DIY fireplace from boxes: step-by-step New Year's instructions

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Alyona

It’s hard to find at least one person who doesn’t think about how to make their home more comfortable. One solution to this problem is to create a fireplace out of cardboard with your own hands. Find out how best to make it more detailed later in the article.

How to choose cardboard

To assemble it, you need to select materials and allocate approximately 5-6 hours for work. It is not at all necessary to do this yourself, it is not so difficult to do it yourself, so the whole family can take part in the process.

Make a fireplace with your whole family

The quality and appearance will depend on the material and type of cardboard boxes. If you take the packaging from under the TV, the “false fireplace” will be narrow without much of a recess in the place where the burning wood is located. Therefore, wide boxes are most often used, at least 50 centimeters deep. It is also advisable to use the most durable cardboard, in which case you can make a wooden stand on top.

Choose durable cardboard

If you want to make a more complex design, it is recommended to prepare 2 more boxes of different sizes. This will expand the scope for creative ideas. It is also worth making sure that the drawings are easily applied to the paper. They must be clearly visible, since in case of an error, you will have to look for new material.

Complex design of several boxes

3 types of “false fireplaces” are often used, namely:

1Christmas with New Year decorations.

2 Corner hearth.

3Standard wall-mounted.

For each of them it is necessary to select a certain amount of materials and types of cardboard boxes. To make the structure more stable and reliable, you can place a wooden frame inside. This will be relevant in a family with small children.

Christmas wall fireplace

False fireplace made of cardboard: models

A false fireplace made of cardboard, like a real one, can be wall-mounted or corner-mounted. In both options, the portal can be straight or arched. Whatever you prefer. If we talk about the practical side of the matter, straight is easier to make and easier to finish. Even a beginner can handle it.

What a fireplace made of cardboard can be like

A wall-mounted fireplace is great if you have a decent amount of free space on the wall. It looks great in the wall between the windows. If the walls are all occupied, but there are corners, you can build a corner model.

How to make a fireplace in honor of the Christmas holidays

To make a Christmas hearth, you will need only 3 cardboard boxes, one of them should be large and the other 2 should be smaller, but identical. The first is installed at the center, and the others at the edges. Next, the items are glued together with tape or reliable glue.

Creating a frame for a future fireplace

If there are no boxes of the same height in the house, they are trimmed. At the same time, the upper part should not have any dips.

It is advisable to use the same room where the fireplace will be installed, where the spruce will be located, this will create more comfort and a festive atmosphere.

The first thing you need to do is remove the front part of the wall from the large box, which is located in the middle; this is where the combustion hole will be located. The fireplace can be placed on a pre-prepared border, so it will look much more impressive.

False fireplace with border

If you want to make artificial bricks, you can use thin foam. It needs to be marked and rectangular shapes cut out, slightly smaller than a standard brick (if the size allows, you can use the original dimensions of the stone).

DIY decorative brick

Now you can start gluing the foam. The bricks must be placed in a checkerboard pattern so that the masonry is as close in appearance as possible to the real thing. After the work has been done, the glue must harden, only after that the work can be continued.

Gluing foam to the fireplace

Now you can start painting. It is advisable to prime in several layers so that all parts have the same color . The border is usually painted yellow, and the bricks red or gold. If the owner wants to make a fireplace not only for the New Year holidays, you can buy brown paint.

How to decorate a New Year's fireplace

To decorate the Christmas hearth, various toys and natural materials are used, for example:

• Spruce branches.
• Cones.
• Balls.
• Rain.
• Christmas socks for gifts.
• Fruits.
• Candies.
• Bells.
• Figures of Father Frost and Snow Maiden.
• Snowflakes made of paper.
• Illuminated garlands.

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Toys and decorations for the Christmas fireplace

You need to use the right colors. It is recommended to use jewelry in green, red, gold, blue or white, as well as their shades.

Master class: mini-fireplace from one box

Sometimes you want to festively decorate not only your home, but also your office or your workplace. In this case, it is enough to make a mini-fireplace that can be placed on a windowsill, an open shelf or a desk.

For the craft you will need:

• 1 medium size box;
• 3 small elongated boxes;
• glue gun or regular PVA glue;
• a piece of cardboard for the mantelpiece;
• a piece of wallpaper with brickwork or self-adhesive oilcloth;
• white water-based paint;
• decor (fir branches, garlands, candles);
• scissors and pencil.

We present step-by-step manufacturing instructions:

At the bottom of the box we glue all the doors. On the front side we bend one long flap (it will serve as the protruding base of the fireplace), and glue the other to the two short flaps.

We place small boxes around the perimeter of the resulting window and make markings with a pencil.

Using the markings made, we expand the window, cutting off the excess cardboard with scissors. Then we glue the boxes.

We cut out decorative elements from cut cardboard (you can come up with something original). We glue the blanks and planks onto the fireplace.

We glue the cardboard mantelpiece; it should protrude 4-5 cm, forming a canopy. We paint the craft with white paint in several layers. It is advisable to paint on all sides.

We fix the decor made of plastic or metal with polymer glue. On the inner wall and on the protruding bent base, glue a piece of wallpaper cut to size.

We complete the decoration with New Year's decor and candles.

How to make a wall fireplace

This species is common among people living in apartments. It does not take up much space and fits well into any interior. To make a wall fireplace from cardboard boxes, you will need the following tools and materials:

• stationery knife;
• sponge, brush or other precision painting tool;
• reliable glue (Moment or glue for plastic products is recommended).
• construction tape;
• putty or water-based white paint;
• cardboard boxes (if possible, large packages from under a refrigerator, wide-screen TV or washing machine are more suitable for the fireplace).
• paper;
• pencil or thin marker for drawings;
• ruler;
• foam for creating a stand and other decorative elements.

When creating a drawing on paper, it is advisable to indicate not only the main building products, but also decorations.

Sometimes the owner does not have a couple of large boxes, but has many medium ones. In this case, you can carefully glue them together and do almost the same thing.

When the sketch is ready and applied to paper, you can begin to transfer it to cardboard boxes. For convenience, main and auxiliary lines are drawn with different colors of pens or markers.

Think through every step so you don't miss anything

Next we make a combustion hole. To do this, take a knife and cut it in the center of the box. It is very important to remember to leave part of the front wall at the top and sides so that you can glue it to the back and cover the empty space.

Finishing work

After the work on creating the main frame is completed, you can begin finishing. You can use anything here, depending on the idea. Usually it is covered with original wallpaper or tracing paper. If there are people in the family who draw well, you can apply beautiful patterns or draw themed drawings in honor of a holiday.

Use your favorite material to decorate the fireplace

If you want to make a standard fireplace, you can use foam bricks, just like with the Christmas fireplace. We remember that artificial stones can be glued not only on the outside, but also on the inside, where the flame usually burns.

To decorate the front part, you can purchase special figurines in the form of flowers, angels and other things in the store. They are made from lightweight material, so they never fall off, even when using regular PVA glue.

Decorate the fireplace with various decor from the store

To install a shelf on top, you must first glue the baseboard along its edges. In this case, it is advisable to use as original products as possible. As a shelf, you can use a wooden sheet made of plywood or other material, the main thing is that it is not too heavy. If the frame is not further strengthened, there is a risk of structural failure.

Measurements of the mantelpiece should be taken only after the baseboard has been installed; if you cut it to fit the dimensions of the fireplace itself, it may not fit.

Painting

Almost 90% of people who make a fireplace for an apartment out of cardboard with their own hands paint it with white water-based paint. But if you approach the issue more creatively, you can give the hearth a vintage look and use ordinary putty for drywall (after applying it, you need to dry the coating with a hairdryer).

If you still decide to just paint a homemade fireplace, you can use a simple brush, and a sponge is necessary to cover the most difficult to reach places with paint.

The easiest option is to simply paint the fireplace white.

The wall one is almost ready, all that remains is to decorate it. You can install a photograph of a real flame inside, and put real or homemade firewood in the firebox. Sometimes people place candlesticks on a shelf, it looks very impressive and gives an antique feel.

Decorate the fireplace with all the holiday attributes

Assembly options

If there is a big box

A large cardboard box will make a fireplace with a rectangular portal. Determine the size yourself, but the optimal height is about 80-90 cm, the width is about the same, and the depth is 6-15 cm. But there are models that are wider, narrower, taller, and lower. Everything is to your taste. For example, here is a drawing of a cardboard false fireplace with dimensions.

Drawing of a fireplace from a cardboard box

We begin assembling the imitation fireplace from cardboard from the central part. We form the columns first. Cutting rectangles to size is no problem. The problem is to make even folds in the right places. Take a large ruler or a straight bar and a hard object with a rounded end. For example, a ballpoint pen will do, or you can take a spoon or fork and use the pen. The idea is as follows - along the line where the fold should be, apply a ruler/bar, draw the back of a ballpoint pen or the handle of a cutlery along the bar, pushing through the cardboard. But be careful not to tear it. The sheet bends easily along the drawn line.

Cardboard fireplace parts

We glue the central part or paint it right away. Then it will be too inconvenient. You can paint it black, as in the photo. Another option is to imitate brickwork. Looks good too.

It is convenient to glue the parts together with tape (the type of tape has already been discussed). We glue each connection on both sides. We don't regret scotch. This cardboard fireplace was painted, so the columns were covered with white thick paper. You can use a primer and apply paint over it.

Almost done

We make a shelf above the fireplace from several pieces of cardboard using the same technology. If you plan to install something, it is advisable to make stiffening ribs - several partitions. If the entire structure turns out to be strong and stable, you can make a shelf from a piece of plywood, for example.

If the cardboard is thin, you can use polystyrene/foam. It is sold in construction stores. You can take the slabs that are used to finish the ceiling. They have processed edges and a pattern is applied to the front surface. In general, it might turn out interesting.

Next comes the finishing touches. In this version, “bricks” were cut from paper of suitable colors. They decorated the portal opening. This is where you will need PVA glue. Do not forget to leave seams between the “bricks”. In the presented model they are painted with a base color, but you can make them, for example, black or white.

Portal design

The rest of the surface of the false fireplace is painted, and foam (polystyrene) moldings are glued on top.

This is what happened

Moldings can be glued before painting. You need to cut them with a sharp stationery knife. Then the cut will be smooth. Glued with PVA or special glue. Wipe off any remaining residue immediately, otherwise the paint will lie unevenly.

The same structure can be covered with brick or wild stone wallpaper. Self-adhesive film is also suitable. But you have to work with it carefully - you won’t be able to peel it off.

If the boxes are small

Small cardboard boxes are no more difficult to work with. They can be the same or different sizes, thickness and width. Based on the existing set, the structure is assembled.

This is the fireplace we made from existing cardboard boxes

There are two ways:

1. Seal the opening part of the boxes with tape, then glue them together. You can use PVA glue. Press the boxes to be glued well together and leave for 8-12 hours for the glue to dry.
2. Cut off the opening part and glue them together with pieces of tape.

   Glue the boxes together with tape from the back side

The second option takes less time, but the design is unreliable. If the dimensions are large, it may sag and sag.

With the lids cut off, the structure becomes shaky

To give a fireplace made of cardboard boxes a presentable look, we paint it “like brick.” To do this, cover the surface with thick grayish-brown paper. This color will be the background.

To paint, you need reddish-brown paint and a large foam sponge. It can be cut to the size of the brick - 250*65 mm. Pour the paint into a flat dish, dip a sponge into it, apply it to the paper and lightly press it, draw the bricks.

Drawing bricks

When working, you need to make sure that the “seams” between the “bricks” are the same width. This is not an easy task - you get distracted a little, and the size is not the right one. You can do it simpler - cut the masking tape into narrow strips, stick it on, and draw “bricks”. After the paint has dried, remove the tape.

Here's a fireplace made of cardboard

The top part had to be reduced because our fireplace was too wobbly. It is better to use whole boxes.

Fireplace with round portal

Its assembly is more labor-intensive: you will have to glue the vault well. This fireplace required 4 large boxes (like TV boxes).

Drawing of a cardboard fireplace with dimensions

The base was glued separately. Stiffening ribs were glued to the inside of polystyrene. The weight turned out to be solid and the base sagged without reinforcement. The strips were installed approximately 5 cm apart. They were glued with masking tape, then the base was taped on all sides.

Then we cut out the front part and decorated the back wall. It’s better to decorate it right away, before it’s glued together. We transfer the arched cutout onto a sheet of cardboard. We cut out “bricks” from cardboard and glue them so that the edges do not extend beyond the “arch.” When the glue dries, we assemble the main part of the portal. We also install several stiffening ribs in the portal - at a high height, the cardboard can “play”, and this way everything turns out strong and rigid.

The process of making a fireplace from cardboard

The next stage is making the lid. It is multi-layered - cardboard, polystyrene foam, cardboard. Everything is coated with glue, the weight is installed. When the glue had dried (after 14 hours), the lid was secured to the structure with tape. NEXT - finishing work.

To smooth out any unevenness caused by the tape, we cover all surfaces with thick white paper. You can take A4 sheets, or larger ones.

Next you will need a roll of paper towels and PVA glue. We dilute it 1:1 with water and pour it into a spray bottle. We wet the napkin and lay it down, squeezing it a little. Wet thin paper itself gives a relief; we just correct it a little, achieving a better effect. We process all surfaces in a similar way, excluding “bricks”. We wait until it dries.

This is how the surface turns out

We take red-brown and ivory paint (in this case). We paint the “bricks” brown, and the rest of the surface light. The cardboard fireplace is almost ready. The finishing touches remain.

This is how the cardboard fireplace turned out

After drying, we go over everything with a brush slightly dipped in gold paint. We dip the brush, squeeze it out, and once again remove the remaining paint on the sheet of paper. Using a semi-dry brush, we go through the “seams” between the bricks, lightly touching the “bricks” themselves. Next, using the same technique, we emphasize the texture of the surface. It is important not to apply too much paint. That's it. The cardboard fireplace is ready.

Create a corner option

The layout of some apartments involves the formation of a corner part in the most visible place. As a result, the family thinks for a long time about how to decorate or hide this defect. One solution is to make a corner fireplace. The design is not overly complicated, so all family members can take part in the work.

DIY corner fireplace

To begin, you need to prepare the following materials:

• Transparent tape.
• LED strip, garland or battery-powered candles for decoration.
• Construction knife and large scissors.
• Self-adhesive film or wallpaper with a brick pattern.
• Cardboard box, above average size.

The first step is to measure and determine the amount of cardboard that will be needed to completely cover the corner. If the fireplace is smaller, it will look like it is pushed into a corner. If the problem part is located at the transition from one room to another, the design will not only create comfort, but also avoid impacts on doorways.

Calculate measurements for your future fireplace correctly

How to decorate

When the triangle is ready, it needs to be firmly glued with tape. If the design allows, the fireplace is covered with self-adhesive film. To decorate a homemade fireplace, you can use wallpaper with various patterns.

Make a rigid frame for stability

Now it's time to start making the shelf. If you don't have plywood or other suitable hard material on hand, leftover cardboard will do. The only condition is to make it more durable; you need to use several layers. To finish the stand, self-adhesive wood effect is usually used.

Feel free to cover it with themed wallpaper and decorate it

Next we are decorating the inside. To make a homemade fireplace glow from the inside, previously prepared electronic candles, garlands or LED strips are used. They can be folded inside and covered with artificial firewood, which will create a burning effect. This hearth can also serve as a night light.

Foam fireplace: simple options for the home

An excellent material for creating a DIY Christmas fireplace is polystyrene foam. It is lightweight, quite durable, inexpensive and very flexible to work with. To make a false fireplace for the holiday, you will need:

• 2 rectangles, size 40x60 cm;
• 2 rectangles, size 40x20 cm;
• sharp knife;
• masking tape;
• primer and glue.

You can also choose other measurements for the details of your future product, it all depends on the free space. Watch the video on how to make a luxurious fireplace from foam plastic step by step for the New Year 2020.

Making a solid base

The lower part of a homemade fireplace, which serves as a stand, must be strong and rigid, since in addition to the entire weight of the structure, it must withstand all objects placed on the hearth over a long period.

You can strengthen the lower border using additional inserts; they will be secured inside the cardboard frame. Such “ribs” can be placed along the entire length at certain intervals or simply glued randomly along the entire bottom.

Strengthen all parts for structural reliability

The reinforcement inserts must be the same height, otherwise the weight will be distributed unevenly, which will affect their holding capacity.

The lower part in the form of a stand should always be longer and wider than the main structure of the fireplace, by about 100-120 mm. To make a support, you can use the 2 simplest and most effective methods:

1cut two identical sheets of cardboard (bottom and top). “ribs” are glued onto one of them to support the fireplace. Here you can use double-sided tape or glue;

2find a flat box with sides and install reinforcing inserts inside.

An easy way to make a fireplace with your own hands

How to decorate a stand

Like any other element, the stand needs decoration. The simplest thing you can do is to choose original side panels for it, cover the cardboard with self-adhesive tape with a pattern, wrap it in wallpaper or paint it. But there are other, more original ideas.

Self-adhesive with a pattern in the design of the fireplace

If the homemade fireplace was made in honor of the Christmas holidays, the base can be painted red or white and wrapped in rain and garland.

Step by step creating an imitation

For standard, people often use wide baseboards with beautiful patterns. They can be bought at any hardware store and installed in the lower and upper parts of the fireplace; it always looks very beautiful and complete.

Elegant fireplace with wide baseboard

VIDEO: The most beautiful DIY fireplace

Installation of a decorative fireplace

Installation of a decorative fireplace

DIY fireplace from a box

A beautiful decorative fireplace does not have to be festive. After all, if desired, it can be installed in a room to create a cozy atmosphere. Of course, you will have to put in a lot more effort to create it. But nevertheless, the result is really worth it.

Necessary materials:

• big box;
• masking tape;
• shelf made of cardboard or foam;
• white spray paint;
• pencil;
• stationery knife;
• polyurethane stucco;
• ruler;
• PVA glue.

We apply the drawing to the surface of the box. Try to take into account all the nuances to ensure that the fireplace has the correct shape.

We cut through the central part with a stationery knife and bend it. We fix it with tape from the inside.

Cut out long strips of cardboard. They will be needed to decorate the side parts inside the fireplace. We attach them to the workpiece using tape.

We make decor for the fireplace from stucco molding. In this case, it is an imitation of brickwork. If you wish, you can do absolutely any option. And of course, the last stage is painting the fireplace. If the coating is not uniform enough, you can make another layer. After drying, we install the fireplace in a suitable place and decorate it at our own discretion.

Decor options

The appearance of the false fireplace will depend on the decor.

It can serve not only as a decoration for New Year and Christmas, but also as a full-fledged piece of furniture. There are several design options.

Brick finish

The easiest way to do this type of finishing is to cut out small bricks from thick paper and attach them to a pre-painted fireplace using PVA glue. This is done quickly and easily, but the decorative effect is average.

Another relatively simple option is wallpapering with a “stone look”. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the base must be carefully prepared, and the wallpaper itself must be thick, optimally vinyl. Each brick is cut out of polystyrene foam and covered with similar wallpaper, in which case it will also be voluminous.

You can take thick paper and draw bricks on it with a sponge. Or make an imitation of the solution on red paper using masking tape.

Sometimes gypsum tiles are used for stone or brick finishing. It should be noted that this is risky. The base must be strong to support heavy material.

The most difficult method is to make bricks from foam plastic. There are several options. Separately cut out each of them and glue them in a checkerboard pattern or cut out the bricks on a solid sheet. To simulate the solution, use a regular knife, which must be preheated.

The same knife can make the façade structure of the brick uneven.

Stucco finishing

Decorative inserts made of polyurethane or expanded polystyrene can be used throughout the entire outer area of ​​the fireplace or for its individual elements. Glue them with special glue and paint them with water-based or acrylic paints.

You can combine different techniques, the main thing is that it is not tacky.

Fireplace decor

When the painted fireplace is ready, we begin to decorate it. To do this we will need the following decorative elements:

• serpentine;
• ball - Christmas tree toy;
• rain, thread, tape.

Using threads, we make a patterned strand from rain ribbons (with threads we divide the ribbons into small divisions), which then needs to be attached with tape to the top of the firebox of the decorative fireplace. It will be easier to do this with double-sided tape.

Now we tie a bow from a strip of green serpentine and also attach it to the painted fireplace, on the right side. Here you need to hang a Christmas tree decoration - a ball - on tape. That is, the ball should be in the center of the bow. Check that everything holds well, otherwise the parts may come off at the most inopportune moment.

If shiny patterns don’t seem enough for you, you can also add a piece of golden rain to the firebox of a decorative fireplace, thereby emphasizing the bright fire.

That's all, our painted fireplace is ready! It can be glued to any surface (box, wall, closet) and decorated with additional New Year's accessories.

Santa will definitely visit such a fireplace and leave something tasty in his socks)

One of the ways to make a fireplace stand

The bottom and top of the base, identical in size, are cut out of cardboard. Stiffening ribs are attached to the bottom using glue or tape, and then this structure is placed in a flat box.

Depending on the preferences of the owners, the stand is decorated with drawings, self-adhesive film, covered with wallpaper or painted.

Anyone can make a fireplace from packaging boxes, even if they lack basic builder skills. The apartment will be transformed, and with it, its owners will have a feeling of celebration and peace of mind.

A selfie in front of such a fireplace will preserve these impressions for a long time.

Christmas fireplace

How to make a “Christmas” fireplace from boxes with your own hands. To make such a fireplace, you need two identical and one larger box.

Two identical boxes are glued or taped to the sides of the larger one. Next, a portion of the front wall of the large fireplace insert box is cut out.

The fireplace will look much more solid if it is placed on a base made of foam “bricks”.

Angular

This corner holiday decor is very easy to make:

• You only need to remove one side of the rectangle (width). Just cut the cardboard near this side. And then we bend the box so that we get a triangle.

• We fasten with tape.
• We make a hole, a firebox.
• We cover the craft with wallpaper on top. And inside (the firebox) too.
• The cover is made of several layers of cardboard. To give it a decorative look, we cover it with wood-like film.

The fireplace is small. But this is because it is made from one box. If you use 2-3, then the sizes will be larger.

Imitation of fire in the fireplace

Now it’s time for the most interesting part: arranging cozy lighting (artificial fire). It is probably unnecessary to say that candles with an open fire cannot be placed in fireplaces made of cardboard boxes. Even if it seems to you that they are at a respectful distance from the cardboard. All candles and garlands must be powered by electricity or batteries to prevent fire.

What can you think of:

• Draw a fire with your own hands, cut it out and install it in the portal.

• Install LED candles.

• Use LED strips or garlands.
• Garlands and candles can not only be left open, but also hung with a piece of fabric on which a fire is depicted, or a plain piece of fabric for a more uniform glow.

• Place Christmas balls and other New Year's decor in the portal.