How to Add Pictures to Your Window Cornices
The cheapest way to make the picture frame cornice is to buy a mat, with no frame, to attach to the cornice front. Craft stores and department stores generally have a large selection of mats from which to choose. Select one that is long, with frames of squares, rectangles or ovals. The oval ones make an especially nice cornice design.
The mat can be simply taped to the front of the cornice for displaying. Tape the bottom and sides with a solid piece of two-sided tape, but tape the top with small pieces that are positioned between each photo. Using this technique, you can remove the old photos and put in new ones, at your whim.
For depth to the mat, purchase picture frame mats made of Fun Foam, found at craft stores. The designs are cut from half-inch thick (or thicker) pieces of foam. There’s no glass and no hardware to worry about, simply stick the foam up with tape. The method is cheap and easy to do.
If you want something a little more substantial to display your photos in, purchase a long wooden frame that will cover most of the front of the cornice. Make sure the frame is made to where you can hang it vertically or horizontally. Then, when you want, you can lift the frame off of the cornice and change the photos.
It’s not necessary to use a mat or a frame to display photos. You can use a solid piece of glass, with or without the mat. Use mirror hangers, found at department stores, to hang the glass. The hardware is usually a screw, set in a plastic or wooden design. The screw is attached through the wood or plastic piece, just beside the glass, and the wood or plastic piece is then positioned to hold the glass in place. Remove the screws from bottom and top to change photos, then replace the screws. Make sure the glass doesn’t slip out from under the mirror holders after removing bottom and top screws.
Of course, you can always simply hang photos on the cornices. Buy matching picture frames, remove stand-up piece from behind the frame, if it’s that type of frame, then hang the photos next to each other, or leave a space in between each one.
You don’t necessarily have to use pictures of your family and friends in the design. Think of a theme, such as flowers or Native American, and cut pictures from magazines to place in the frame. Or, cut pictures out of greeting cards and slide them into the frames. Other picture resources are catalogs, wallpaper or border, or product boxes. (Cut the pictures of famous cartoon characters out and make a cornice frame design for a child’s room). You’ll love the new look of the cornices and there’s no painting, upholstering or other detailed decorating. The craft is easy and will wow your friends.
