Cutting and assembling the pieces of wood you will use to build your cornice board are fairly simple and require common tools found in many homes. Your local hardware store might be able to cut the pieces for you at a nominal charge.

Measure and Cut Wood

• Front Piece
  Measure the width of the window from outside edges; add 4 inches to the width. Cut wood to this length. The width of the wood should be the same width as your wallpaper border. This will be the front face of your cornice board.

• Top Piece
  The length of the top piece (shelf) of your cornice board should be the same as the front piece. The width should be 1/4 to 1/2 inch less than the 4 inches, depending on the thickness of your plywood.
• Side Pieces
  The side pieces should extend 4 inches out from the wall. (See first picture, above.) Depending on the thickness of your plywood, cut the sides 3 1/2 inches or 3 3/4 inches long. (They will butt up against the front piece to make them 4 inches long. They should be the same width as your wallpaper.

Assemble the Pieces

• Using a thin bead of glue, attach the top piece to the front. Using small finishing nails, nail pieces together. (See second picture, above.)
• Attach side pieces to the front and top, again using a thin bead of glue and finishing nails.
• Countersink the nails into wood using a nail set, if desired, for a smoother finish.

The basic box for your cornice board should now be complete. Next comes the finishing of the box and adding the wallpaper. (See third picture, above.)
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