Photo: tvoya-stroika.ru With a fireplace, any room immediately becomes warmer and more comfortable. It is not surprising that not only owners of huge cottages, but also residents of ordinary apartments dream about it. But they are not always suitable for such a radical solution. But if organizing a full-fledged chimney is problematic, then no one forbade decorative false fireplaces! Moreover, you can make them yourself even from an ordinary cardboard box!
Fireplace with high portal
Making a long fireplace with a high portal is perhaps the easiest way. You just need to twist two identical vertical columns of the required height from sheets of cardboard. For the back wall - one flat sheet. And several sheets of plywood or foam plastic for the base and top cover.
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Finishing a false fireplace
The effectiveness of a fireplace depends not only on its shape, but also on the finishing and additional decor used. If it is not possible to purchase a real fireplace, then you can make an artificial one, and the cost of its production will be minimal. Everything can be made from available materials. As a finish (usually you need to give the surface a “brick” effect), you can use plywood, drywall, polystyrene foam, cardboard, wallpaper in a themed tone, wood.
Big box fireplace
If you have one large box about 80x80 cm and at least 15 cm deep, it will make an excellent simple fireplace with a rectangular portal. Be sure to start forming from the central part so that all folds and cuts are perfectly even.
Draw a central vertical line and measure rectangles from it to the sides, the width of which is equal to the depth of the box. Then you can simply bend them inward, and immediately get both the portal and the side columns. Immediately paint over the insides of the portal or cover them with wallpaper to match the brickwork - then it will be inconvenient. Glue all connections with masking tape and always on both sides.
You can paint the finished fireplace, cover it with wallpaper or ceiling foam, decorate it with polyurethane parts - at your discretion. Make the top from several joined sheets of cardboard or thin plywood. If you plan to use the fireplace as a shelf, install stiffening ribs inside the box in advance - the same perpendicular inserts.
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How to make a false fireplace with your own hands: 8 ideas
Peculiarities
In private households, a fireplace is often installed.
This product is usually located in the central part of the house. This original model will decorate any room; its installation will help create a comfortable atmosphere. Products decorated with bright garlands, toys and candles for the New Year or Christmas holidays look especially interesting. In many countries, a fireplace in a home is considered an object that symbolizes happiness in the family. In modern apartments it is difficult to install a real fireplace, so to make your dream come true, you can make a product out of cardboard yourself, and besides, the beauty of a fake fireplace is not inferior to a real object. You can build and place a cardboard product in any room, even the smallest one.
Often decorative items are installed in common rooms, such as living rooms and dining rooms; Fireplaces in the bedroom will look no less organic. When making them, it is worth understanding that this product must fit the overall style of the room. Such designs are unlikely to be appropriate in rooms designed in high-tech or modern styles.
A fireplace made by yourself should complement the already created design and help improve the chosen style. In the process of manufacturing and decoration, you can create unique designs and come up with unusual attributes.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to light a fire in a decorative fireplace; its task is only a decorative function. To make the flame more realistic, you can place candles deep into the fireplace instead of a regular fire or connect an electric garland. False fireplaces made from cardboard are practically no different from real products made from brick.
Advantages of cardboard false fireplaces:
- the products have a very original and beautiful appearance;
- can add sophistication to the room;
- they are placed in any place convenient for this purpose;
- constructing such structures with your own hands can give you the opportunity to feel like an experienced designer;
- building such a fireplace does not require large material expenditures;
- the ability to quickly disassemble such a product if necessary.
The disadvantages of these designs include:
- Unreliability of the structure. For the manufacture of products, soft materials are used, such as cardboard, paper, so over time the product may become deformed.
- It is impossible to light a real fire in false fireplaces, so such a product will only have a decorative function and will not create heat in the room.
- To build a structure, you should spend several days making and decorating it.
Fireplace of complex shape
From one cardboard box you can assemble a fireplace of a much more complex shape. The principle of operation is reminiscent of origami, but for this you will first have to experiment with a regular sheet. For example, if the box is deep, you can make beveled corners - it's just a couple of extra folds.
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Manufacturing process
The basis of the fireplace structure will be a cardboard frame. For its construction, it is best to use thick cardboard boxes. Corrugated cardboard will be the most suitable for packaging large household products. If you still have the packaging from the TV, then the ideal frame is ready.
In addition to cardboard, you need to prepare:
- Stationery and polymer glue, which will be used to attach decorative elements.
- Wide tape, better to use double-sided masking tape.
- White paint. For coloring cardboard, dispersion is the most suitable.
- The cutting tools you will need are scissors and a cutter.
- Paint brushes and foam rubber or sponge.
- Old cloth napkins or scraps of fabric.
Fireplace made from small boxes
Working with small boxes is a little more difficult - you need to adjust them to size. Therefore, measure everything in advance, draw it up, and for clarity, first assemble such a fireplace on the floor without glue or fasteners, like a construction set.
When the action plan is ready, glue all opening parts of the boxes with PVA or masking tape. After this, connect the boxes together in the same way and let the glue dry at least overnight or half a day. For very thick thick cardboard, you can use mechanical fasteners.
Glue all joints and gaps with wide masking tape or even thin construction profiles. The top of the fireplace can be covered with paper, covered with wallpaper, or even simply painted to resemble brick. To do this, you will need paint and a regular dish sponge, which you will use to paint the masonry.
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Imitation of fire
So, the fireplace is ready, now all that remains is to simulate the fire. What is used to simulate fire in a false fireplace: candles (both wax and electric), garlands, colored paper, Quiet paper, flames can be painted on thick paper or cardboard or printed on a large sheet, felt, LED strips, night light, etc. Do not limit the flight of your imagination and be sure to share your creative ideas in the comments!
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Fireplace designer
Even from deposits of assorted boxes from household appliances you can make a beautiful fireplace of an unusual shape. Ready-made foam blanks and moldings will come to the rescue. Use decor for walls and ceilings or look for special kits for homemade fireplaces. And then it’s purely a matter of your imagination.
Just keep in mind that equipment boxes are usually covered with a slippery protective layer. It is more difficult to draw on it and the drawings are less visible, so make sure there are no mistakes. Before finishing, use a primer or choose paints that adhere to similar glossy substrates.
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Materials
You can choose any material for the fireplace: stone, wood, brick, and so on. However, it is always worth considering the complexity of its processing and installation, especially if the structure will be located in a city apartment, where it may be too bulky. More convenient in this regard is plasterboard, which is easy to work with and is a universal material.
If you have construction skills, the fireplace is made of decorative bricks. This material provides maximum resemblance to a real hearth. However, in a city apartment it should be compact so as not to take up too much space. You also need to know for sure whether the ceiling can support the load from the finished structure, especially if the fireplace is supposed to be large-sized. Sometimes they simply lay out a frame for the fireplace - the so-called fireplace portal.
You can make a wooden fireplace with your own hands. But if you don’t have the skills to handle wood, then it’s better to refuse this option or hire professionals. If there is an old unnecessary chest of drawers in the house, then it can be made the basis for the fireplace, to which the necessary elements are subsequently attached.
Plates with a laminated coating (chipboard) and similar materials are ideally suited for assembling a false fireplace
A more budget-friendly analogue of laminated boards is chipboard or MDF.
Typically, polyurethane is used to create decorative elements and decorations. But if you really want to, various moldings, half-columns and platbands can be glued to the wall. However, such a design will still not be perceived as a full-fledged fireplace, but it is perfect for an interesting play on portals.
Most often, drywall is chosen for work. This material is characterized by ease of use and allows you to implement designs of any complexity. With all its undeniable advantages, the material is inexpensive and easily accessible to a wide range of consumers.
Corner fireplace made of cardboard
If you have a small apartment or you just want to decorate a spare corner with something, this option is for you. The main thing is to carefully take measurements so that the fireplace fits exactly into all the free space, does not protrude at the edges, and no one trips over it.
To form a triangle, cut one of the sides from a square box. Tape all connections firmly and tightly so that they do not come apart under pressure. Cut a portal on the flat side and form its inner walls from the remaining sheet. Make a dense top shelf - and such a fireplace will become an excellent corner bedside table for a lamp, flowerpot, keys or other household items.
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DIY step-by-step assembly
As it turns out, you can make a fireplace with your own hands quite quickly and on a budget. To do this, you will need to use the following step-by-step guide:
- First of all, decide on the room and the specific location in which the structure will be installed. A false fireplace can be island, corner or wall-mounted. The smallest are the corner portals. Also, with the help of a fireplace you can hide some wall defects;
- Using a building level, first apply all the necessary marks to the floor and walls and carry out a control check;
- The quality of the pre-drawn drawing and sketch of the fireplace plays an important role. Make it as detailed as possible, indicate the dimensions and features of the firebox, portal and each decorative element;
- The base can be either several separate boxes glued together, or one large box from under an LCD TV. Double-sided tape is used to glue several boxes together;
- We remove unnecessary decor and things that interfere with work from the room. Apply the marks indicated in the drawing to the box using a pencil;
- The basis of any false fireplace is a podium, which is responsible for the stability of the structure. The podium must first be strengthened. For this purpose, its sides are supplemented with special cardboard inserts. The ribs must be installed in a perpendicular position to the podium and secured with tape. Each rib has a height equal to the side edge of the pedestal. Also, the sides of the pedestal can be strengthened using several layers of cardboard, which are secured with tape. To ensure that the structure is as stable as possible. The podium is made wider and larger than the portal itself by 80-100 millimeters.
Next we move on to the formation of the fireplace portal.
Fireplace with a round portal made of boxes
It is quite difficult to create a fireplace with a round portal from boxes - you need to make a vault. First glue the base and install rib strips into it for rigidity. The more often the strips, the better the foundation will withstand the loads and will not sag or sag.
Cut out the back wall from the box and immediately decorate it with paint, wallpaper or foam bricks. In the same way, cut out the front of the fireplace and draw an arched cutout. Lay out the insides of the portal from separate sheets, carefully bending them as you go. To ensure that all transitions are smooth without protruding corners, tape the joints completely along the entire perimeter.
For the lid, use cardboard, thin plywood or a thin sheet of polystyrene foam. If you glue several sheets together, dry them under a press so that the shelf looks complete. All that remains is to decorate the fireplace - for example, cover it with wet and crumpled paper napkins, which will create an interesting relief.
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Photo: hammer-shop.ru
Materials and solutions
To create your own fireplace, you need to acquire the following materials:
- solid bricks - their exact quantity depends on the dimensions of the heater specified in the drawing;
- clean sand, up to one and a half millimeters in size (if you can’t find absolutely clean sand, you can take dirty sand and clean it - place it in water and let it sit, while changing the water every day; cleaning continues until the sand becomes clear);
- oven clay for facing brick elements;
- cement (even ordinary Portland cement will do);
- crushed stone that will be used in the process of laying the foundation;
- reinforcing bars (about 20 units will be needed);
- smoke damper (usually a thin sheet of ordinary metal is suitable).
Sketch of the future hearth
Before planning to make a cardboard fireplace, you need to study the experience of those who have already turned the idea into reality. Photos of cardboard fireplaces can be found in online sections on the relevant topic.
Planning:
- Determining the location for the future structure. An empty corner or wall would be most suitable.
- Depending on the availability of free space, the dimensions of the structure are determined.
- Making a sketch. External and internal dimensions must be marked on it. The sketch can be done in color, complementing it with intended decorative elements. These elements do not need to be drawn, you just need to determine the places for them. This fireplace diagram will allow you to see the future product in its finished form.
When thinking through decorative details, you must strive to ensure that the resulting layout is as similar as possible to a real fireplace.
