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Of course, this doesn't mean that an amateur can't tackle it, only that it takes a lot of planning beforre hand. And rather than needlessly embarrass people by showing pictures of some of the terrible botched jobs I've seen, I drew a diagram showing how to do it right. Like I said, it's not that difficult, but since every room is different, every rooms best layout--every wall's best layout, for that matter, which is the key--will be different. This is a case where One size definitely doesn't fit all, and where the old "There are no rules" line can get people in a whole heap o' trouble.

We had chair rail and baseboard; we attached the picture frame molding directly to the wall, then painted the whole thing in gloss white. It looks just like actual wainscoting.

I don't have any unfinished pieces left to show you, but here is a closeup of the molding that's now on the wall.

Here's the process, as I originally described it on the AOL Decorating Board last year, and where the original post was unearthed from the AOL archives by the lovely and talented HOST HOME DECOR. She's the best.
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Forget all that nonsense about teensy bottles of expensive paint medium from the crafts store. You don't need anything more than regular latex semi-gloss paint--and a lot of guts. I found a beautiful Baker Chippendale camelback sofa, with cool curved arms and a fat down cushion, but it was covereed in a hideous glazed chintz in the ugliest colors I ever saw. I found some great yellow wool damask to reupholster with, but it would have cost me $3OOO for the job, so I painted my sofa instead.
Everyone freaked out when I told then the plan, but it worked. I was planning on painting my room dark green, so I decided to go with the red leather look. First, I painted the whole thing with bubblegum pink semigloss latex paint, using the widest foam brush I could find, and brushing it on in long strokes front-to-back and up + down. Think of that as the primer coat. I let it dry 2 days, and sanded it super lightly with fine-grade sandpaper to get rid of the burrs--there were a lot. When I couldn't feel any more sharp things, another coat of paint, spread thin. Dried and sanded again. Then spread--with my hands--a thin coat of raspberry red semi-gloss paint I had deadened a little with brown to make it a little less vivid. Because it was a deep color, there wasn't much white filler in the paint, and it was almost like a glaze or stain, instead of paint, which is just what I wanted anyway. I just smoothed it on, like suntan oil, and worked it into the pink paint. I let it build a little thicker at the back, on the inside of the arms and at the back edge of the loose cushion, so that the paler, thinner red took on an air of wear at the high points. I let it dry 2 days, then CAREFULLY sanded the few new sharp things, and touched up those spots with my fingers. I let it dry 2 days, then waxed the whole thing with regular paste wax. After it was dry, I polished with a soft cloth, then dusted with talcum, and vacuumed it all off. It was a little stiff the first few days, but now it not only looks like red leather, it feels like it.
This worked great on glazed chintz, and probably would work on any smooth fabric, except that some may have more burrs and therefore require more sanding, but I wouldn't try it on anything with a heavy texture. And no, the paint doesn't come off. And it's not stiff, either. Think about it--it's latex paint, and essentially, that's what's in those little bottles of fabric medium.
By the way if anyone finds this topic before he or she finds the picture that shows the finished results, it's over in the PicturesWorth album, probably at the bottom of the pile, in MAGNAVERDE'S SCRAPBOOK. Have fun.
Magnaverde."

Then as you clik on each photo -- you'll notice that four computer codes appear beneath the photos. Click on the HTML one -- and it will automatically Copy ....

Then simply start a message here at GW -- and Paste in your photo into the main body of the message ......

Jan (who thanks goodness that someone made the HTML code into an "automatic" copy -- SO much easier!!)

A plywood cornice would be similar, except you need woodworking tools and would use a staple gun to assemble and upholster. I actually use my pneumatic stapler with 3/8" staples to attach the fabric to the foam cornice; it's much faster than pins and holds well as long as you angle the gun when you shoot. A hand stapler doesn't work on foam, so unless you have upholstery tools, pinning as the sheet describes would be best. (One nice thing about pinning to foam is you can easily remove the fabric later and recover the cornice if you tire of the original look.) If you have access to it, a half-thickness sheet of Dacron wrap is a little better than quilt batting, but the latter is cheap and easy to find.

You can do scalloped or profiled bottom edges with the cornice, also. Just trace your design onto the front valance and cut it out with the utility knife. You'll have to clip the fabric a lot to go around curves when you pin/staple it, so something that doesn't ravel is best. I found that fabric with a bit of stretch is actually great for this. The little girl's cornice I did below used a knit plush material and had enough give to pull tightly around the curves without puckering.

CORNICE BOARD INSTRUCTIONS

Supplies:

1. 4’ x 8’ sheet of 1/2" foam core insulation board (available at Home Depot or Lowes)
2. Hot glue gun and glue sticks
3. Straight pins (both standard dressmaker pins and small ball head straight pins (size 17 is about 1 1/16" long)
4. High or extra high loft quilt batting (enough for one layer over front, sides, and top of cornice)
5. Spray adhesive
6. Decorator fabric (optional fringe or trim, if desired)
7. Utility knife, straight edge, marker
8. 2"-3" long 90 degree angle brackets

Measuring Cornice:

For each cornice, you will create the following four (4) pieces from foam core board as instructed below:
One (1) front valance
Two (2) end pieces (or "returns")
One (1) top

1. Determine height of front valance face (generally between 10" - 18", based on window size, ceiling height, or other personal preferences).
2. Determine length of front valance (be sure to allow extra width if hanging curtains underneath); if your desired length is over 8 feet (the widest dimension of the foam core board), you will splice pieces as described assembly steps below.
3. Determine side depth from wall, called the return (2"-4" if no curtains underneath, 6" or more if mounting over curtains)
4. Top piece will be same depth as side piece and 1" longer than front valance width

Assembly:

1. Using straight edge, mark desired dimensions on white side of foamboard; score with box cutter or utility knife, snap along line, and cut through aluminum skin if necessary.
* For a cornice over 8 feet, you will need to join foam pieces to create each front valance and top panel. Cut the lengths for the front face and top out of as many pieces as necessary. Lay the pieces flat and hot glue the edges together to form one length. Cut a wide strip of thin cardboard (cereal box, etc.) and hot glue it over the seam on both sides.
2. Lay front valance aluminum side up and hot glue return ends on left and right edges with aluminum side in. Insert dressmaker pins from the outside of return ends into the cut edge of front valance to reinforce glued joints (about every 2").
3. Glue and pin top to front valance and end pieces with aluminum side facing in to make a three sided box, white on the outside and shiny aluminum on the inside (this reflects more light to brighten the window, but if you accidentally glue it the other way, it won't really matter). If the front face and top lengths both have a seam, try to offset the seams so they don't align.
4. On interior of cornice box, "caulk" the seams with a thick bead of hot glue to reinforce. Allow to dry.
5. Spray adhesive on exterior of foam core and apply batting. Trim batting to leave just a small amount to wrap over the cut foam edge. Cut out excess batting on corners so there is only a single layer; do not fold batting over itself.
6. Center decorator fabric over batting and begin stretching and smoothing from the center out. Secure fabric with ball head pins inserted in foam at a steep angle (almost parallel with the foam) with the points facing the outer edge of the foam and the ball head aligned with the cut fabric edge. Continue out to the ends of the cornice, folding and cutting as necessary.
7. At top corners, fold excess fabric like a big dart (miter) so that there is a straight fold running parallel to the cornice frame edge where top and side end pieces are joined.
8. Attach any desired trim or embellishment to the cornice fabric. Double cording can be pinned along the bottom edge with dressmaker or applique pins pushed straight up into the cut foam edge or cording or flat trim can be hot glued to the face.
9. To mount cornice, screw angle brackets into the wall above the window at the desired height. Hang cornice on brackets and use a short push pin or thumb tack on the inside to secure to angle bracket.

The only pics I forget to take were the ones that showed the high-density foam cut and adhesived in place. At that point in the process I was extremely excited and on a roll LOL.

Here's how it looks, san fabric (it does have its muslin "underwear" on).

Basic frame...

Feet hardware...

Doweling in corners, glued and screwed...

Bottom, looking up at MDF platform...

Top platform...

Quilter's batting sheathing (tack-stripped)...

Sheathing complete...

Sheathing tack-stripped in place...

Batting cover...

And voila, the muslin cover...

WHEW!!

The brackets and rods were from the clearance section at Lowe's. The rod actually started out at 8' but, I brought it home and cut it into pieces. They were originally stained an oak color and I just spray painted them black.

Anyhoo...I just got the first one up and thought I'd share. :o)

Here are the directions for the valances that you saw in the post linked below. They ARE EASY - but the directions are long, because I am trying to give you enough detail, even if you are a beginner. Read them all the way through so you understand them, and ask any questions you may have. If you are a real novice, you may want to make a sample using just muslin, or other inexpensive fabric, til you get the hang of it.

This is a no-pattern valance that I started making last summer. It requires just straight stitching. My windows are generally about 50" (more or less)in height. If your windows are very short or very tall, you may want to vary the length of the fabric you use. I would say to err on the 'buy more' side though, so they don't look skimpy. The fullness adds richness.

I generally use 1 1/4 yards of 54" wide home dec fabric to make the valance. You will need an equal amount of lining fabric. If you choose to put trim on the bottom (it adds a lot to the treatment, IMO) buy 1 1/2 yards of trim to make sure you have enough to go across the length of your 54" wide fabric. If your fabric is wider than 54", buy enough trim to cover its width.

Cut your valance fabric and lining to equal lengths. I always measure the side edges of my fabric and mark the length before cutting. It may have not been cut straight at the store, and you want to be sure that your left side is the same length as your right side.

Pin the two rectangles of fabric together on all sides, with the RIGHT (front) sides of the fabrics inside, facing each other. Before putting the fabrics together, I mark lightly on the back which is the TOP of the print (if using a print) and which is the bottom, so your print will end up right side up!

Depending on the type of rod you plan to use for the valance, you need to leave openings on each side that will become your rod pocket. Continental rods (the flat wide plain ones) need a 4" rod pocket. If you use a decorative rod, with finals on the end that screw off, I would recommend making your rod pocket 2" wide. For a small tension rod, I'd make the rod pocket 1.5" wide. You don't want to force your fabric onto the rod - allow room to make it easy for you.

Measure down from the TOP of your pinned together fabric, and make a light mark with pencil on each side, the size of your chosen rod pocket, plus 1/2". That 1/2" is going to be the width of your top seam. You'll be making a mark on the left and right sides 4 1/2" down from the top if you use a Continental rod, for example. Stitch from these marks down each side to the bottom, using a 1/2" seam.

You'll need to leave an opening in the top or bottom to turn your valance inside out when you're done stitching.

I'd suggest a 4" - 6" opening for turning. If your rod pocket openings are 4", you don't need to leave another opening, you can use them to turn it inside out.

Mark the opening you need to leave, then stitch across the top and bottom edges, using a 1/2" seam, leaving your opening...well...OPEN!

Clip your fabric corners off OUTSIDE of your stitching. This is just a small triangle of fabric from each corner. This will allow you to get nice sharp edges on your corners when your turn the valance right side out, as it reduces the bulk of fabric there.

Turn your valance right side out, pulling it through the opening you left. I use a wooden chop stick to push the fabric gently at the corners to make them nice and square, once I have turned mine right side out. Don't push too hard, or you may poke a hole through your valance! At this point, you should have a lined rectangle of fabric, with rod pocket openings near the top of each side.

Close the opening you left for turning, either by folding and pressing the edges in and hand stitching it closed, or use 'stitch witchery' type of fusing tape to do it. You can also sew it closed with your sewing machine, but you want to do it right at the edge. You want to make this closure as 'invisible' as possible, so I always use fusible tape.

Carefully iron your valance. Use your fingers to work the edges, so that you have your seam right in the middle of each edge, so you don't see the front fabric on the backside, and you don't see the lining from the front.

Now, to stitch the rod pocket. You will be making one row of stitching across the front of your fabric from side to side.
Measure down from the top edge, so you have the same length opening on each side. The size of the opening you left on each side was determined above by the type of rod you're using.

You can lightly pencil on the line that you need to stitch across, or do what I do - Place the fabric on the sewing machine, and put the needle down on the place where you'll start stitching. Take a 4" (approx) length of masking tape, and lay it against the upper edge of the fabric, to the right of the needle, and stick it to the sewing machine base. You can use this tape edge as a guide to hold the top edge of your fabric against as you stitch across. It helps you make a straight, even rod pocket. My sewing machine has tape on it for all different widths of rod pockets!

If you chose to put trim on the bottom of your valance, do it now. I use 'Aleen's OK To Wash-It' fabric glue that you can get at WalMart or a fabric store. If you use glue, just follow the directions on the bottle to glue your trim evenly to the front bottom of your valance. I lay my valance on my kitchen island, and let it set overnight, while the glue dries. You can also stitch your trim on, either by hand or by machine. I prefer the glue, because you see no stitching on the back side. (I'm anal.)

Now to make the ties. You can simply buy ribbon (such as grosgrain) or use purchased cord (see my dining room silk ones in the link) or make them out of fabric. Use either the same fabric or a coordinating one.

Here, you first need to decide if you are going to tie your valance up with bows, or do knots. Bows take longer ties.

Allow yourself a MINIMUM of 36" long ties. You can always cut them shorter if necessary, but you can't make them longer. I suggest hanging your valance up and using string to tie them up temporarily to see how long you need to make your ties. (It's longer than you think!)

Cut your strips of fabric approx 4" wide and the length you have decided on above for your ties. Fold and pin the strips in half the the short way, so you have a long strip of fabric that is 2" wide. Make sure the right sides are together, (inside) because you are going to turn them inside out after stitching.

Stitch along the pinned edge of each strip, about 1/4" from the edge. Now the fun part - turn those narrow strips inside out. My chop stick comes in handy for this, but use whatever method you choose to accomplish this.

Press the ties just as you did the valance rectangle, making sure your seam is even on the edge. I fold in the raw ends and use my fusible tape to close them, but you can machine stitch them closed or do it by hand - Your choice. Your valance is done!

Put it on your rod, using the rod pocket. Hang it in your window. Now, take the ties, and simply drape them over the rod on each side, having half of the tie fabric strip hanging in front, and the other half of the tie hanging behind the valance.

Now, gather up one side of the valance in your hands, and reach behind it it grab the dangling tie in back. Tie up the valance, by tying the front and back pieces of the tie together, either in a knot or a bow. Do the same with the other side, making sure your ties on each side are tied up at the same length.

Now stand back and make sure your valance looks even at the bottom on each side. Use your hand to 'finger fold' and drape your fabric until the look is what you want.

You'll be surprised at what a difference it can make in the look by spacing your ties closer together, or moving them further apart on the rod. Also by tying the ties higher or lower...

This is where you need to play around until you get the look you want. On the HGTV message board, a woman made these and kept posting pics asking for advice - Higher? Lower? Move the ties apart or closer...It's really all up to you. Hers looked GREAT when she was done, and she was so pleased to have made her own custom valance. I hope you all feel the same way, if you try them!

Here is a link that might be useful: several shown here - all the same instructions

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm134/ngs52/fireplace.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm134/ngs52/fireplace002.jpg