With a fireplace, any room immediately becomes warmer and more comfortable. It is not surprising that not only the owners of huge cottages, but also residents of ordinary apartments dream about it. But they are far from always adapted for such a radical solution. But if it is problematic to organize a full-fledged chimney, then nobody forbade decorative false fireplaces! Moreover, they can be made by hand even from an ordinary cardboard box!
1. Fireplace with a high portal
A long fireplace with a high portal is perhaps the easiest to make. You just need to twist two identical vertical columns of the required height from cardboard sheets. For the back wall - one flat sheet. And a few sheets of plywood or foam for the base and top cover.
2. Fireplace from a large box
If you have one large box about 80x80 cm and at least 15 cm deep, it will make a great simple fireplace with a rectangular portal. Be sure to start shaping from the central part so that all folds and cuts are perfectly even.
Draw the central vertical 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 interior of the portal or paste over them with wallpaper under the brickwork - then it will be inconvenient. Glue all connections with masking tape and be sure - on both sides.
You can paint the finished fireplace, wallpaper or ceiling foam, decorate 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, pre-install stiffeners inside the box - the same perpendicular inserts.
How to make a false fireplace with your own hands: 8 ideas
3. Complex shaped fireplace
A fireplace of a much more complex shape can be assembled from one cardboard box. The principle of operation is similar to origami, but for this you first have to experiment with a regular sheet. For example, if the box is deep, you can make chamfered corners - that's just a couple of extra folds.
4. Fireplace from small boxes
Small boxes are a little more difficult to work with - you need to make them fit. Therefore, measure everything in advance, draw and for clarity, first assemble such a fireplace on the floor without glue and fasteners, like a designer.
When the scheme of actions is ready, all the opening parts of the boxes are glued with PVA or masking tape. After that, connect the boxes together in the same way and let the glue dry for at least a night or half a day. For very heavy, thick cardboard you can use mechanical fasteners.
All joints and gaps are glued with wide masking tape or even thin building profiles. From above, the fireplace can be covered with paper, pasted over with wallpaper, or even simply painted under a brick. To do this, you will need paint and a regular dish sponge, with which you will paint the masonry.
5. Fireplace-constructor
Even from the deposits of various 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 - solely a question 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. And before finishing, use a primer or choose paints that adhere to similar glossy substrates.
6. Corner fireplace made of cardboard
If you have a small apartment or you just want to decorate a free 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 stumbles over it.
To form a triangle, cut one of the edges from the square box. Glue all joints firmly and tightly so that they do not come apart under pressure. Cut the portal on the flat side and form its inner walls from the remaining sheet. Make a dense top shelf - and this fireplace will be an excellent corner bedside table for a lamp, flowerpot, keys or other household items.
7. Fireplace with a round portal from 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 ribbed strips into it for rigidity. The more often the strips are, the better the foundation will withstand the loads, will not sag and sag.
Cut the back wall out of the box and immediately decorate it with paint, wallpaper or foam bricks. Likewise, cut out the front of the fireplace and draw an arched cutout. Lay out the interior of the portal from separate sheets, carefully bending them along the way. To ensure that all transitions are smooth without protruding corners, glue the joints with tape completely around the entire perimeter.
For the lid, use cardboard, thin plywood or a thin sheet of expanded polystyrene. If you glue several sheets together, press them to dry them so that the shelf looks whole. All that remains is to decorate the fireplace - for example, to paste over it with wet and crumpled paper napkins, which will create an interesting relief.
