Wednesday, December 09, 2009
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By Owner, Window Bonnets
What fabric should I use? I get this question quite often. Officially, ANY fabric will do, cottons, silks, jacquards, corduroy, twills, linens, upholstery, drapery, chinelles (not sure of that spelling) you find it, then it can be used. But . . .Sometimes I know the question is really, "What is the best fabric to use?" or "What is the easiest fabric to use?" To that I can absolutely say, any fabric that is a medium weight or a bit on the stiffer side will be easy to tuck, easy to cut, easy to work with in general and hides any imperfections in the styrofoam and the glued seams.However I am a realist and just as sure as I tell you a medium weight you will find a beautiful scarf-like fabric that you want to use. Well, no problem. Typically with that type of fabric, I would suggest gathering the fabric so you have a bit of a bunch to tuck into the groove or even pleating if you are so inclined, but if that is still not tight enough, my recommendation would be to take a trip to your local hardware store. In my neck of the woods, the Ace hardware stores are on every other corner. At any rate, go there and look for some string/rope that is a bit thicker than the tuck grove. Then cut a piece the length of your cornice and tuck that in for a nice tight fit for your fabric. Also do not be afraid to use the same fabric for all three contours of your cornice. It looks great! Covering the back is a personal preference. You can use the same fabric as the bottom contour or just use a matching solid color. All you really want to do is cover the white of the styrofoam in case the lower part of the back side of the cornice is visible from the outside.Hope that helps. If you have any pictures of your creations, I am always open to using them on the website. Why not let all your friends see your home on the web!!Happy decorating!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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By Owner, Window Bonnets
11/25/09The Window Bonnets cornice kit using the standard endcaps will stand out from the wall a full 5". Normally this is sufficient space to allow your verticals to turn all the way around without touching the back of the cornice. However, in some instances, this may not be enough--perhaps you have verticals and some kind of drapes mounted, or perhaps just the drapes alone require more than the 5". In these cases, we had a great adjustable bracket that actually could slide out in quarter inch increments to a maximum of 7.5". Unfortunately, our vendors prices now prohibit the manufacturing of this type of bracket. So today's message is how to mount your cornice using the standard 5" bracket but achieve a distance from the wall at say 6" or even 7".The brackets come with two screws and two screw sleeves, these sleeves would be used if you were mounting only into the dry wall and not a wood stud or the metal edge generally found around most windows. Well now those sleeves can also be used to secure what I will call your "extra depth spacer" piece. We recommend that you cut a piece of wood, approximately 2.75" x 2" x . Mark the wall where you would actually mount the 5" bracket. Place the wood "spacer" piece centered over this mark. Drill two holes approximately .5" from the outer edges and center of the height of the "spacer". Use the screw sleeves in the wall for these holes (if you have not hit a wood stud or the metal rim of the window casing) so the screws holding the spacer will be tight and secure to the wall. Mount the bracket to the "spacer" piece as usual. Your cornice will now sit this additional distance from the wall. Remember to add this extra amount to the endcap so they hit the wall thus closing the cornice box.This economy has presented many challenges for everyone and this is one way we are trying to keep our product economical yet flexible for all needs. As always happy decorating and keep those pictures coming in! We love to show your ideas.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
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By Owner, Window Bonnets
Now that you have purchased your cornice board kits and have determined what window treatments you want, it is time to start the assembly process.
The first step is to get an accurate measurement of the width you need for your project. Measure between the widest two points (either the actual window or the rod length if your cornice board is covering vertical blinds mounted on the wall). Add 1-2 inches on either side to insure that the completed cornice will sit solidly on the wall.
After you have measured twice you are ready to go. First lay out the straight pieces and measure using the measurement you determined in the previous process. Mark the last straight piece to get the exact width you want.
Now let’s start the actual cutting process. Normally you will only need to make one cut per each cornice board you are creating. The next question is what do I use to cut the foam? The following lists the most popular tools to use:
= Hot wire cutter (makes a smooth cut and reseals the foam at the same time, not the most economical tool if you only need one cut. About $20 at JoAnns).
= Any serrated blade knife.
= Hack saw blade.
Let’s cut. Carefully cut the foam using one of the tools above. Once the cut has been made you need to reseal the foam so it glues together correctly. Take the piece with cut end and place a piece of aluminum foil over the end. Use you steam iron and gently tap the foil along the cut (can also use the iron to sooth or level out the foam if your cut was not exactly even). Once this is done pull the foil of the foam and you cut is complete.
Now you are ready to glue the pieces together to create your cornice board kit and you will be ready to decorate.
Come back for future Blogs for addition ideas and tips to create that perfect window décor you have dreamed of. You can also visit http://www.windowbonnets,com/ for further details and watch the instructional video for the entire cornice board assembly process.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
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By Owner, Window Bonnets
The first step in the assembly of your cornice kit is to measure the window to be covered. Measure the actual window size or if it has trim around it measure the width to the outside of the trim. If the window to be covered has vertical blinds mounted on the wall, measure the width of the actual rod the blinds are mounted on.
Once you have determined the width add one-two inches on either side to be sure you will clear the window/rod and that the end caps will be flush against the wall.
Now you are ready to start the assembly process. First lay out the straight pieces provided in your kit. Mark the last piece so that the total length of the cornice board matches the measurement you have determined in the previous step. Now cut the last piece where you have marked it and cut the piece (cutting and sealing the foam will be covered in a future Blog).
Now you are ready to complete the assembly process. Use a full size LOW temperature glue gun (not a mini glue gun or you won’t be able to get enough in time to seal the pieces together) and start gluing the straight pieces together (CAUTION: do not use a hot glue gun or you will melt the foam).
Once the straight piece is glued together re-measure the piece to insure it is the desired length (measure twice).
Now we are ready for the final step. Use you glue gun to attach the two provided end caps…now your cornice board is complete and ready to decorate.
It’s that easy and that fun and you did it yourself.
No wood, no sewing, just be creative.
Jan
