In the cold evenings we more often feel like sitting by the fireplace. However, we do not always have the opportunity to create a hearth with a live fire. Then it is worth making a dummy, which will give us a substitute for coziness.
The presence of a fireplace makes each room gets a cozy and warm character. Unfortunately, safety rules do not allow you to build them, for example, in blocks of flats due to the lack of direct access to the chimney. But if you really want, you can create your own fireplace portal. Cleverly arranged will be a unique decorative element, thanks to which the living room or bedroom will gain a pleasant atmosphere.
A dummy fireplace can be made from a variety of readily available materials, including wood, cardboard, plaster, styrofoam or MDF. You will also need tools, but special skills are not necessary. With a little willingness and patience everyone can create such a fireplace dummy on their own.
Cardboard and polystyrene fireplace portals are easy to assemble and lightweight, so you can easily move them. However, they are not suitable for placing heavy objects on them. Despite this, it is worth opting for such a construction if you want to quickly create a decoration for your apartment.
To prepare the dummy you will need an upholstery knife, hot glue and painter’s tape. You can make a frame, for example, from a box of large household appliances or a TV set. When the frame is ready, spray paint it with a color of your choice. When it dries, tape it to the wall.
Hang photo frames and pictures above the dummy and place vases with flowers or led lights in its niche. Don’t light candles in there as the cardboard and Styrofoam can burst into flames!
A fireplace mantel made of wood is more durable and stable, so you can put souvenirs, framed photos or your favorite trinkets on it without worry. To make it, you will need some sanded boards – six pieces about 100 cm high for the vertical columns and three shorter ones for the upper finish of the cornice with shelf. You will also need screws, scantlings, a screwdriver and a jigsaw.
The boards will be connected with screws and scantlings. Build the legs and base according to your own ideas. Cut recesses in the lower parts of the columns for the skirting so that the fireplace will fit perfectly against the wall.
The finished dummy can be painted and decorated with decorative strips, and the whole covered with wood varnish. If you install one or two more shelves in the niche, you will have additional space for flowers, caskets and trinkets.
To make a fireplace dummy of plasterboard you need: plasterboard, profiles, screws, corner tape, joint compound, primer and paint. At first, attach the profiles to the wall with screws. This is how you create the frame. Next, cut out fireplace elements from plasterboards and fix them to the frame using screws.
Cover the edges with corner tape. When the dummy is ready, apply a coat of drywall, then sand it, prime it and paint it. You can fill the fireplace niche with pieces of wood.
Main Photo: Andrea Davis/unsplash.com
