the coolest window valance...EVER.

so i kindof have this favorite blog that i drool over look at and get some really fun ideas. looking through her blog helped me solidfy what i wanted to do with my dinning table i UP~CYCLE in cleveland 2 years ago.... {DINING TABLE FUN} .... her blog is called allthingsthrifty.com. i have been stocking her blog for over two years and when i saw her post about a window valance i have been DYING to make one. BUT, at the time, we were living in  a rental for only another year and then WHO KNEW where we were going, i couldn't justify making one, YET! when we got in our new house i had to be patient while we were getting the yard in BUT i have been dying to make one. my husband was up to it and we dove into it with a really good tutorial and ideas of how we wanted to tweak it...... she used paintable wallpaper {which we are doing in our front room} but for our family the decor is more industrial so we went the route of pallets.....

pallets- stacked. ready to be attacked-

 ummm, nasty spider web..... good thing i got those pallets out of there- YUCK!

 first i separated the pallets..... and pulled the horizontal slats off

then painted and stained some... just stained others... just tried to get some variation of colors in there.....

 enter... husband..... the demolition was done and now construction started....

 .....making the valance frame....

 {how did we NOT have him wearing safety goggle- YIKES}

 sidenote- this little man watched us...... he did pretty well.......

 but got spooked by the saw....

 after it was constructed we arranged the pallets on the frame.... we tried to get enough variance with the wood tomes/textures.....

(husband making fun of my footwear during the project)

 then, we added crown molding. which was probably the hardest part due to the UNEVEN nature of pallets... VERY unpredictable and Nate is a perfectionist...... we both had to "just roll with it" a couple of times

 then when it seemed like we would NEVER get it up on the wall- TADA~~~~~

 {and on goes the hunt for the PERFECT curtains to go with it.....}

 it is sooooo awesome! we LOVE it and it adds SOOOO MUCH to the room.

 {just need to send those cords through the wall.....}

now we just need to get going on the one for our front room. these add SOOOO MUCH to the room and the materials were NOT that much considering how much it added to the room. i love it when nate is skeptical of my "IDEAS" but agrees to help. then when they turn out #bestfeelingever. All Things Thrifty does a perfect tutorial if you are interested! here is her link: all things thrifty valance . but i will warn you... YOU WILL GET HOOKED TO HER MAGIC!!!! it is like a drug. i would pass out if i got her to come help me finish my house!!!!! i have these TWO HUGE BLANK, EMPTY walls (opposite of the windows) that i am afraid of ..... HELP BROOKE :)