller look, and help the fabric not slide around on the foam. 

Next, I headed to Lowes for foam board. I did all of my measuring before hand, and decided for all four windows in my living and kitchen area, for 12" cornices, I only needed one sheet of the foam insulation board! This is found in the insulation section of Lowes, and looks like this

I chose the 1"x4'x8' hoping the thickness would help it look like I'd used wood. This piece was $17. 

While at Lowes, I picked up a utility knife. Kobalt is my FAVORITE tool brand, because just about all of their tools have a lifetime warranty...all you do is walk into Lowes, say "this broke" and they tell you to go get another! Amazing, right?

$10

I also picked up these neat little hooks:

Which look like this:

These were $2.50/pack and came with 5 hooks, so I grabbed two packs.

I also picked up some 3/8" staples(I would probably go closer to 1", if I was doing it again) these were about $4

First, we laid out the foam board, I marked each end every 12", and we snapped chalk lines connecting the marks, which looked like this

Then we(and by "we" I mean my hubby) cut along the lines with our utility knife, giving us 4 long strips each 12 inches wide. A couple of tips here, my hubby said that cutting this long of a strip is like riding a bike, the faster you go, the smoother and straighter your cut will be. The slower you go, you get wobbly. Also, in the 1" foam, the utility blade didn't go all the way through, but we cut as deep as we could, bent it back, and it snapped right off, clean as can be, like so:

This gave us this:

Next, cut to the length needed for each window(advice: remember to add two inches to the needed length for your end pieces). Then decide how far you want them off of the wall, and cut little end pieces. Mine are 4 1/2" off of the wall, looking like this.

Duct tape these pieces on

Now the fun part, lay your cornice down on the batting, and cut it so you'll have just enough to wrap over the edges:

Start at one end, and staple with a staple gun, pulling tight, but not too tight.

Lay out the fabric(my fabric was the perfect size, that unfolding in down the middle fold, and cutting along that fold, was the perfect width to cover the boards)

Wrap the fabric over one end, and begin stapling!

Looking good!! Now, get a glue gun and drill, glue the d-rings on the corners that you want to be the top. On the blog I used as a guide, she said hot glue was enough to hold hers on, I didn't like how it pulled on the fabric, so I used the screws that came with the d-rings and screwed them in for extra support.

Ignore the staples, they got pulled out and the little screw got screwed into that hole!

Then, I used some screws with flat heads, like this one 

To hang them on the wall! Note: if you do not hit a stud, use an anchor, so you don't damage your walls. These can look like this

And slide into the hole like this

Once it's through the hole, you screw the screw into the hole on the end

Then, hang your cornice on your screws using the d-rings

And you get this:

Next....curtains!! I hope this inspires you to try a new project at home!! 

Today, I'd like to praise The Lord for an amazing husband who is truly my very best friend, and was more than willing to help me complete this project, even though he initially didn't want to, and was sick and still helped!! He's the best!