How to Reupholster a Fabric Window Cornice

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Are you looking to polish up the windows in your home or RV? An upholstered cornice might be just what you're looking for. One of the best things about cornices is how simple they are — they don't take much time or very many materials, yet they make your living space look and feel upscale. You can make them from scratch if they aren't already part of your décor, or you can reupholster existing cornices to give your home's aesthetic a refresh.
Video Chapters:
  • Attaching Sew Foam — 0:26 min.
  • Cutting & Installing Fabric — 2:38 min.
  • Installing Cornice — 10:18 min.
  • Materials & Tools — 11:31 min.
Materials List:
  • Fabric Backed 1/4" Sew Foam 58" (#124306)
  • Crypton® Home Nomad Indigo 54" Fabric (#122984)
Tools List:
  • Sailrite® Long Nose Upholstery Staple Gun (#121411)
  • 21 Gauge 1/4" (6mm) Staples 5,000/Box (Galvanized) (#58006GZ)
  • 21 Gauge 3/8" (10mm) Staples 5,000/Box (Galvanized) (#58010GZ)
  • Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed (#19104)
  • Drill, Screws
How to Reupholster Fabric Cornice 2
Our fabric cornice hides the hardware on our roller shade, giving the window a finished look

But what is a cornice, anyway? Put simply, it’s a decorative box that hangs over the top of a window. Cornices are ideal for hiding curtain or blind mounting hardware, evening out windows of different heights, and giving a wall of windows a finished look. 

In this video, we’ll show you how to reupholster an existing fabric cornice. Although we used a small cornice from our RV project, the steps will be the same to reupholster a larger one from your own space. In addition to the cornice frame, all you need is new upholstery fabric, some sew foam, a Sailrite® Upholstery Staple Gun and staples, and a few other tools. If you’re new to upholstery, this project is a great way to start learning the ropes. It’s easy and can be completed in less than an hour.

When you watch the video, we’ll show you how to attach sew foam to your cornice, add the upholstery fabric and install the finished piece over a window. You can also look forward to learning some helpful tricks to make the most of your materials, including how to pleat your fabric in a corner. Watch the video to see just how easy it is to refurbish a cornice!

We reupholstered this cornice as part of our RV Renovation Series. We’re redoing a 1987 Airstream Argosy RV from top to bottom, and we’ve already put in a lot of work on it. If you want to view more projects in our RV Renovation Series, click here! You’ll find all our DIY guides for this outdoorsy overhaul.