top of page

Cardboard Fireplace Tutorial

 

Last year my roommates and I were feeling the need to decorate our apartment for the holidays. We lived in Chatham Square during our Disney College Program and had strict rules for decorating our apartment. We were trying to think of how we could make our apartment feel more like home during the holidays when I had a great idea! A fireplace! What's more festive than a fireplace for Christmas? Allison and I then drove to Walmart around 1a.m. and loaded up on boxes and masking tape. With a little imagination (& pixie dust) we made our fireplace come to life.

 



 

First, we walked up and down the aisles through Walmart during stocking hours (around 1am.) and collected about 8 boxes. (6 large cereal packing boxes and 2 Pringles packing boxes)

 

Next, we taped 4 large cereal packing boxes together with the flaps open creating two 'towers.' (you may have to cut the boxes down one side and fold them inside out so you don't have the printed cereal brand logos on your fireplace.)

Then, we took a flatten piece of cardboard and taped it onto the backside of our 'towers' and another piece on the frontside creating the area where the (fake) fire and (fake) smoke would go. I guess that would be called the 'pit?'

Lastly, with the 2 pringles packing boxes, which were the perfect length, we taped them together and taped ends closed and fit them on top of the towers.

 

Ta-Da! Now you have the cardboard frame built! Pretty easy huh?

Now comes the fun part! Time to paint!

We used a burnt 'brick' red color with a small bit of white swirl into it and sponge painted a brick design onto the cardboard using a large kitchen sponge. I started my first brick on the very bottom, in the middle. of each 'tower' so the brick pattern would be even on each side. Then for the front pit area I made a vertical brick design for one row to give it a realistic look. For the top mantel (pringle boxes) I used a gray color with a little white to give it a marble effect.  

 

 

After letting it dry we decorated it with christmas garland, lights and stockings.

 

I also wanted to make a fake fire with a mini fan and some yellow cellophane but I never got the chance too. Even a couple logs with a fireplace screen would really make it look real! I have plans to make another one for this holiday season but I would like to use brown paint to give it a stone look instead of brick. The sky is the limit on this project. Be creative! Have fun! 

 

 

bottom of page