Arched Window Covering

I was looking for a solution to cover my arched window. After looking online, I couldn't believe the cost. Even the cheap paper fan looking ones were not what I wanted. Solution: Make something! This is what I decided to build.

You will need to have a few tools and a little woodworking skills to make this or something similar. So here we go.

What you need:

A shade or blind to fit the window.

Cardboard or poster board to make a template.

Luan or underlayment plywood with a smooth finish.

Paint and a few screws.

A band saw or jig saw.

Measure the area that you want to cover and use cardboard or poster board to make a template. I added and extra 1 3/4 inches to the bottom of my radius to hang the blind on. I used a scrap strip of the 1/4 luan board to make a circle compass. Just drill a few holes at the radius you need to make your compass. Use a nail and a pencil to make your arch on the template. Cut it out and do a test fit. Trim it to adjust the fit until you have a nice fit.

Begin by cutting two arches and dry fit them into the window opening. Once you get a good fit move on to cutting the smaller components. Depending on the tools you are using to cut with, the technique may vary. I chose to make a cardboard cut out of the parts first until I was happy. First, draw a boarder on one of the large arches of about 1 1/2 inches, (or whatever looks good to you) and then draw a small half moon on the bottom section. This will just be to glue the other half moons on later. Cut it out with a jig saw. Use the drop piece to make other parts. Then stack 7 blanks and cut them all at once. Then the 2 half moon parts one at a time. Draw guide lines for all of the angles for glue up purpose. There are many variations of cut out parts you could make. Just do some paper designs of your own if you would like something different.

Sand all of your pieces smooth before assembly. Dry fit the parts to see what you will have when finished. Glue up all of your parts in stages. Clamping and weights will vary based on what tools you have. Just take your time and get everything lined up straight. Glue up the 2 half moons but DO NOT attach them to the main part yet. Do this after painting and leave the paint off of the center section so the glue will stick. See the photos in the following sections.

Just paint until you are happy with the results. Don't paint the glue surface for the half moons. Don't paint the outer edges if you have a tight fit. When the paint is dry, glue on the center half moon medallion. Ready for the install.

Place your arch in the window opening and put in a couple screws. I hung my blind and put a little caulk around the edges of the arch. It is just how I wanted it to look. Let me know how you like my arched window cover. I took a few short cuts with the instructions assuming you could figure out how to get it done. If you have questions, let me know. Thanks for looking!