Pelmets, like valances, cover the top of the curtain to give elegance to the window. Pelmets, however, are flat and stiffened with buckram so they need less fabric than valances and need to be fitted to the front of a 1" (2.5cms) thick wooden board (pelmet or cornice board) which is fitted to the wall above the curtain track. The pelmet can be kept in place with either Velcro or small  tacks. A shape of buckram, pelform or thin MDF is covered with fabric, can be padded, and neatened at the back with lining material. Braid or tassels can be added to the bottom edge to enhance the shape of the pelmet. Special consideration should be given to the depth of the pelmet. A general rule is one sixth of the drop of the curtain with a minimum of 8" (20cms). Normally it would be necessary to stitch the component parts of a pelmet but here we have made a simple pelmet using a no sew method.
These free illustrated instructions will enable you to make your own no sew pelmets to enhance your window treatments.

Tip: An actual sized paper pattern pinned to the top of the open curtains gives a good indication of the finished effect.

Requirements:

Pelmet board or box pelmet 6" (15cms) deep x 1" (2.5cms) thick by required length of pelmet. 

Brackets to attach pelmet board. 

Adhesive buckram, Pelform or thin MDF (man made wooden board) to the desired depth and length of the pelmet. In these instructions we have used buckram.

Wadding to cover one side of the pelmet for padding if so required.

Fabric to cover the right side of the pelmet.

Lining to cover the wrong side of the pelmet.

Braid or tassels ( if required ) the length of the lower edge of the pelmet.

Velcro (touch and close fastening) or tacks to attach the pelmet to the wooden shelf.

Fabric glue.

Bondaweb. An iron on strip used to bond fabrics together.

Joining widths of fabric without sewing:

On one of the panels, turn over the edge that is to be joined onto the right side of the fabric. Make the turning 0.5" (1.3cm) wide.

Press it firmly with the iron so that it lies flat.

On the other panel, turn over the edge to be joined 0.5" (1.3cm) onto the wrong side and press firmly.

Spread the first panel with the turning uppermost. Lay a strip of bonding web 1" (2.5cm) wide all along the edge. Arrange it carefully so that half the width is on the turning and half is on the main fabric.

Lay the other panel over it with the turning down, so that it just covers the bonding web. Make sure to match the pattern if necessary.

Press with a hot iron over a damp cloth to seal the web in place. Join other panels in the same way.

Making the nosew pelmet:

Firstly fix your pelmet board in position approximately 4" (10 cms) above the window so that it extends at least 4" (10 cms) beyond the curtain track each side. Measure along the front edge and the sides (returns) of the pelmet board to give you the width of the required pelmet.

Unless a straight pelmet is to be made it is essential to make an actual sized  paper pattern first (an old roll of wallpaper is ideal for this ).
A variety of shapes and patterns can be made.

Before cutting out, fold the pattern in half  to make sure the shape is the same on each side. At this stage you can attach the pattern to your pelmet board using drawing pins to give you an idea of the finished effect and enabling you to make adjustments if necessary. Once you are happy with the shape and size, place the pattern onto the buckram and cut out to the same size.

Join widths of fabric and lining if required with Bondaweb following the instructions above. Make sure there is a full width of fabric in the centre of the pelmet with part widths on either side and that any pattern on the fabric is positioned centrally.

Lay the fabric on a flat surface, right side down. Place the buckram pelmet shape centrally on top and mark around all edges. Measure 2" (5 cms) out from this shape on all edges and mark. Cut along this new line to give you 2" (5 cms) turning allowance. See figure 1 below.

Place the wadding, if required, on a flat surface and place the buckram pelmet shape centrally on top.

Cut the wadding to the same shape and size as the buckram.

Repeat for the lining.

Glue the wadding to the buckram pelmet shape around all edges.

Place the fabric, right side down, on a flat surface and place the buckram, wadding side down, on top.

Clip the seam allowance every 1" - 2" ( 2.5 - 5 cms) around the curves to within ¼" (6 mm) of the buckram.

Starting at the centre of the lower edge and working towards each end turn over the seam allowance and glue to the buckram. Clip the seam allowance more often if required to avoid puckering. See figure 2 above.

Work in the same way along the top edge gently pulling the fabric taut.

The 2 ends are the last to neaten. Mitre the corners by turning under a small triangle of fabric so that they do not pucker.

Turn ½" (13 mm) to the wrong side on all edges of the lining. Clip seam allowance where necessary and press.

Place the wrong side of the lining to the wrong side of the pelmet with ½" (13 mm) space all round. Glue in place around all edges.

Stick 1 side of the Velcro along the top edge of the back of the pelmet. Glue any decorative trimmings along the lower edge on the front of the pelmet if required. Be careful not to use too much glue.

Stick the other side of the Velcro to the front and side edges of the pelmet board.

Mark the front corners of the pelmet and fold the buckram to form a 90° angle thus allowing it to easily fit around the pelmet board or box.

Attach the pelmet to the board using the Velcro, starting at the centre and working towards each end.