Make a Fake Fireplace

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Whether you’d like to add that cozy feel to your home or are simply doing a project with the kids, making a fake fireplace is probably simpler than you think. Read on for instructions on how to make several different kinds of fake fireplace.

Steps

From an Old Dresser

  1. Find an old dresser. The dresser should be roughly the size that you want your faux fireplace to be. Be sure to look curbside – and don’t worry about the color.
  2. Pull out all the drawers and interior hardware. This includes the screws and runners for the drawers. Your dresser should now be an open shell.
  3. Take apart the drawers. Be sure to save the three nicest drawer faces and remove their handles; if necessary, fill any screw holes with wood putty, plaster, glue, etc. and let dry.
  4. Attach a drawer face horizontally across the top of the open front of your dresser. In other words, the face of the drawer should be in the same position that the top drawer once was. Attach it by nailing it on with small, inconspicuous finishing nails or, preferably, by screwing it on starting from the inside of the dresser and screwing outwards through the back of the drawer face.
  5. Measure the height of the remaining opening in the front of the dresser. Be sure to measure from the bottom of the newly-applied drawer face down to the bottom of the opening (but not to the floor).
  6. Measure the length of the drawer faces. Since you will continue to “board up” the wide opening of the dresser by attaching a drawer face (oriented vertically) on either side of the opening, you will most likely need to adjust the size of either the drawer faces or of the dresser itself.
    • If the opening you measured in Step 5 is taller than the drawer faces are long, you will need to cut the bottom of the dresser off.
    • If the opening you measured in Step 5 is shorter than the drawer faces are long, you will need to cut one end of each drawer face off.
  7. Attach the remaining two drawer faces vertically on either side of the opening. One drawer face should slightly overlap the right-hand side of the opening, one drawer face should slightly overlap the left-hand side of the opening, and the tops of both drawer faces should be against the bottom of the already-attached drawer face. If you cut the ends off your drawer faces, be sure to orient the cut ends downwards for a clean look.
    • Attach them to the left and right sides of the dresser by nailing them on with small, inconspicuous finishing nails or, preferably, by screwing them on starting from the inside of the dresser and screwing outwards through the back of the drawer face.
    • To attach the side drawers to the top drawer, you will need small pieces of scrap wood. Align each piece across the gap between the drawers (inside the dresser) and screw it to both drawer faces.
  8. Paint your faux fireplace. Paint the exterior with a glossy, off-white paint for a modern look. Be sure to paint the interior black to disguise the wood.
  9. Make a base for your fireplace (optional). If you cut the bottom of your dresser off to accommodate the drawer faces, your dresser will look unfinished when placed on the floor. To create a base, simply find an appropriately-sized coffee table, cut off the legs, paint it to match, and place it beneath the fireplace.

With Plant Pillars

  1. Get two decorative pillars of equal height and four wooden squares. The height of the pillars should be roughly the height that you want your fireplace to be. Since the wooden squares will be placed at the ends of the pillars, they should be slightly wider than them.
  2. Get a “mantelpiece.” This can be a simple piece of wood cut down to the appropriate size, a shelf salvaged from another piece of furniture, etc. Just make sure the mantelpiece is slightly wider than the width of your wooden squares.
  3. Paint your components to match. You may want to paint the wood to match the pillars (which are usually white) or paint everything a different color.
  4. Attach the wooden squares to both the top and bottom of the pillars. You may need to use screws, nails, glue, or some combination thereof. (Don’t worry about keeping the tops and bottom of the wooden squares looking nice; these will be hidden.) Your pillars should now have a finished look.
  5. Attach the mantelpiece across the tops of your pillars. Again, you can screw, glue, or nail these, but be careful to keep your attachments inconspicuous. For example, if the squares at the tops of the pillars have enough corner area sticking out, you might nail a few well-placed finishing nails from these overhanging corners upwards into your mantle.
  6. Make a base for your fireplace. Either use a piece of wood similar in size and shape to your mantelpiece and paint it or find an appropriately-sized coffee table, cut off the legs, paint it to match, and place it beneath the fireplace.

From Cardboard

  1. Cut out two 3 1\2-foot by 2-foot pieces of cardboard. When you’re done, orient them so that they’re taller than they are wide.
  2. Fold lengthwise every {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Since your cardboard is {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} wide, you should be able to make four equal folds. When you’re done, you’ll have a square “column.” Repeat with the second piece of cardboard.
  3. Paint the "bricks" on. This can be done with a stencil or you can paint the gray grout lines and add in red bricks later on. This will look rough, but real bricks don't look perfect anyway.
  4. Cut two long pieces from your remaining cardboard. These will become your base and mantle, so size them accordingly.
  5. Paint the false mantle and the base the desired colors. You may want to use some Styrofoam to give the mantle and base some thickness; if this is the case, paint these the same color.
  6. Attach the columns to the base and mantle using glue or tape. Aileen's Craft Glue is a great glue for this purpose. Take care that the tape and glue are only on the back side of the piece and do not show from the front.
  7. Cut a fifth piece of cardboard serve as the back of the fireplace. Paint black/gray bricks on this one to make it look as if it has been charred/smoked. A sponge is a great tool for the grungy look.
  8. Add “fire” to your fireplace. Place an electric light source (like an electric candle or extension cord with a night light port) inside the cavity of the fireplace. You can also place small logs over the electric candles so only their flames can be seen. Any logs obtained from the woods look great, and work well to add to a realistic feel. (Store bought formed fireplace logs are not suggested as they look fake and tend to be made to be MORE flammable.) Of course, you can always paint the flames in as well.

Video

Tips

  • If you’re gluing your mantle to your pillars, turn your mantelpiece over, apply the glue to the underside, and then apply the pillars upside-down to make them adhere more firmly.

Warnings

  • Do not leave candle unattended! Some bulbs get hot and can catch fire.

Things You'll Need

  • A light source (ex. candles, an electric light)

Dresser Method

  • Old dresser
  • Screwdriver and/or hammer
  • Screws and/or finishing nails
  • Saw
  • Wood putty, plaster, or glue
  • Paint
  • Old coffee table (optional)

Pillar Method

  • Two plant pillars
  • Four wooden squares
  • A wooden mantelpiece
  • Nail, screws, and/or glue
  • Old coffee table (optional)

Cardboard Method

  • Several large sheets of sturdy cardboard (probably at least 4 ft by 2 ft in size, depending on your design); if you don't readily have strong cardboard, contact your local grocery store and find out when they have some available.
  • A hot glue gun, glue sticks, and/or tape
  • Paint; depending on the look you’re going for, you may need brick-red, white, brown (for the mantelpiece), gray (for the charring), etc.
  • Paint brushes
  • A “brick stencil” (optional); this is simply a small cardboard cut-out (3 1/2 by 2 inches) to help paint on "bricks”
  • Logs

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