We Turned Rusty, Old Tin Panels Into a Beautiful Cornice Board!

Jennifer Allwood
by Jennifer Allwood
4 Materials
I am obsessed with all things that are rusty. When I found these rusty tin panels, I knew I had to make them work in my decor somehow!
So, we turned them into a cornice board for our living room window!
We found several rusty tin panels in an antique store in Kansas City. They were the PERFECT colors for our living room!
I enlisted the help of my husband, Mr. Magic, to build me a cornice board of lumber first.
Making the wood frame was by far the longest part of the project! He made it project from the wall far enough that it hid the curtain rods and left room for my curtains.
We had to cut down the tin with garage sheers to make them just the right length. And.... we needed 2 narrow pieces cut for the ends of the cornice board or the wood board would show.
I sprayed the tins with a matte polyacrylic topcoat to seal them. I didn't want them shiny because I wanted them to remain looking old!
The tins were SUPER easy to attach to the front of the wood cornice. They are lightweight so a few screws in each was sufficient to hold them up.
After we got the tin hung (see top photo), I realized I needed to add some paint in spots to make the cornice appear to be one longgggggggg piece of tin instead of 3 separate pieces. I used a sea sponge and some white primer + my gray wall color to dab in a few spots and now the piece looks seamless (see bottom photo).
And viola! It's all done. I am obsessed with the rusty goodness of it! And I love the start contrast that the rust has to the softer elements in the room. Totally my Magic Brush style!
Jennifer Allwood
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Divababiexoxo Divababiexoxo on Feb 21, 2018

    Looks great! I love the mirror floor cabinet! I want one lol. Where did you get that?

  • Nancy Brown Nancy Brown on Mar 09, 2018

    Do u by chance play Design Home? That mirrored table is featured in it! U're living room rocks so hard it rolls!

  • Mom21758585 Mom21758585 on Jul 18, 2021

    My window is the same length (or there abouts) what width wood did your husband use and how thick? Also how wide were your side pieces? Trying to take the guess work out of this cornice project 😂. Thanks!!

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  • Ramona Robnett Sprecco Ramona Robnett Sprecco on Mar 09, 2018

    Love the way they fit into the room. Nicely done.


  • Lana Lana on Oct 10, 2018

    BEAUTIFUL, unique room! Love the angel wings, lighted letter, mirrored cabinet, & your candlestick collection in the fireplace too! Thanks for sharing your project.

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