Window Cornice With Planter

1x4 pine lumber
wood glue
nails
hammer
scrap paper
MDF (medium-density fiberboard)
jigsaw
palm sander or 220-grit paper
terra-cotta pots
compass
drill
drywall screws
latex primer
paint
6' piano hinge
3 L-brackets

1. A cornice board is a three-sided box with a front cover on it and it's one of the easiest window treatments to create without a sewing machine or an ironing board. Make a box out of the boards cut to the right size for the window. Attach the side pieces with wood glue and nails.
2. Draw and cut a template to size for the front piece in the desired pattern. Trace it onto MDF (it cuts much easier than grained wood) and cut it out using a jigsaw. Soften the cut edges using a palm sander or by hand.
3. For the planter, cut holes big enough to accept pots in a 1x4 board (figure A). Find and mark the center of each hole and use a compass to draw the diameter needed. Drill a hole on the inside of the circle near the pencil line, and then cut each out with a jigsaw. Sand the inside of each opening lightly.