Rustic Rope DIY Valance

We have this door with a large glass panel between a living room and the kitchen in our lake house cottage. Because the living room area is also often used for sleeping, we wanted a way to be able to close off the window for privacy. I made a fabric lined roller shade and was just planning on installing it to the door with the small metal brackets, but then I had the idea to make a valance to cover up the roller shade brackets.

diy valance made of rope
Rustic Rope Valance

Of course, most valances are made of wood across the front or sometimes upholstered with fabric. Instead of taking one of those routes, I wanted to give my valance a lake house feel with rope. The process to add rope to a valance was super easy! Here are the steps to make a simple valance from wood and rope:

rustic rope valance

1. Cut down small pieces of wood (1″ by 1″ by 4″) to act as the mounting brackets. Stain them in a color of your choice and screw them straight into the solid wood door.

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2. Attach the roller shade mounting hardware to the wood brackets at the correct distance apart depending on the length of your roller shade. (If you look closely, you can see the small metal brackets screwed into the wood pieces on the door.) Then, install the roller shade on the mounting brackets.

how to make a valance from wood and rope

3. Cut two more pieces of wood from a 1 inch thick board measuring 4″ x 2.5″. Then, use a 1/2″ forstner bit (a spade bit would work fine, too) and drill six holes along the edge of the board, spaced evenly apart.  To make sure the holes are the same distance apart on both brackets, take the first board with the holes and lay it on top of the other piece. Then, drill through the pre-cut holes to make an indentation on the bottom board. This will be your marks for where to drill the holes on the second piece.

4. Nail the pieces of wood to the brackets using an air nailer or a hammer and small trim nails. Thread 3/8″ thick manila rope through the holes and tie a knot on both sides to secure the rope in place. Trim off remaining rope on both sides.

how to make a valance from rope

All in all, it was an easy project that helped to hide the shade.  I’m still not sure I wouldn’t have just liked wood better, but for now, we’ll just say that I have a nautical, rustic rope valance.

valance made of rope for a beach house or lake house

 

Jenny at Refresh Living (dev.refreshliving.com)

Post by Jenny Leads

Jenny is the voice behind Refresh Living. She has a passion for helping people to create a home they love without spending a lot of money.

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