Black & White & Red Window Valances

Our home was built in the 1930's.  We love it.  Most of the interior doors are original to the house and have cut glass door knobs.  The guest bedroom has wooden window valances that are crazy sturdy.  When decorating that room, I like to draw attention to the unique valances. 

Currently the room has three walls painted gray with one accent wall in red.  Furnishings are mostly black and white.  Here is a picture of the valance above the antique bed.  I wanted the valances to really make an impact.   

First, I painted the valances Razorback Red.  (It's a favorite color in Northwest Arkansas.) 

Next, I went online and ordered some Wall Pops wall stickers.

This particular package is 6.5 inches by 16 feet. 

OK.  Confession time.  If I had this project to do over, I would have measured the valances before I purchased the border.  Ahem! 

My plan was to use the sticker strip like wall paper border, just slap it up there and be finished.  So the border arrives and is wider than the valance and just looks goofy. 

What to do?  Cut it in half?  Nope.  I didn't care for it cut in half.  Goofy, again.  How exasperating!  I like penants.  How would that look?  Using my favorite great, big pink scissors, I cut one square.

Then cut the square diagonally.

Thankfully, the window valances have simple scrollwork.  I used the scrollwork to center the first penant on each valance.  (Meauring doesn't seem to be a strength for me!  Ahem!) 

Oooh, I like the penant idea.  I continued to cut one square and then cut the square in half diagonally.  Working from the center out, penants were carefully placed to the ends of each valance.  After adding some family photos, I am very pleased with the final results!

What a perfect place to display milestones in our family:  military graduations, growing children and weddings! 

Or snow men.

Or a Christmas village.

If you like the Black & White & Red All Over look, here's another tutorial.   I love our Stone Cottage.  Thank you for sharing our joy!