When choosing your Fabric for your Cornice you have more to think about than just the pattern and color you want.

You need to make a decision about the general style of the Cornice. 

If you want an seamless Cornice with one long clean run of fabric (like the one pictured above),  you will have to choose a fabric that has a pattern (or no pattern) that will allow you to take the 54-inch decorator fabric and cut it down the length making a long strip of fabric.

The leftover fabric can cover a second Cornice or be made into pillows, table runners, etc. 

Most likely you will have chosen a Fabric that has a pattern that runs the 54” width.  So, you won't be able to cut it done in length.

In this case, you will have to cover your Cornice with 54” wide panels that, if your Cornice is over 36"  long, will have to be covered in multiple panels.

THIS DOES NOT mean that you will have to sew the panels together.  You can if you wish, but most people opt to cover the seam or seams with decorative elements like belts (as shown in the picture above).

To cover the Cornice Frame you will need:

A:   A piece of Batting that is the length of your Cornice.  PLUS 18 inches by 12 inches wide.

(6 ounce Batting is suggested.  You can piece it if you butt the seams.  Do not overlap.)

B:   A piece of Fabric that is the length of your Cornice.  PLUS 18 inches by 18 inches wide.

There are 2 ways to purchase your fabric:

1.  You can purchase that length of 54-inch wide decorator fabric and split the fabric down the length into 18-inch wide strips.  One strip 18 inches will cover the Cornice Frame.  The other 2 strips can be used to cover 2 other 7 inch high Cornice Frames or if left in one 36 inch wide strip that can be cut down to 27 inches and cover a 12 inch Cornice Frame of like or lesser length.   Or the left over piece(s) can be used to make pillows, a table runner, etc.

OR...

 2.  Most likely you will choose a fabric that cannot be cut down the middle because the design on the fabric runs the width of the 54-inch decorator fabric.  Then you will need to purchase your fabric in 54 x 18 inch panels. Making sure that when the panels lay next to each other the patterns match.  (Because pattern repeat lengths vary from fabric to fabric you may need to purchase extra fabric to achieve a pattern match).  It is not necessary to sew the panels together, you can if you wish.  The Panels can simply be butted together on the Cornice Frame and the seam can covered with a decorative belting treatment.

• One Fabric Panel (1/2 of a yard) will cover a Cornice Frame up
  to 36 inches long.

• Two Panels (1 yard total) will cover a Cornice Frame measuring
  up to 90 inches long.

• Three Panels (1 1/2 yards total) will cover a Cornice Frame measuring
  up to 144 inches long.

• Four Panels (2 yards total) will cover a Cornice Frame measuring
  up to 198 inches long*.

(*At this time our longest 7" high Kit is 144 inches)

To cover the Cornice Frame you will need:

A:   A piece of Batting that is the length of your Cornice.  PLUS 18 inches by 17 inches wide.

(6 ounce Batting is suggested.  You can piece it if you butt the seams.  Do not overlap.)

B:   A piece of Fabric that is the length of your Cornice.  PLUS 18 inches by 27 inches wide.

There are 2 ways to purchase your fabric:

1.  You can purchase that length of 54-inch wide decorator fabric and split the fabric down the middle.  One half, 27 inches, will cover the Cornice Frame.  The other half you can use to make pillows, a table runner, or to cover another Cornice.

OR...

2.  Most likely you will choose a fabric that cannot be cut down the middle because the design on the fabric runs the width of the 54-inch decorator fabric.  Then you will need to purchase your fabric in 54 x 27 inch panels. 

Be sure when he panels lay next to each other the patterns match.  (Because pattern repeat lengths vary from fabric to fabric, you may need to purchase extra fabric to achieve a pattern match).  It is not necessary to sew the panels together. The Panels can simply be butted together on the Cornice Frame and the seam can be covered with a decorative belting treatment.

•            One Fabric Panel (3/4 of a yard) will cover a Cornice Frame up to 36 inches long.

•            Two Panels (1 1/2 yards total) will cover a Cornice Frame measuring up to 90 inches long.

•           Three Panels (2 1/4 yards total) will cover a Cornice Frame measuring up to 144 inches long.

•             Four Panels (3 yards total) will cover a Cornice Frame measuring up to 198 inches long.

(At this time our longest 12" high Kit is 192 inches)

For 16" High Frames

A:   A piece of Batting that is the length of your Cornice.  PLUS 18 inches by 21 inches wide.

(6 ounce Batting is suggested.  You can piece it if you butt the seams.  Do not overlap.)

B:   A piece of Fabric that is the length of your Cornice.  PLUS 18 inches by 36 inches wide.

Judging the Fabric Pattern Reveal

Keep in mind when you purchase your fabric only 16, 12, or 7 inches of the fabric pattern will be displayed on the front of the Cornice.  That Pattern will start 2 inches from the top fabric edge.  The remaining area of fabric will wrap around the back of the Cornice, completing the Professional look. 

Purchasing your Fabric

You can purchase your Fabric at your local home decorator fabric store OR right online!  We have found a wonderful site that you should check out:

The prices are 40% below retail, the selection is wide and the service is great!

Each fabric has its own vertical pattern repeat measurement.  That is, the pattern repeats every X inches. 

The most popular repeat is 27 inches, and the 12-inch high D-I-Y Cornice Frame is designed to take maximum advantage of this popular repeat measurement. 

But, if you choose a fabric with another vertical pattern repeat measurement we suggest that you use the chart below to help you gauge the amount of fabric you will need. 

PLEASE NOTE: the chart assumes that the pattern that you want to display on the front of your Cornice starts 2 inches from the start of the fabric that you are purchasing.  Yet, we know that this rarely happens.  THUS we strongly suggest that you add a minimum of 1/2  yard to the amount of fabric that you purchase so you can get the pattern display that you want.

For 7 inch High Cornice Frames:

For 12 inch High Cornice Frames:

For 16 inch High Cornice Frames:

ABOVE ALL!

Choosing your fabric should be a fun and exciting part of your project.  We hope we haven’t bored you with a lot of the things that you have already thought of.

Most of all, we are ready to help you with any and all the questions you have.  Just send us an e-mail and we will try to answer your questions fully and quickly.

Have a Fun and Enjoyable Project!