Fireplace of cardboard with their own hands

In a city apartment, where, due to the lack of chimneys and reliable heat insulating ceilings, you cannot install a full-function fireplace on firewood, it is possible to design its decorative model. When using inexpensive materials at hand, the work will not require large skills in construction and expensive tools. A fireplace made of cardboard is built by itself in a few hours, and it looks as good as a real one

By location in the room models are several:

• wall - located at the wall and stands its facade for some distance;
• built-in - mounted directly into the wall;
• corner - takes the corner of the room;
• island - not adjacent to the wall and most often installed in the center of the room.

False fireplaces are often made of cardboard wall or corner, because they are not intended for heating the house, and have a decorative function.Another such model can be used as furniture: in the niche, you can install the shelves, and the upper tabletop will play the role of a shelf for small items.

According to its external design, false-fireplace types can be a huge amount: in English, classical, rustic style, with an arched or rectangular furnace, with a model of a wood-burning pan or oven. When designing it is important to consider that this detail is combined with the surrounding interior.

It is possible to assemble a model of a classic English fireplace from cardboard. He is distinguished by an open fire chamber in the form of a trapezoid and a direct chimney going to the ceiling. Inside the furnace niche, the walls are located at a small angle of about 20 °. The English version is decorated with a décor imitating the finishing of limestone, rubble or brick.

To get a tight corrugated cardboard is not a problem, you can use containers from large household appliances: TVs, refrigerators, washing machines or other goods. The entire manufacturing process can be done at home right at the place where the decorative hearth is located.

Corrugated cardboard is good because due to internal stiffeners it retains sufficient strength, while it weighs very little, and is cut with a simple stationery knife. But a cardboard fireplace, even with an exterior finish, will not be able to withstand a lot of weight, so you should not put heavy objects on it. It is not protected from moisture and heat, so a false fireplace should not be located near heat sources, and only safe methods should be used to imitate a fire.

To work on the construction of the frame will need the following tools:

• stationery knife;
• polymer adhesive;
• transparent adhesive tape;
• pencil;
• roulette;
• ruler.

Depending on the methods of decorating the cardboard false fireplace, the following materials and tools may be needed:

• paint or decorative putty;
• paint brush or spatula;
• trays for paint or container for mixing putty;
• corners, moldings, stucco, frame or profile.

Even the simplest version of a cardboard fireplace needs a phased work plan. It includes the following items:

• determining the shape, type and location of the fireplace;
• selection of materials for the frame and decorative trim;
• creating a design drawing with dimensions;
• preparation of tools and materials;
• marking on the cardboard parts of the frame;
• cutting of elements, their gluing and installation;
• exterior finish.

The development of such a plan is good because performing all actions step by step on the existing scheme,You can gain some experience and the next time you begin to create a more complex structure, for example, from polyurethane or plywood. Despite the frivolous work of gluing together conventional cardboard, you can make a detailed calculation of the size of the firebox, portal and chimney, as for a real wood-burning fireplace. This is useful for gaining a certain experience in construction.

For a wall fireplace, you will need a wide cardboard box having a height and width of 1–1.4 m and a thickness of 0.2–0.25 m, for example, from a large LCD TV. First of all, fold and cut lines are laid out on the cardboard with a pencil. In the center on the front side there is a rectangular symmetrical cutout - this will be the portal of the furnace. The back of the box remains untouched. For greater rigidity, the inside walls of the firebox are glued in. All sides of the frame can be fixed with plastic corners or moldings. The frame is placed on the base of foam or polyurethane.

For finishing the U-shaped version, it is best to use light white ceiling panels or self-adhesive laminated paper.The foam panels are mounted on a waterproof polymer glue that dries in minutes. Another way to finish is the use of water-based paint. In order to keep it firmly on the cardboard frame, you can pre-spread it with a primer or a very thin layer of liquid putty. After that, wait 1 - 1.5 hours to completely dry the priming mixture and proceed to painting.

Corner decorative fireplace from a cardboard box is made in the form of a prism with a triangular base. The corners of the frame are tightly glued together with scotch tape or polymeric glue, an arch-shaped hole is cut in the front, the top can be decorated with a decorative tabletop made of lightweight material, such as PVC or laminated plywood. Inside the firebox for beauty should make false walls of the same cardboard.

Fireplace portal - the part where firewood is burning.In the case of imitation using cardboard, there are several ideas on how to make its appearance as realistic as possible and look like a real hearth. First, it is necessary to install a fake wood grate inside. Since, in the present embodiment, it is metallic, it is necessary to look for light materials that are visually similar to metals. These can be plastic or wooden parts coated with shiny mastic or foil. You can use black paint.

Next, do an imitation of the flame in the furnace of such an imaginary hearth. There are several ways to create the illusion of bright flickering fire. The easiest and safest method is based on the use of Christmas garland. First, artificial firewood is made from dry branches. They are covered with cotton and foil. Further, a bundle of such firewood is placed in a circle of stones in a niche of the fireplace, and a garland folded into a ball should be stuck in its center. When you connect to the network inside the fireplace creates a fascinating flicker, like the corruption of real wood.

Some place a flat display on the floor at the base of the firebox, onto which a picture of living fire is transmitted. This method is beautiful but not advisable - use an expensive monitor for only one image. But it is quite suitable for one-time use, for example, on the New Year or other holiday.

A simpler and cheaper method of imitation of a flame is with the help of a hand-drawn picture, chasing, applique or volume hologram. This technique can be constantly changed by creating new original images.

To make an impressive decor cardboard fireplace, home craftsmen make the maximum imagination.

There are many interesting options.

• For example, a fake fireplace with a bright red flame of light bulbs.
• The model is made of cardboard in a classic style with sophisticated elegant stucco.

• A cardboard raised fireplace with brick decor and electric garlands in a niche, decorated for New Year's celebrations.