How to Make a Paper Fire Place

Paper fireplaces mimic the real thing.

Fireplaces add warmth and comfort to a room, even if they aren’t real. Some faux fireplaces have lights flickering in them to mimic flames while also acting as space heaters. Other faux fireplaces simply have the flames while a third kind of fake fireplace gives off neither light nor heat. These fireplaces are made of paper and often serve as holiday decorations or additions to children’s play areas. They take very little time to complete and make a fun project for a snowy or rainy fall or winter day. You and your children can make one in an afternoon.

Things You'll Need

• Large poster board
• Large cardboard box
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Brick red paint
• Paper plate
• Sponge
• Silver or bronze metallic paint
• Black spray paint
• Masking tape
• Hot glue
• Cardboard tubes
• Brown paint
• Red, yellow and orange tissue paper

Instructions

1. Center your cardboard box against the bottom edge of your poster board and trace around it. The box’s flaps should be folded up, or you can simply trace around the bottom of the box. Remove the box and cut your traced square out of the poster board.

2. Pour a little brick red tempera paint into a paper plate and dip the flat side of a rectangular sponge lightly into the paint. Press the sponge gently against the upper left corner of the poster board, creating a brick shape. Continue until the entire poster is covered in painted bricks.

3. Draw a fireplace grate on the poster board square you cut out in step 1. The grate may be as fancy or as simple as you like. Cut the grate out and paint it silver or bronze. Allow your bricks and grate to dry overnight.

4. Spray paint the inside of your box black. If the box has open spaces in the bottom, cover them with masking tape before spraying. This gives the illusion of a sooty fireplace cavity.

5. Flip your sponged poster board over and spread out your box’s flaps. Hot glue the flaps to the back of the poster board so the box’s opening lines up with the cutout square in the poster board. Tilt the box back so your fireplace sits upright. Glue your metallic grate across the front of your fireplace’s opening.

6. Paint several cardboard tubes brown to mimic logs. Hot glue them together in a teepee shape and place them inside your fireplace.

7. Place a square of red tissue paper in your hand with orange and yellow tissue paper on top. Press two fingers against the center of the squares and make a fist around your fingers, crushing the paper into a cone-shape. Place the cone-shape in the center of your log teepee for flames.

References

• Enchanted Learning: Fireplace Craft
• Family Fun: Faux Fireplace
• Family Corner: Camping Crafts