Do-it-yourself flash fireplace from boxes. How to make a decorative fireplace from boxes. How to make a cardboard fireplace

Residents of urban high-rise buildings do not even think about the fact that a fireplace can be installed in an apartment, and for this it is not at all necessary to make a brick chimney and contact the fire inspectorate. A decorative hearth made with your own hands from a cardboard box is an alternative to the traditional look of a fireplace. To create this piece of furniture does not require construction skills and skills in working with equipment. All that is needed from the master is fantasy and imagination.

The process of creating a fireplace

Before you start working on the implementation of your plan, you need to know what the workflow is. Main stages:

  • planning:
  • preparation of improvised means;
  • manufacturing;
  • finishing and decoration.

Read also the article about in addition to this material.

Planning

In order for a cardboard box fireplace to harmoniously fit into the interior of a house or apartment, it is important to allocate a suitable place for it. Most often, the fireplace is placed in the corner or in the middle of an empty wall. Having picked up the future location of the "hearth", they determine the size of the structure. It is recommended to do this directly at the installation site of the fireplace. For ease of use, all dimensions are applied to paper. It is best to make a small sketch-sketch of the future fireplace, where all the blanks and details of the decor item will be marked.

Advice! In the process of work, other improvised means may be needed, it all depends on the design of the fireplace and its design.

Making a wall fireplace

A fireplace from a TV box can be made in two ways - place it against a wall (wall fireplace) or in a corner (corner). The simplest and most common option is the manufacture of a wall structure. It is made of three elements - a rigid base, a fireplace portal and a shelf. Manufacturing process:

  • First, start building the foundation. It must be strong and rigid in order to stand confidently on the floor. To prevent the structure from bending, it is reinforced with stiffeners. They are placed inside a rectangular podium in the form of a lattice or in a chaotic manner. The base is cut out of a corrugated box with sides. The upper part of the podium is an additional cardboard panel. The side parts are made of several layers of cardboard glued together and glued to the panels with masking tape.

Important! The width of the base should be greater than the fireplace portal for 1 cm.

  • The fireplace portal is best done on a frame basis. On cardboard, mark the dimensions of the fireplace window, cut out the upper part with a clerical knife. The plane of the window is divided in half, and the resulting sashes are wrapped inward. The result is the side walls of the portal.
  • The width of the internal walls of the portal is equal to the width of the ceiling, and the width of the hearth is equal to the length of the ceiling, cut out of cardboard in the form of a rectangle. The cardboard strip is attached with masking tape.

  • Next, proceed to the manufacture of frame panels. They can be made from cardboard rectangles glued together, or lattice partitions. They are fixed in front of the portal and glued with adhesive tape.

  • A sheet of cardboard is attached to the frame.
  • The resulting fireplace portal is inserted into the base.

Advice! Instead of masking tape, where appropriate, you can use PVA glue and paper.

  • The design of the fireplace is sealed with paper or painted over. The resulting niches in the frame of the fireplace can become convenient shelves for storing things. To make the walls of the "windows" more rigid, several layers of cardboard are used, glued together.

  • The next step is the manufacture and installation of the top shelf. Without the top panel, the fireplace will look unfinished, plus it will not be possible to put decorations on it. To prevent the structure from falling, the weight of the shelf must be lighter than the base of the fireplace and the portal. She is "planted" on a liquid nail or polymer glue.

Making a corner fireplace

Corner decorative fireplace from a cardboard box can be installed in any free corner of the room. In addition, a fireplace can hide an unsightly or empty corner space. Stages of manufacturing a decorative "hearth":

  • First take measurements of the angle. Some install it in the furniture wall.
  • From the box form the shape of the fireplace. The walls of the resulting triangle are fixed from the top of the corner with masking tape.

  • The base of the triangle is given additional rigidity. In the corners of the structure, including from the inside, cuts of 10 cm are made, wrapped inside. This allows you to get an even fold. The strips are glued together.
  • From a part of the box, a pattern of a fireplace portal or hearth window is made. The triangle is reduced on each side by 7-10 cm and a mini-copy is cut out. Then it is applied to the large plane of the triangle and cut out. The same cuts are made in the corners, the strips are bent and glued with tape.
  • The back of the hearth is made from the corner of the box. For the bottom and ceiling, two triangular parts are needed. The inner boundaries of the hearth are measured according to the resulting opening.
  • Between the bottom of the "furnace" and the bottom of the fireplace, two columns of several layers of cardboard are attached. This is necessary in order to give the structure rigidity.
  • It is recommended to paste over the corner fireplace with embossed wallpaper. It is better to start work from the corner.
  • A fireplace mantel in the form of a triangle is attached at the end of the finishing work.

Finishing

The appearance of a fireplace from a TV box can be very diverse. The side walls and the shelf on the front side can be framed with a relief molding. He will visually divide the zones of the fireplace. On the resulting sections of the "hearth" stucco elements are glued, on the sides - columns.

Important! All decorative elements are glued with polyurethane glue directly onto cardboard. You can use any composition, for example, Dragon glue, etc.

The surface of the fireplace, after gluing all the decorations, is painted with white paint using a brush. Hard-to-reach places are painted with a sponge. To highlight a particular zone of the fireplace, it is covered with colored coloring compositions. In combination with white paint, gold inserts look great. Masters advise applying water-based varnish to the front of the fireplace and side panels - it will prevent the destruction of the “hearth”, protect it from external influences.

Video: making a cardboard fireplace with your own hands

Some stick embossed wallpaper on the fireplace design. From rectangular cardboard panels, you can make an imitation of brickwork, on which wallpaper is glued. "Bricks" are fixed with a liquid nail in the niche of the fireplace at the same distance from each other. After that, they are covered with water-based paint and allowed to dry.

After all the finishing work, they begin to design the mantelpiece. It can also be painted or covered with wallpaper. Stucco molding is covered with tinting. The base of the fireplace is decorated with glued painted pieces of foam.

A decorative fireplace out of the box can be decorated with homemade firewood. They are made from corrugated cardboard, rolled into a roll. Branches are made from smaller bundles. They are attached to the log with glue. The resulting firewood is covered with white paint - gouache.

Anyone can make a fireplace from a cardboard box with their own hands. The best assistants in this matter will be the fantasy and imagination of the master.

Every person dreams of comfort in their home. For many years, the fireplace has been rightfully considered one of the symbols of comfort. If you have a house and conditions and means allow it, there is no problem. But what if you live in a city apartment or simply do not have the appropriate income to provide yourself with such pleasure? Do you really have to deny yourself and your family in providing comfort?

Not at all necessary! The ideal solution in this case would be to create a decorative fake cardboard fireplace with your own hands! This is:

  • Just;
  • Economical;
  • Beautiful and aesthetic!

Indeed, this event will require a minimum of financial costs, a little ingenuity and a maximum of creativity: after all, a fireplace can be decorated for any holiday:

  • New Year;
  • Christmas;
  • Birthday!

To make a cardboard fireplace with your own hands, you will need a cardboard box and decorative coating material. A step-by-step instruction for making a fireplace with your own hands looks something like this.

How to choose a box

The selection stage is the most important. The quality and appearance of the final “product” will depend on what material the box is made of and its appearance.

Most importantly, you do not need to take a TV box. The fireplace will be too narrow. Basic requirements for the box:

  • Wide box (about half a meter deep);
  • Cardboard must be solid and durable;
  • For a more complex design, you need to take several boxes;
  • The paper should be such that drawings can be easily drawn on it.


Types of cardboard fireplaces

The most popular are three types of fireplaces:

  • Christmas or New Year.
  • Do-it-yourself corner fireplace made of cardboard.
  • Wall mounted.

Today we will talk about the most popular type of fireplaces - Christmas or New Year's.

Christmas or New Year fireplace

For him, you need to pick up three boxes. One box is large and two of the same size are smaller. We create a frame from three boxes. Glue with glue or just tape. The main thing is that a failure does not form in the upper part.

It is advisable to place a Christmas or New Year's fireplace in the same room where the Christmas tree is placed. This will complement the overall interior, everything will look very harmonious and create maximum comfort in the room.


Next, the front part of the wall is removed from the large box in the middle. Thus, we "mount the firebox." We make a stand for the fireplace. We will have it from the "brick". For this, thin foam is used.

You need to cut out rectangular shapes. They should be the same size as the original brick. A fireplace placed on a curb will look much prettier and more original.

Making decorative bricks

We glue the foam. We place the bricks in a checkerboard pattern for greater naturalness. We do the laying in full accordance with how bricks are actually laid. We glue. Let the glue dry completely.

Fireplace painting

After the glue is completely dry, paint the fireplace. We do priming. We make several layers of soil. This is important so that the entire fireplace is the same color.

The border that we made is painted yellow. Bricks - in red. You can make them a little with a golden hue. If you are thinking about a universal fireplace, not only for the new year, then you can paint it brown.

Decorations for a New Year's or Christmas fireplace

Here you can show maximum imagination. Most often, the fireplace is decorated with:

  • Branches from pine or Christmas trees;
  • spruce cones;
  • balls;
  • rain;
  • fruits;
  • Candies;
  • toys;
  • Christmas toys.

Here you can show maximum imagination and make not just a decoration, but a completely original composition. It will not only decorate your fireplace, but also create a unique atmosphere of comfort in your house or apartment.


Children will appreciate your creativity and enjoy playing near the fireplace and next to or under the Christmas tree.

A photo of a fireplace made of cardboard with your own hands will remind you of a joyful "work".

Guests will also be pleasantly surprised by such a piece of furniture. And it is in this room, of course, that you will want to put a New Year's table for guests. Since sitting by the fireplace is always a special chic and pleasure!

And as a New Year's entertainment, you can show guests a master class in making a cardboard fireplace with your own hands!

DIY photo of cardboard fireplaces

The presence of a fireplace in the interior gives the atmosphere weight and a certain significance, style. In our imagination, a fireplace is usually associated with warmth and comfort. In addition, a fireplace is one of the decorative elements, indicating a certain level of prosperity and well-being of the owners of the house.

Important ! In the practical implementation of the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow to make a fireplace out of boxes, viewing real buildings with your own hands of various options, simple and complex, helps a lot. If possible, look at what a real real construction made of cardboard and boxes looks like, this will make it easier to do it yourself.

Not every owner of a private house can afford a real stove, and one can only dream of a real fireplace in multi-storey buildings. In the conditions of a city apartment, this is often simply impossible for reasons that do not depend on the desire and capabilities of the owners.

In this case, the fireplace from the boxes, assembled with your own hands, will help out. With very little effort, you will decorate your house or apartment with an original design made of cardboard and boxes, which will be a great addition to the festive atmosphere.

You can be sure that making a fireplace out of cardboard and boxes with your own hands will not require a significant investment of time and money. To figure out how to make a fireplace out of boxes with your own hands, not only a person who is well acquainted with the rules of laying a real fireplace, but also an ordinary housewife, and even a teenager can. The main thing would be the desire to work with your own hands with cardboard and boxes. In this case, it is not a sin to participate in a similar event with friends or acquaintances, having received a certain master class and feeling like an expert.

What can a family give a master class in making a fireplace from boxes with their own hands?

With all the "lightness" of the idea of ​​​​a fireplace made of cardboard and boxes, the manufacturing process gives a chance:

  • Raise the mood of yourself and your household with another interesting idea;
  • Refresh the interior of one of the rooms of the house or apartment on the eve of the holiday;
  • Teach children to set themselves truly complex tasks and do them with their own hands;

Getting started, you need to decide on the place where the cardboard imitation will be located. It can be free space against the wall, or a corner of the room not occupied by furniture. With it, you can hide some construction defects in the corner of the room.

Having decided on the place, we measure it with a tape measure with our own hands and calculate the estimated dimensions of the future cardboard layout, whether it can fit in the space allotted to it. It is important to predetermine the dimensions of the cardboard fireplace to the smallest detail so that you do not have to redo the work.

After that, you should decide which option is best suited to the situation, to the style of the interior, view photos of fireplaces from boxes with your own hands on the Web and choose the option that you can make with your own hands from cardboard and boxes.

Make a drawing of the selected option with dimensions and a drawing of the external design of the finished product. Calculate with your own hands the need for cardboard and boxes, their sizes. This will allow you to think in advance how the appearance of the fireplace will be designed, what and where decorative decorations will be located.

Before starting, prepare the materials necessary for work:

  1. Several large cardboard boxes, the more cardboard, the easier it is to choose the optimal shape and size;
  2. Glue PVA, PVA-M and transparent "Dragon" or "Titan";
  3. Construction chalk putty;
  4. Water-based paints, necessarily - white, red and black;
  5. Long meter ruler, tape measure, corner and construction knife;
  6. Brush and paint roller for painting the finished product.

Note ! Before starting work, tune in yourself and explain to your assistants, if any, that making a fireplace from boxes with your own hands requires the highest care and accuracy.

Making a fireplace out of cardboard and boxes

In addition to the decorative function, the wall-mounted fireplace from the boxes can be used as a watch stand, decorative candles or figurines, a bookshelf. Often such a cardboard oven becomes a full-fledged element of the interior of a room as a cabinet or bedside table.

For work, you need to prepare free space so that you can place a large sheet of cardboard and the box itself, transfer the necessary markings and draw the contours of the manufactured product.

If you are lucky to pick up or get hold of a large cardboard box from a TV, washing machine or refrigerator, the task will be noticeably simplified. Using a ready-made large cardboard box will allow you to refuse to manufacture a supporting frame-frame on your own, which will greatly simplify the work.

Otherwise, for a wall-mounted fireplace from boxes, it is initially necessary to assemble a frame from a building profile or wooden slats, fixing it on the wall at the location of the fireplace. Next, the frame will have to be pasted over with cut-out two or three-layer pieces of thick cardboard, butted together with glue and adhesive tape.

Advice ! Sometimes you have to glue two sheets of cardboard into one "sandwich" with a layer of tape or corrugated cardboard. The base sheet is laid out on level ground, the PVA layer is glued to the bottom and top sheet and the load is placed on top. Such a sandwich turns out to be durable, any element of the fireplace, including the back wall, can be easily made from it.

The design of the fireplace consists of several main parts:

  • The body of the fireplace, or a portal of two pedestals, united by a superstructure;
  • Fireplace insert - rectangular niche;
  • Top shelf or countertop.

As the basis of the fireplace, we put a fiberboard slab, cut to the expected size of the fireplace sole with a margin of 7-8 cm per side.

Cutting the box and gluing the body of the future fireplace

As a basis for the formation of the future body of the fireplace, we use large boxes from household appliances. The cardboard wall of the box has a three-layer structure with layers of corrugated cardboard.

As indicated in the drawing, we mark with the help of a ruler and a corner the location of the firebox and side pedestals of the fireplace from the boxes. We make a T-shaped incision along the axis of the opening of the furnace, turn the formed flaps inward and glue them to the back wall. They will serve to form the inner surface of the opening.

We measure, cut and paste additional elements into the case from the boxes:

  • The ceiling of the combustion chamber;
  • Internal jumpers in the upper part of the portal and in the side cabinets of the case, this will strengthen the structure and make it more rigid;

All places of gluing cardboard and boxes are additionally glued with sheets of paper, PVA and adhesive tape. At the points of contact of the end surfaces of the jumpers and sheets of cardboard with the body of the boxes, we glue them with our own hands using Dragon glue.

If desired, the back wall of the fireplace can be turned into a storage of the necessary things. It is enough to carefully cut out the windows with a knife, bend the cut out fragment and glue it to the side wall of the box.

The top shelf can be made by hand in the form of a sandwich from two layers of thick cardboard and corrugated tape. Often, for reinforcement, plywood or a plastic cladding panel is put into the design of the countertop, which will allow the fireplace to withstand a significant weight of objects, a vase, or even a TV.

The finished cardboard case is installed on the prepared fiberboard base and glued with adhesive tape from the inside of the structure. The outer joint between the cardboard of the body and the cardboard of the base is glued with paper tape and PVA.

Assembly and finishing operations

After the formation of the main part of the fireplace body from the boxes, they proceed to rough pasting it with paper. At the same time, burrs and irregularities are leveled and trimmed. In places where the joints are glued, excess dried glue is removed and primed.

The next operation will be painting and preparing for finishing. The prepared fireplace body from the boxes is primed in two layers with white water-based paint. In places where the inscriptions of the packaging may show through, glue or apply an additional layer of primer.

The upper part of the portal, especially the attachment point of the top cover and wall cardboard, must be covered with decor. Usually, bovelacci, friezes or foam are used for these purposes. The sticker is made using the "Dragon".

The final operation is the final painting of the fireplace, usually white or beige. The inside of the combustion chamber is sealed with panels imitating embossed red brick. On the protruding part of the base of the fireplace, an imitation of rubble stone or molding brick is laid out.

One of the most popular types of fireplace textures is imitation of brick or marble facing material.

As a result, there is a reason to be proud of a do-it-yourself fireplace from boxes.

The fireplace in the house is a symbol of comfort and warmth. A fireplace made of stone is not even in every private house, and the owners of a standard apartment do not even have to dream about it. And you should always dream. If you can’t lay out a real fireplace, then even a housewife can make an imitation of it. Such a simple and affordable material as cardboard will come to the rescue.

For manufacturing, you will need unnecessary boxes, glue, scissors and imagination. Various unnecessary remnants of colored paper, polystyrene and other materials that can be found in the house are suitable for decoration.

Sketch of the future hearth

Before planning the manufacture of a cardboard fireplace, it is necessary to study the experience of those who have already translated the idea into reality. Photos of cardboard fireplaces can be found in the Internet sections on the relevant topic.

Planning:

  • Determination of a place for future construction. The most suitable would be an empty corner or wall.
  • Depending on the availability of free space, the dimensions of the structure are determined.
  • Sketch making. On it you need to put down the external and internal dimensions. The sketch can be done in color, supplementing it with the intended decor elements. These elements do not need to be drawn, you just need to define places for them. Such a fireplace scheme will allow you to see the future product in the finished version.


Thinking through the decorative details, we must strive to ensure that in the end the layout is as similar as possible to a real fireplace.

Manufacturing process

The basis of the fireplace design will be a cardboard frame. For its construction, it is best to use thick cardboard boxes. Corrugated cardboard for packaging large household products will be the most suitable. If the packaging from the TV is preserved, then the ideal frame is already ready.

In addition to cardboard, you need to prepare:

  • Glue stationery and polymer, which will be attached to the decor elements.
  • Wide adhesive tape, it is better to take double-sided masking tape.
  • White paint. For coloring cardboard, dispersion will be the most suitable.
  • As a cutting tool, you will need scissors and a cutter.
  • Paint brushes and foam rubber or sponge.
  • Old cloth napkins or scraps of fabric.

Depending on the idea, other materials should be provided. For example, stucco molding from foam material. If there is a residue of liquid wallpaper, then they can be used to create volume.


How to make a fireplace from cardboard?

The assembly of a false fireplace begins with the manufacture of the central unit. First you need to form the columns. To do this, cut out rectangular parts in accordance with the dimensions.

It must be remembered that cutting cardboard is not difficult, but making even folds on it is more difficult work. In order to perform an even fold, you will need a flat bar or ruler and an object to secure the fold. For this purpose, it will be quite convenient to use an ordinary spoon or pen.

The ruler is superimposed along the fold line, the cardboard is carefully folded along the ruler and a line is drawn from the reverse side. This must be done carefully so that the fragile cardboard does not break through.

The central part is pasted over with paper or painted immediately. After assembly, these actions will be problematic.

Finished parts are assembled with adhesive tape. As mentioned above, for these purposes it is convenient to use double-sided tape.

In order for the product to be evenly painted over, it is possible to apply a white primer before applying the paint. A layer of primer will smooth out existing irregularities. After the cardboard absorbs the applied primer and dries well, you can start painting.


A mandatory attribute of the fireplace is a shelf on top. It should be dense and firm. To make a shelf, you will need to roll the cardboard in three or four layers - this will ensure the necessary rigidity.

As an alternative to cardboard for a shelf, you can cut a plank out of thin plywood. Another option for a shelf is foam. The material is lightweight and durable. Such a shelf will also allow you to fasten the frame of the fireplace.

Finish options

An interesting option is to imitate masonry made of brick or stone. To do this, you can choose a self-adhesive film. In construction supermarkets, such materials are sold. You just need to calculate the size of the canvas and select the desired pattern in the store.

If the product is decorated with stucco, the fireplace will look more interesting. For these purposes, use the remnants of ceiling tiles, foam skirting boards or buy additional moldings.

If desired, the fireplace can be decorated with additional elements. For example, a New Year's fireplace can be supplemented with LED lamps imitating candles.

And, finally, the most important thing that allows you to call a fireplace a home is fire. A few logs wrapped with LED strip will make the hearth almost real. And on New Year's Eve, the flickering light of the fireplace will give the room coziness and a festive mood.

So, a simple and affordable, financially easy option for building a hearth is outlined. We can say that this is a basic instruction on how to make a decorative fireplace. There is a basis, and decoration with decorative elements is done by everyone according to their taste.

DIY cardboard fireplace photo

Many people want to make the interior of their house or apartment original and impressive. Today on the Internet you can find a great variety of really original and interesting ideas and ideas. Among them, far from the last decoration in popularity is a fireplace. However, not everyone has the opportunity to install a wood-burning stove with a chimney indoors. That is why, as an alternative, you can make a decorative fireplace out of boxes. A fireplace from boxes is one of the most budgetary and attractive solutions.

Yes, you can make a fireplace out of boxes with your own hands. To do this, you will need packages from various household appliances, electronics, which you can always find at hand at home. So how do you do it? Read on in the article!

Material selection

Before we make a fireplace, we need to choose the right materials for the manufacture of such a decorative design. In order to assemble a false fireplace with our own hands, we need to acquire:

  1. Boxes. They can be as many different shapes and sizes, or just one or a few large ones. Boxes can be not only different sizes, but also shapes;
  2. Wallpaper or plain paper. If you are going to use wallpaper to decorate the portal, one tube is enough for you;
  3. To glue boxes, wallpapers, paper together, you will need to buy an adhesive base - it can be silicate or PVA glue;
  4. Scotch tape (regular, masking and double-sided);
  5. Paint brushes, sponges and rags;
  6. For basic work, we need a clerical knife and a simple pencil. Additionally, you can get a ruler and scissors, a tape measure and a building level;
  7. If you are going to equip the fireplace portal with a shelf or countertop, you will need a sheet of drywall or plywood.

It is also worthwhile to purchase the necessary materials for decorating the fireplace portal in advance. It can be wallpaper that is printed imitating the classic brick surface of the fireplace. A cardboard fireplace can be decorated with a self-adhesive film, the surface of which imitates natural minerals such as marble, sandstone or granite. Classic volumetric patterns, represented by various columns, gypsum elements, skirting boards, foam plastic decor, look beautiful and stylish. Also, the surface can be painted with simple paint from a spray can or bucket.

If you want to get a rougher and more heterogeneous surface at the output, it is recommended to use liquid wallpaper, which has a corrugated structure and a rather heterogeneous surface. All kinds of acrylic compositions are very popular. This paint is practically odorless, dries quickly and has interesting shades and tones (gold, silver, bronze, sparkles, mother-of-pearl).

Introduction to varieties

A fireplace, the portal of which has an exclusively decorative function, may have more advanced functionality and a number of additional features. Such a false fireplace will be an excellent addition and decoration to the electric fireplace insert. Electric fireplace It will be an excellent alternative to a wood-burning stove and can even be installed in an apartment.

Since cardboard and boxes are classified as flammable, it is not safe to install a biofireplace or a gas hearth in it. For the same reasons, it is strictly forbidden to install a fireplace with a water circuit.

The installation of such foci is impossible not only because of the strong heating of the body, but also because of the rather large mass. It is also not recommended to install open fireboxes and an electric fireplace with a heating function.

The best option is a modern electric fireplace with 3D effect of a burning flame and high-quality sound visualization, backlight.

You can make a fake fireplace with your own hands in one of the following styles:

  • Art Nouveau fireboxes belong to the category of modern fireplaces. The direction is distinguished by original shapes and sizes. It is possible to have and use contrasting shades, bright, catchy and cold tones;
  • A high-tech false fireplace will look stylish and original. To create the desired image, you can decorate the portal in one fairly calm and muted shade (black, gray, white, silver, metallic). Complete the look with a mirror or glass decor;
  • The classic style is always appropriate and will be relevant even in ten years. A classic fireplace is a wealth of patterns, ornaments, voluminous decor, and expensive decoration. It is fashionable to complement the frame with columns, candlesticks, shelves;
  • Rustic style or country motifs will make the fireplace and the atmosphere in the room as cozy and homely as possible. For finishing in this direction, natural and environmentally friendly materials are always used. However, for a false fireplace, you can use photo wallpapers with a pattern and texture of stone. You can decorate the combustion chamber with firewood.

Do-it-yourself step-by-step assembly

As it turned 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:

  1. First of all, decide on the room and the specific place in which the structures will be installed. A false fireplace can be island, corner or wall. The smallest are the corner portals. Also, with the help of a fireplace, you can hide some wall defects;
  2. Using the building level, pre-apply all the necessary marks on the floor and walls and perform a control check;
  3. 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, the portal and each decorative element;
  4. Both several separate boxes glued together, and one large box from under the LCD TV can act as a base. For gluing together several boxes, double-sided tape is used;
  5. We remove excess decor and things that interfere with work from the room. We put on the box with a pencil the marks indicated in the drawing;
  6. The basis of any false fireplace is a podium, which is responsible for the stability of the structure. The podium must first be strengthened. To do this, its sidewalls are complemented by special cardboard inserts. The ribs must be installed in a perpendicular position to the podium and fixed with adhesive tape. Each edge has a height equal to the side of the pedestal. Also, the sidewalls of the pedestal can be reinforced with several layers of cardboard, which are fixed with adhesive tape. In order for the design to be as stable as possible. The podium is made wider and larger than the portal itself by 80-100 millimeters.

Do-it-yourself portal for a false fireplace

A fireplace in an apartment consisting of cardboard or boxes can be made as a frame type or have a back wall. Fireplace instructions or step-by-step assembly guide:

  1. If you want to assemble a frame frame, you need to prepare cardboard, which will become the front of your fireplace. We make marks in the area where the focus will be located, and make an incision in the upper part. For this we need a clerical knife. It is also necessary to cut the central part of the portal. We make a bend of the cut sections, they will become the sides of the furnace compartment. A rectangular strip is cut out, the width of which will be equal to the sidewalls of the frame, and the length will be equal to the width of the furnace compartment. After that, we fix the ceiling part on adhesive tape and strengthen the inside with frame panels consisting of 2-3 layers of glued cardboard. The frame is installed and fixed on the podium with glue;
  2. A portal with a back wall is easier to implement. It can be formed from just one large box. Incisions are made in it, the upper and furnace parts are formed and bent. Next, the portal is installed and fixed on a pedestal.

You can add a false fireplace and make it more functional with the help of a mantelpiece. You can collect it from one sheet of drywall or plywood. Also, a fairly high-quality shelf is obtained by gluing 2-3 layers of cardboard together. Use double sided tape to secure the shelf to the frame.

Before proceeding with the facing of the portal, it is necessary to prepare the surface. To do this, the cardboard is pre-painted with water-based paint, acrylic from a spray can or puttied. This is necessary to obtain a uniform shade and get rid of contrasting spots. As an alternative, you can paste over the surface of the portal with several layers of white paper, the so-called papier mache.

For surface cladding, you can use photo wallpapers with imitation of brickwork, marble, granite. Favorably looks rough surface, formed by applying liquid wallpaper. You can simply paint the frame or apply a self-adhesive film.

The firebox is also made out at your discretion: firewood, garlands. Above the fireplace, you can place a mirror, clock, picture. On the shelf are various candlesticks, candles, figurines, photo frames.

Corner false fireplace

You can also make a corner raised fireplace with your own hands. To do this, you will need the following step-by-step guide:

  • We find the most advantageous angle for the location of the fireplace in a room with good visibility;
  • From one large box we make a podium. We cut the sidewalls and shape them in such a way that they ideally repeat the shape of the selected corner in the room. For fastening we use masking tape;
  • To strengthen the structure, we equip the sidewalls with stiffeners. To do this, on the sides we make small sizes with a clerical knife. The optimal distance between the incisions is 10-15 centimeters. The marks will connect on the inside and bend the cardboard. Next, all excess and remnants of cardboard are removed, gluing is performed;
  • In the center of the portal, a size is made for the firebox. Recommended shape: square or rectangle. The top may have a slight rounding of the pores of the arch principle. The lower part is not cut off, but folded inwards forming a firebox. We fix it on masking tape, cut off all the excess;
  • The next step is to form the side walls of the portal. For this, two cardboard sheets are taken, the height and length of which is equal to the dimensions of the furnace compartment. Cut them into shape and fix them with masking tape. The top of the fireplace is also formed from a single cardboard sheet;
  • We equip the fireplace mantel portal from two sheets of cardboard interconnected with PVA glue;
  • After the glue has dried well, we carry out the lining of the frame with the selected materials.

As an addition, you can burn decorative firewood for the fireplace with your own hands. To do this, take the cardboard and remove the first smooth layer into it. We determine the length and thickness of the logs so that they look harmoniously with the fireplace insert. To form firewood, it is necessary to cut off a strip that rolls up and can be supplemented with small knots. To form logs, after rolling, it is necessary to glue the edges of the workpiece well with PVA glue and additionally fix it with a thread. For small branches, it is enough to cut a small and very thin strip of cardboard, glue it, dry it and stick it to the main log. Next, the surface is painted with white paint and after drying, re-painted in a suitable color. For the manufacture of birch logs, the original color can be left white and after the paint has dried, apply a few strokes, stripes of black paint.

For coloring, you can use acrylic, oil or gouache.

Anyone can make such a decorative fireplace from cardboard boxes. At the same time, the design and design of a false portal can be very diverse. The advantages of a false fireplace made of boxes include mobility, light weight and environmental friendliness.

In this video, you will learn more about how to assemble a fireplace from boxes or cardboard for an apartment or a house with your own hands. The video shows a Christmas fireplace for the new year: