From childhood, after books about knights or Sherlock Holmes, the concept of "fireplace" for us has become synonymous with comfort and warmth. For those who live in their own home, if there is money and free space, it is not difficult to call a team, choose a suitable fireplace and soon enjoy a live flame. But in high-rise buildings (and private houses, you know, are also different, in some you cannot put an extra stool) you cannot adapt the necessary chimney in any way, and you cannot really single out a place for a fireplace. So to satisfy your craving for romance and desire for comfort, it remains to make a fireplace out of cardboard with your own hands.

Layout selection

Start by deciding for yourself exactly where you would like to see your fireplace. Compared to the real one, the fake one has the advantage that it can be mounted anywhere and made in any shape you want. A cardboard fireplace with your own hands can be placed even in a corner, which there is nothing to force, but the fireplace will fit harmoniously. Next, figure out how tall and wide your product will be. It should not conflict with the furniture in the room, it should not suppress it, but it should also not allow the fireplace to get lost against the background of, say, bulky cabinets.

Base selection

In principle, a fireplace made of cardboard with your own hands can be built and only from this material. For the simplest, even a fairly large box from under furniture or office equipment is suitable. But keep in mind that cardboard is not very durable material. If you want to get something more solid at the exit, spend a little and order a chipboard frame for the base of the fireplace. Calculate how many sheets of it will be required for your dimensions, what size they should be. Basically, this will be the only part of the process of creating your fireplace that requires outside input. But the "stove" will turn out to be more stable and strong.

The easiest option

The easiest way to make a false fireplace is from cardboard using a shipping box. To do this, all the joints of the box are glued so that the lid does not open and the walls do not fall off. Use a pencil to draw a hole in your oven, then cut it out with scissors. You can decorate the fireplace at your discretion. The fastest option is a self-adhesive film with a pattern for a brick or wild stone. If you do not like this method, for example, you want to paint your fireplace out of cardboard differently, it is better to paste over the box with white paper, and when the glue dries, apply the intended pattern. Even if you draw all the same bricks, you can give them a more realistic look, of course, if you have a penchant for drawing.

Pasting with paper is necessary, firstly, because the packaging cardboard is usually brown, and you will not get the desired color. Secondly, the boxes always have some kind of inscriptions, emblems, etc. They can be seen even through several layers of paint. However, if you prefer, you can substitute a primer for the pasting, which can be purchased from art stores.

The interior is important too

From the inside, it would also not hurt to paint or paste over the box, otherwise a do-it-yourself fireplace made of cardboard will not look very believable. You can hang the inner wall with a dark cloth, and put a bright red one on the bottom.

For better stability, put a "mantel" on top of the box. For it, you can use chipboard or fiberboard, only processed or pasted over with the same self-adhesive wood or marble. If you don't have a suitable cut on hand, you can glue several sheets of the same cardboard (for example, from a different box). You will have a mantelpiece, however, it will not add stability to the structure.

Chipboard based

If you opted for a more monumental version, you first have to knock down the frame brought from the workshop. If a podium stand is provided in the fireplace you have invented, you need to start assembling the base from it. If not, first the body of the fireplace gets lost, and then its chimney.

Since it is planned to build a fireplace made of cardboard with our own hands, we will not talk about the other finishing options (drywall or artificial decorative stone). For finishing, the sheets of cardboard can simply be glued to the chipboard, but if it seems to you that the cardboard is thin, you can glue the sheets (by cutting out the parts that fit the fireplace) and put them under the load overnight. The next morning, the fireplace itself is upholstered with even and thick cardboard. Then it is given the desired look (in the same way as it was done with the box).

When we make a fireplace from cardboard based on chipboard, we shouldn't forget about its “insides” either. Still, it will be illuminated from the inside, and the wooden frame will become clearly visible.

Cardboard only, not box

If you don't want to mess around with plywood, and the boxed version seems too simple, there is another way how to make a fireplace out of cardboard. It is also suitable if you need an "oven" of an unusual shape, for example, triangular in cross-section or high, but flat.

First you need to make a "pattern". All details are calculated very scrupulously so that your decorative cardboard fireplace does not turn out to be lopsided. The cardboard is glued together in several layers to make it more rigid. It will lie under the load the longer, the more sheets you glued together. Then, according to the drawings made, individual parts are cut out. You can fasten them together with scotch tape, you can glue them with paper strips. By the way, if you decide to stay on scotch tape, take a paper tape for pasting windows. In order for the corners of the fireplace to be rectangular, at least for the time of assembly it is worth using the corners - plastic is sold in building stores, they are quite suitable. And ideally, it would be good to leave these corners inside the structure for good. They will not be visible, but they will definitely add strength.

Since such a fireplace is assembled from parts, the inside of it can be processed before assembly. It is still more convenient to paint or paste over cardboard when it is lying on a table or on the floor, and not when it is standing upright. And the holes in the firebox are of different sizes; if you choose a small one, for the interior decoration of the assembled fireplace you will have to show the wonders of acrobatics.

The outer side can also be finished before assembly, but in this case, the pattern may not match when gluing individual parts, and the gluing of the corners will be visible. So the outside will have to be painted and pasted over on the finished fireplace. Not only that, if you choose to paint, you may need to prime the surface first to hide the tape.

Lighting options

Any fireplace requires a flame. It is clear that cardboard does not provide an opportunity to use real fire. You can buy or make your own lamp that simulates a fire. Alternatively, draw a fire on paper, cut it along the contour and attach it to the hearth. A dim lamp is placed at the back, and a very plausible imitation of an open flame is obtained. The disadvantage of this method is that thick paper will not shine through well with a light bulb, and thin paper will roll forward or backward. The way out may be a wire frame, but it will need to be bent as accurately as possible along the contour, otherwise it will be clearly visible when translucent.

You can put an electric candle or a garland in the hearth. It is better to buy both on batteries, so as not to make a hole in the fireplace for the cord to the outlet.

For any choice of "flame", twigs, branches or logs must be put into the firebox for reliability.

Fireplace care

It remains to make sure that the fireplace delights you as long as possible. If you have chosen self-adhesive as a finish, your "oven" will not require special care - such films are usually moisture resistant, they can be wiped with a wet rag. But if the fireplace was painted, then for the possibility of subsequent care for it, you will have to varnish it. Then it can be wiped off dust or accidental dirt.

Now in the evenings you can sit in front of an almost real fireplace and feel like a medieval feudal lord.

Modern fireplaces have long ceased to be solely a source of heat; now they have already become a stylish and fashionable accessory. Now this design element can be installed even in an apartment building, since there are many alternatives to the wood-burning option: electric fireplaces, gas, as well as those working on biofuel. It is possible to recreate false fireplaces: polyurethane, plasterboard, foam and even paper.

You can create such a fireplace with your own hands without much effort. Let's figure out how to make a paper fireplace. There are many options for how you can make a paper fireplace with your own hands. Let's take a look at some of them.

Advice! You can glue several layers of paper together, but cardboard will be much easier. Even boxes from large equipment will do: refrigerator, TV and others.

False fireplace, simple cardboard or paper

Would need:

• box;
• decorative skirting boards and styrofoam figures;
• drawing;
• scissors, construction knife;
• pen, a simple pencil for marking according to the drawing;
• construction scotch tape;
• specialized glue;
• putty, as well as a spatula;
• ruler;
• water-based paint: brown or white and other shades;
• brush.

Manufacturing steps:

• Creation of a drawing according to previously prepared dimensions.

• Transfer of the drawing to cardboard or paper, which is glued in several layers. You will need a pencil as well as a ruler.

Electric fireplaces are very popular. Installations are of several types, the most common are corner electric fireplaces. To give the hearth the look of a traditional fireplace, a plasterboard portal is made. You can do this with your own hands, following the instructions provided.

Advice! You can not use markers, felt-tip pens, as they will shine through the paint, and it will be necessary to apply a putty before painting.

• It is necessary to make slots for the hearth, they will be bent towards the back wall and fixed with tape. Thus, a portal is formed.

• When the base is ready, you should start finishing. The foam parts must be fixed on the base, according to the sketch.

• A patterned plinth of a wide size is glued on top. It will be the basis of the future paper fireplace shelf.
• Place the foam supports behind the fixed skirting board. You need to put a plate of the same material on top.

Advice! To make the fireplace look beautiful, you should pay special attention to the corners. There should be no gaps at the joints. Well, if it didn't work out, then the putty will help correct the situation.

• After all the parts are in place, you need to carefully apply the putty to the paper fireplace.
• When the coating is completely dry, you should apply water-based paint. The false fireplace is ready.

• You can put figurines on top.

Fireplace made of cardboard or paper corner

A model of this type will look great in the corner. She will bring zest to the design solutions for the organization of the interior. A paper fireplace, the master class of which is presented, can be made by everyone.

Would need:

• cardboard box or glued thick paper;
• self-adhesive film or wallpaper with a brick pattern;
• scissors or utility knife;
• Scotch;
• garland, LED strip or battery-powered candles.

Manufacturing steps:

• Out of the box, you should make a base in the form of a triangle.

• The workpiece must be pasted over with wallpaper or self-adhesive film.

• The table top should be made of several layers of cardboard.
• The top of the fireplace should be similarly pasted over.

• You can place a garland, LED strip or battery-powered candles in the firebox.

Advice! The table top can also be made of foam or fiberboard.

Cardboard or paper fireplace with secret shelves

A decorative model is not only an interior decoration, at the same time, in its walls, you can create a secret or small shelves for little things.

Would need:

• large box or several;
• glue;
• Scotch;
• putty;
• decorative skirting boards.

Stages of creation:

• To create a fireplace from paper with secret shelves should be starting from the formation of the "base" or "skeleton".

Advice! When creating a skeleton, you need to take into account the required size of the shelves.

• When the base is ready, it should be glued on both sides with cardboard or paper glued in several layers.

• A podium or table top is made from several layers of cardboard.

Advice! If desired, the cardboard can be replaced with a sheet of polystyrene. For reliability, the joints should be glued with a newspaper using PVA glue.

• A wide decorative plinth should be glued on top of the false paper fireplace. Its top edge should be flush with the worktop.
• On top of six sheets of cardboard and a baseboard, you need to glue the seventh.
• The corners are closed with a building corner.
• The firebox can be pasted over with wallpaper with a pattern, or you can cut out cardboard bricks with a utility knife and paint them.

• A paper fireplace should be putty.
• After that, it needs to be painted. When the paint is dry, you can decorate it.

Advice! You can glue a false fireplace from several boxes, each of which will be a separate shelf.

A paper fireplace, the master class of which is presented in step-by-step instructions, is easy to create. This does not require specialized skills and special financial costs.

Video: do-it-yourself cardboard fireplace

Modern owners of apartments or houses are increasingly striving to build fireplaces. Of course, it is impossible to install a wood-burning fireplace, but a false fireplace is real. There are many manufacturing options, they are not complicated. A do-it-yourself fireplace made of paper will be no worse than others. It will harmoniously complement the interior design. As for the firebox, there are many options. You can make it yourself or purchase an electric version that will create the illusion of wood burning. Modern hearths can also reproduce sound and create various effects.

Reading time ≈ 8 minutes

New Year's holidays are just around the corner, which means that it's time to think about creating the appropriate mood. In this case, a fireplace will help us, but how to make it out of the box with your own hands for the new year 2020 with step-by-step instructions and photo examples, we will figure it out in more detail.

Styles of decorative fireplaces

The manufacture of a false fireplace is possible in one of the following styles:

Calculation of parts and pattern

The photo shows the standard size of the hearth, which can be taken as a basis when assembling a New Year's fireplace. However, this does not mean that you cannot make changes, add something of your own. The design parameters are determined by the place of installation, the number and size of the boxes used.

The fireplace can be assembled both wall-mounted and corner.

If the box is large, mark the size of the firebox with a pen and a ruler, cut the cardboard with a knife and bend it in the right places. When using small boxes, they can be tied together with adhesive tape, giving the product the desired shape.

Raised fireplace trim

An important role in the manufacture of a hearth from cardboard boxes is played by its decoration. Basically, such products are covered with materials that imitate brick. The decor can be made either from red paper or painted with paint according to a template.

A convenient option for obtaining a beautiful finish is to use wallpaper for a brick or plaster.

Masonry can also be made of thin foam, which requires cutting the material into pieces of the desired size. As a result, the finished structure will be white.

Another option for finishing a fireplace is a laminate underlay, for example, beige, which is good for the purposes in question.

To decorate the fireplace, rectangles are cut from the substrate and pasted over the workpiece.

The easiest way to finish is to paste over the fireplace with white paper or cover the cardboard with water-based emulsion.

How to simulate a fire in a fireplace

Not a single hearth, even a decorative one, is complete without fire.

When using a fireplace made of cardboard, do not forget about safety precautions - you cannot use candles inside a structure with an open fire. All lighting elements must operate exclusively on batteries or mains.

Consider the options for adding fire to the fireplace:

• draw a fire on cardboard, cut and paste it into the firebox;
• place LED candles in the hearth;
• use garlands and strips with LED elements;
• decorate the firebox with New Year's decor, for example, balls.

How to make logs

To make the fireplace look like a real one, you can add logs to it. For these purposes, both real small birch logs and artificial ones are suitable. If you do not want to search for material for logs, you can make them yourself.

For this you will need:

• corrugated board;
• glue;
• knife and scissors;
• gouache paint and brush;
• twine.

The procedure for making logs is as follows:

The best ideas for Christmas fireplaces from boxes

Artificial foci come in different shapes and sizes. We will consider some options step by step.

Christmas fireplace

For the manufacture of the product in question, the following tools and materials are needed:

• cardboard boxes;
• ruler;
• pencil;
• White paint;
• brush;
• golden acrylic paint;
• construction tape;
• small nails;
• new year accessories.

Having prepared everything you need, we perform the following steps:

1. In the center of the box we mark directly the fireplace insert.
   
2. We cut the cardboard from the sides and from the top.
   
3. To make the cardboard bend well, we push through the corner of the ruler from the bottom of the marking. We repeat this procedure several times and give the blank a shape.
   
   
4. We bend the cardboard inward and fix it with tape.
   
5. Using another box, we cut out two blanks of the same size: they will serve as the walls of the future fireplace.
   
6. We fasten the blanks with tape in such a way as to form the fireplace insert. Then we paint our product with white paint and leave it to dry completely.
   
7. We decorate the fireplace by applying a brick pattern.
   
8. We fix the garland and tinsel to the product with small carnations.
   

Brick fireplace

To make the fireplace look like a real one, you can use a self-adhesive film as a material that will imitate brickwork. First, we prepare:

• carton boxes;
• self-adhesive;
• Scotch;
• glue;
• metal ruler;
• scissors.

A master class for a brick fireplace consists of the following step-by-step actions:

1. We cut the box into two parts.
   
2. We push the blanks so that the cardboard can be bent.
   
3. We prepare the self-adhesive.
   
4. We cut off the decorative film with a margin so that the edges go to the back side of the cardboard.
   
5. We glue the decorative film. If self-adhesive is used, then you need to apply it a little in tightness, gently smoothing and removing bubbles.
   
6. We connect the blanks with tape and glue them with decor. If the length of the film is not enough, you can fasten it in short pieces, since this will not be noticeable.
   
7. Cut out and paste over the rest of the elements. The result should be a center piece, two corners and a top.
   
8. We fold the parts in such a way that a firebox is formed, after which we glue them with tape.
   
9. We also glue the top with tape. We use socks and garlands to decorate the product.
   

From the video you can learn how to make a hearth out of cardboard boxes.

Corner false fireplace

If the room that you intend to decorate is small, you can make a fireplace from corner-type cardboard. Thus, it will be possible to update the furnishings and get a shelf. We need the following list:

• box;
• ruler;
• pencil;
• Scotch;
• decor.

Consider the step-by-step instructions for making a cardboard fireplace for the New Year with your own hands:

Trapezoidal fireplace

How to make an unusual trapezoidal fireplace out of the box with your own hands for the New Year 2020, we will consider in more detail in the step-by-step instructions with photo examples:

This article is not typical for a site that deals with heating and ventilation, since it will talk about a popular homemade homemade product - an imitation of a full-size fireplace. Of course, the dummy is not able to fully replace with burning firewood. But the beautifully designed portal fits perfectly into the interior of the apartment and can decorate the free space along the wall or in the corner of the room. So let's see what of the available materials will go to the manufacture of a false fireplace and how to make it yourself.

What can be used to make a decorative hearth

To answer this question, we have collected scattered information, photos and videos published on the Internet by home craftsmen. If you set a goal to make an artificial fireplace yourself, then you will surely find a suitable material from the list compiled:

• cardboard boxes (for example, from a TV set) or sheet corrugated cardboard used as packaging;
• Chipboard, plywood and OSB, fiberboard;
• drywall sheets (gypsum plasterboard), fixed to a frame made of wood or galvanized steel profiles;
• facing brick.

This is how simple corrugated cardboard crafts look like

The easiest and fastest way to make a fireplace portal is from a box from a TV or other household appliances. The fake hearths shown in the photo are of little use for many years of operation, but they are easily installed in the right place. As a rule, a cardboard fireplace serves as a decoration for the New Year and other holidays, after which it is removed to the pantry.

From other materials, including polystyrene, stationary models of false fireplaces are made that can serve for many years. They are decorated in accordance with the interior of the apartment and in various ways create an imitation of fire or furnished with candles. We propose to consider the manufacture of each option separately.

Advice. Whichever method of manufacturing you choose, first determine the place for the artificial hearth and sketch by hand a drawing with dimensions. This will simplify the calculation of the amount of materials and the selection of the design style.

Cardboard box dummy

To work, you need a simple set of tools - scissors, a tape measure with a ruler and a stationery knife. Prepare PVA glue, old newspapers or paper and scotch tape from additional materials. A homemade false fireplace is made in different ways, depending on the source material:

On the left is a dummy from a solid box, on the right - from 9 identical boxes

1. The large TV box folds to fit, as shown in the photo. An opening is cut in the middle to simulate a hearth, and the former front panel of the package, divided in half, now serves as the walls of a niche - a fake fuel chamber.
2. From several cardboard boxes of the same size, it is easy to assemble a portal in the form of the letter "P" by gluing them together with PVA and tape.
3. From sheets of corrugated cardboard, you will need to glue the individual elements of a decorative fireplace - a framing, a pre-heating platform with a base and an upper shelf, and then assemble them into one whole. How to do this correctly is shown in the diagram below.

To hide the joints in the corners and in the middle of the portal, cover them with old newspaper or paper. Another option is to buy a polyurethane imitation of gypsum stucco molding and close all problem areas with decorative elements.

If it is necessary to reinforce a homemade structure so that it does not "fold" along and across its axis, install cardboard stiffeners on the back side, placing them on glue. Reinforcement of thin walls is easily performed using strips of the same corrugated cardboard folded "accordion", as shown in the photo.

Options for strengthening the body - gluing internal ribs (left) and accordions on a sheet (right)

Note. The manufacturing technology of the corner version of the fireplace does not differ from the wall model. Only a large package will have to be folded differently, and sheets of the same type will be formed from boxes of the same type, and only then - portal elements.

So it is necessary to bend a large drawer to get a corner pseudo fireplace

The finished body of the false fireplace remains to be finished in any chosen way, for example:

• paste over with wallpaper imitating brickwork;
• revet with bricks cut with your own hands from thin foam;
• decorate with polyurethane or foam stucco molding;
• sheathe with plastic panels with imitation of artificial and natural stone, masonry and so on.

Use a polymer adhesive or an inexpensive glue gun to securely attach finishing materials. The final design is painting the product in the desired color (or several) with an acrylic or silicate compound intended for interior work. A master class on how to make a decorative fireplace from boxes at home, watch the video:

Fireplace portal made of wood and plywood

In this case, you will need the following lumber:

• wooden beam with a section of 4 x 4 cm - on the main (corner) racks of the frame;
• the same, measuring 4 x 2 cm - for jumpers;
• solid wood worktop or laminated chipboard - on the top shelf;
• any cheap plywood - for cladding;
• suitable finishing material - artificial stone, plastic panels, polyurethane moldings, tiles and so on.

Also available tools are used - a hacksaw, a drill, and measuring devices. For fasteners, take regular black self-tapping screws, if necessary - perforated steel corners and strips. If you plan to paint a false fireplace, purchase an acrylic composition of the desired color.

Timber frame assembly with mantel

1. Measure and cut to size. At the same time, take into account the thickness of the plywood, otherwise the product will turn out to be larger than you expected.
2. Assemble the product frame by twisting the beams with self-tapping screws and maintaining 90 ° angles between the uprights and horizontal elements. Make an extended base from below, and on top of the rack, immediately attach it to a wide board that plays the role of a shelf.
3. Install stiffeners on the sides in the form of jumpers or jibs. Form the arch of the portal by attaching a horizontal bar at its top.
4. Attach the frame to the wall or floor in the chosen location and sheathe it with plywood, including the niche. If you want an arched vault, cut out the corresponding rounding on the front sheet.

Finishing with plywood sheets

An important point. In the case when it is necessary to put an electric firebox with an imitation of a flame inside an artificial fireplace, the dimensions of the opening must correspond to its dimensions. Another nuance: be sure to maintain a distance of at least 5 cm from the back between the wall and the body of the firebox.

The easiest and most inexpensive cladding option is to cover the gaps between the plywood sheets with putty, sand it with sandpaper, and then paint it. Another cheap way is to finish with PVC panels that imitate brick, as shown in the photo. How to properly fix this material is described in the corresponding article.

The mantel should be sanded and varnished if it is made of solid wood. Then it remains only to design the portal so that the impression of burning in a pseudo-fuel is created. The assembly process is briefly and clearly shown in the video clip:

Making a fake plasterboard fireplace

Here you can go in two ways - to assemble the portal on a wooden frame, as described in the previous section, or on a frame made of galvanized steel profiles. Since the future structure carries minimal loads, the choice of material for the frame does not play a special role.

But the sequence of installation is changing - the racks of this capital structure are initially attached to the wall. The procedure is as follows:

1. Using the drawing, draw on the wall with a pencil the outline of the future decorative fireplace.
2. Using dowels, attach horizontal and vertical profiles (wooden blocks) along the lines marked on the wall.
3. Assemble the frame from wall and ceiling profiles for installing gypsum board, starting from the side walls. The firebox niche is formed last.
4. Sheathe the frame with drywall and seal all joints with putty. Take your time to install the fireplace insert - it is installed after finishing.

When installing an electric firebox, sockets in a niche will come in handy

Note. In principle, nothing prevents you from first assembling the frame, and then screwing it to the wall and sheathing the gypsum board. But there is one point: the angle between the floor and the wall is probably different from 90 °. Then one of the planes of your product will not adhere to the building structures.

A false fireplace lined with plasterboard has one important advantage - it can be finished with anything, including tiles, which looks very presentable. Therefore, we will not list the ways of finishing the portal (there are too many of them), but suggest that you familiarize yourself with the next video on its assembly:

Almost real brick fireplace insert

Regardless of the laboriousness in the construction of such a structure and its cost, brickwork will give the maximum approximation to a natural living hearth. Plus strength and durability - unlike gypsum plasterboard, the stone is not afraid of accidental shock loads.

Reference. The structures described earlier are fire hazardous to one degree or another. As soon as a child knocks over a lighted candle in a niche, a cardboard or wooden product will quickly ignite. A decorative candle fireplace built of bricks will not catch fire under any circumstances.

Portals made of various types of bricks

Of course, a reliable foundation is needed for brickwork, so residents of apartment buildings are strongly discouraged from building such false fireplaces on ceilings. Another thing is the first floor of a private house, where, in the process of repairing floors, you can lay a foundation in the form of a concrete slab.

For work, you need a standard tool - a trowel, a wide spatula and a building level with a plumb line. To beautifully lay the decorative brick “in the wasteland”, rent the special masonry template shown in the picture.

The template allows even a beginner to lay stones beautifully - in a wasteland

A brick imitation of a fireplace is laid out in the following sequence:

1. Determine the dimensions of the building and adjust it to the standard brick length - 25 cm. Recalculate the amount of building material and buy a ready-made mortar based on cement.
2. Clear the base, prepare the mortar and lay out the first continuous row, keeping a horizontal line across the entire plane. Then lay the second row with the bandage using the template. The bottom of the hearth is ready.
3. Constantly controlling the vertical, build the walls of the false fireplace to the height of the firebox (about 60-70 cm), then cover the opening from above with steel corners.
4. Lay the last 4-5 rows of bricks and let the mortar in the masonry harden for 3-4 days. Then install the top shelf made of wood or other material.

An example of a masonry scheme for an English fireplace. You don't need such a large dummy, but the principle of erecting a stone hearth is displayed here.

Advice. You can build such a fireplace from any brick, including used and old ones. Only it will have to be thoroughly cleaned, and at the end of the work - painted or covered with colorless varnish. Take the orders of a real English fireplace as a basis, but without a chimney and internal partitions: put only external walls and a pseudo-fuel.

In conclusion - about imitation of fire

Making a decorative fireplace cannot be called complete without creating the appearance of a burning flame in the firebox. We offer a choice of several options for how to organize such an effect:

• a popular way is to place a mirror near the back wall of the niche and put burning candles;
• use the products of new technologies - LED strips or candles (there are some);
• mount an electric fireplace, a decorative firebox or a biofireplace with a real flame into the portal;
• embed small lamps;
• put an electronic photo frame equipped with a large liquid crystal display in the opening and load an image of a burning fire into its memory.

New-fashioned LED devices simulate heat well, the main thing is to arrange everything correctly. The photo shows a good example with a glowing ribbon spread around the perimeter of the firebox. The composition can be supplemented with artificial wood and other commercially available accessories.

A decorative fireplace from boxes with your own hands will help create a romantic atmosphere in the house, a good mood in winter and coziness all year round. Step-by-step instructions will help you not to start "dirty" work in the house, dilute cement and disassemble the roof under the chimney. A fireplace can be created in one evening and from scrap materials. So, we turn on the imagination, involve children in the work and begin to create.

How to make a fireplace out of cardboard boxes

To build such a fireplace, we need:

1. Cardboard boxes: small, for example, for shoes (5-6 pcs.) And large (4 pcs.)
2. Scotch tape: regular and double-sided
3. PVA glue
4. Thick white paper or a piece of old wallpaper
5. Sheets of cardboard or wallpaper with a brick pattern
6. Ruler, simple pencil.

To prevent the boxes from opening, we glue all the joints with tape. According to the drawing in the figure, we assemble the basis of the future fireplace. We glue the boxes that will make up the parts of the fireplace with tape together. For the side posts, we use smaller boxes stacked on top of each other. We make the base of the fireplace and the upper mantelpiece from larger boxes, connected end-to-end by short sides.

We glue each detail of the fireplace with thick paper or old wallpaper. The boxes should be completely covered with paper. We connect the edges of the paper with tape. Now glue the parts of the fireplace with PVA glue together. The product is ready, it remains to arrange it.

To decorate the fireplace, we use wallpaper with a brick pattern or sheets of thick cardboard. Four "bricks" can be cut from one sheet of cardboard. We paste over the fireplace with wallpaper, giving the appearance of brickwork. If "bricks" cut from cardboard are used, we glue them on the surface of the boxes, creating rows of bricks, and leaving gaps between the bricks, so that it looks as close as possible to natural masonry.

For gluing "bricks" we use PVA glue. The back wall of the fireplace, adjacent to the wall, need not be pasted over. If the cardboard is white, paint it with paints of the appropriate shades - from sandy yellow to dark red.

The fireplace is ready, we will install it in the prepared place in the room, against the wall. We will put the decor on the mantelpiece; we can put natural logs or their imitation in the hole for the firewood. Here we focus on our imagination.

Exquisite decorative fireplace from a large box

We will prepare materials for creating a fireplace. To do this, you need a large cardboard TV box. You can take thick cardboard instead of a large box. But, then you need to be prepared for the fact that it will have to be cut and glued.

You will also find it useful for making a decorative fireplace:

1. Stationery knife
2. Scotch
3. PVA glue
4. Styrofoam skirting board and decor
5. Balloon paint
6. Ruler, simple pencil.

We transfer the drawing to the box from under the TV. Cut out a hole in the middle of the box according to the drawing. This will be the "hearth". We fold over the cut edges and glue them to the back wall of the box. If cardboard is used, we cut the sheets according to the drawing, taking into account the adhesion tolerances. We connect them together with glue.
To make the top of the fireplace, take a sheet of styrofoam or plywood, or glue a few sheets of cardboard together. We glue the resulting mantel to the fireplace itself.

To keep the fireplace stable, it is also better to glue an additional sheet of cardboard or plywood onto the base. In a hardware store, we will buy a foam plastic ceiling cornice and a couple of decorative elements - foam pylons or rosettes. They will add sophistication and grace to our hearth. We will glue the decor to the fireplace. For this we use PVA glue or liquid nails.

We paint the fireplace in two layers with balloon paint of white or other pastel color. To avoid ruining the flooring, place old newspapers or paper on the floor. After painting, let the product dry and install the fireplace. The decorative fireplace is ready.

Firewood for the hearth can be made from cardboard twisted in the form of logs or natural branches can be used. If the fireplace is conceived in one color, paint the firewood with the same paint. You can also place candles in tall glass glasses or an electric garland in the recess of the hearth. Decorating a mantel also leaves room for creativity. Photos in beautiful frames, paintings or flower arrangements and memorable gifts in bright packaging will look great on a mantelpiece.

Photo of a decorative fireplace out of the box

It is very easy to create beauty and coziness in the house with your own hands. Imagine and create, then you can do decorative fireplace from boxes with your own hands using step-by-step instructions in the shortest possible time. Your apartment can be decorated with simple decorative items with minimal cost. To do this, it is enough to spend a little time and effort.