How to Build an Indoor Awning

A Rainbow of Awnings

Installed in unfinished hallway

I am in the process of building some awnings for the hallway windows of our church's children's wing. The theme is 'Kaleidoscope Kids. 

I constructed the frames from 1x2" pre-primed MDF from Lowes, since it was less expensive than even pine boards. I glued & screwed the 90° joints, and glued and used a nail gun to secure the angled joints. I took the measurements of the wall space, extending the awnings out 2 inches on either side of the windows (they have no frames), and drew up a pattern for the awnings themselves, which consisted of a large rectangle, and two triangles for the sides. 

Bare Frame

Awning with Fabric Cover

Back View

Attaching the Aprons

The aprons have white piping where they join the body of the awning. I used a standard upholstery technique to attach the aprons: stapling through a narrow strip of poster board and stapling through the seam allowance, into the frame, with the apron flipped up, out of the way. 

I used pocket-hole joinery with glue for most of the framing, and glue and a nail gun for the angled joints. The awning covers are stapled on because the budget couldn't accommodate Velcro. I had to make a jig for my miter saw because the angle cut for the diagonal braces was more acute than the degrees on the saw. I found directions online from a woodworkers' site showing how to make a jig for cutting crown molding. I am using Industrial-strength Velcro to attach the awnings to the wall, since they're pretty light - about 7 pounds each. I have a cornice in my study that has been hanging there for 12 years by means of this Industrial-strength Velcro. It does a great job.

The logo below was designed by an artist that goes to our church, Andy Bennett. 

Psalm 139: 13-16
¹³ You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother's body. 
¹⁴ How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well. 
¹⁵ None of my bones was hidden from you when you made me inside my mother's body. That place was as dark as the deepest parts of the earth. When you were putting me together there, 
¹⁶ your eyes saw my body even before it was formed. You planned how many days I would live. You wrote down the number of them in your book before I had lived through even one of them.

Ethan's Quiet Book

Near completion! Yeah!!! The letters each hide somewhere on their page, and are attached with Velcro so that they can be used on the last page to practice spelling the little one's name and/or stored in the little pocket. The peanut in the elephant's mouth is on a string so that he can be "fed". The tent, of course, unzips; the fire hose winds around the carrier; the worm in the apple can be pulled part-way out, and the eggs can be removed from the nest and "cracked" open to reveal two birdies and the letter 'N'.

My kids actually got me my Cricut for my birthday last year thinking I could cut felt with it, and thus it would help me with my busy book designs, which I would love to grow into a business - they're so much fun to do. Now, with SCAL, I would have a blast making up patterns for cuts. If anyone has experience cutting felt or fabrics with their Cricut and would like to leave me some advice, I'm all for it!

Quiet Books - Busy Books - Pop-up Books - Just Plain FUN!

The little Scotty dog pictured here was made from a free pattern offered by Jenny B, an extremely talented children's book illustrator, at one of my all-time favorite blogs:

http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/ 

I don't know if there are many of us out there, but I, for one, am wishing that the Cricut could cut felt. Thick, fuzzy, felt. I am in the process of working on two quiet books - one for my granddaughter(s), and one for a little fella named Ethan. Now, I only have one granddaughter - the beautiful little Juliette pictured here -

and I started out making this quiet book only for her, when she was just 6 months old (I know my discipline level - I was aiming to give it to her for her 3rd birthday.) A year later, although I haven't worked on it steadily, I have put in enough hours to know that it will stay at Grammie's house for all of Grammie's little girlies to play with when they come over. It is a labor of love, and a lot of work. Now, granted this particular quiet book is on rather a grand scale. It will be a doll house when it's finished, with doors that connect rooms (pages) together, and cupboards that open, an armoire in which the little outfits can hang when not in use, as well as seating for two & a doggy & toys for the little mistress of the house to play with. It is, for all intents and purposes, a pop-up book in felt. I loved pop-ups so much as a kid that I still try to get one for at least one of my kids for Christmas every year, just so I can indulge in it's pages. (Robert Sabuda, you are my hero!) I digress.

It is my plan to post my progress on this book, as well as Ethan's book, so that I will have some impetus to get it done. Ethan's book is nearly finished. In fact, today is his first birthday, and while he is still too small to play with it, I will attempt to get it to his mama within the week in honor of his birthday. Oh, yeah, I also intend to make one for all of Grammies little fellas, too. When they come along.

Disclaimer: The characters in this book are fictional and are not based on any actual persons, although the dolly's hair, eyes and complexion bear a striking resemblance to my own (especially the hair, unfortunately)!

On to the pix. These are only layouts so far - none of the pages have been sewn (or backgrounds ironed - oops!).

The doll can be slipped into both the bed and the big pink chair.

The dolls can be slipped into the chairs behind the table. The light fixture is an homage to my love of contemporary design, I had a traditional chandelier, but it just got lost on the "wallpaper". All my rooms need baseboard - I see that, now. More to come.