Cardboard decorative raised fireplace

On the eve of the New Year festivals, I want to create a special atmosphere of warmth and comfort around me. Outside the window there is a snowy landscape, and fragrant candles flicker in the house, a blanket with forest deers invitingly beckons, the aroma of mulled wine and gingerbread is floating in the air. For a complete idyll in the hugg style, only one element is missing - a fireplace.
Alas, not every house can boast such an architectural detail, but you can create your own interior false fireplace from available materials.

Will need

So, we need:

• - 2 large cardboard boxes.
• - acrylic paint (white, gold, brown, beige, red, yellow, black) or colors of the same colors.
• - ordinary adhesive tape.
• - masking tape.
• - corrugated paper (red).
• - scissors.
• - clerical knife.
• - glue gun.
• - a simple pencil.
• - a sponge or piece of foam.

For decor:

• - bumps.
• - balls (gold, red).
• - beads.
• - old records.
• - the tinsel is green.
• - Christmas tree legs.
• - bells.
• - braid (gold).

How to make a false fireplace with your own hands

Let's start by making the basics. From a large cardboard box we make a U-shaped design with parameters, as in the diagram.
We glue all the seams with ordinary tape.
To give strength and further hassle-free painting, we additionally close the joints with masking tape.
We tint everything with white acrylic paint and leave to dry for several hours.
At the same time, we begin to manufacture the inside of the fireplace.
Cut the second box. We extract from it a rectangular piece of cardboard (width 120 cm, height 100 cm), cover it with black acrylic paint in several layers. We are waiting for complete drying.
From red corrugated paper we cut squares measuring 5 x 5 cm. They will be needed to simulate the fire in the fireplace.
In the center of the black rectangle, we begin to form a bonfire.
We put the red square of corrugated paper tightly on the pencil and twist it well, apply a little hot glue to the sparkle and press it onto the cardboard.
We draw the flames in this way.
We fix black cardboard with a spark inside the fireplace with tape and masking tape.
The most time-consuming business is the manufacture of bricks. The size I have chosen is 8 x 5.5 cm.
Approximate number of 130 pieces, plus 11 pieces for finishing the hearth size of 7 x 4 cm.
Cut the workpiece with an office knife from the remnants of the second box.
Next is the painting step. All cooked colors will be used - golden, brown, yellow, red. As a basis - white acrylic paint.
Layer No. 1 - flesh-colored, beige. We completely paint over the bricks with a brush, including the seams.
Layer No. 2 is light brown. Apply with a foam sponge dipped in paint.
Layer number 3 is gold. We apply according to the principle of layer No. 2.
Layer No. 4 is white. We paint in the same technique as the previous layers.
Layer 5 is dark chocolate. The method of application is the same.
Eleven bricks designed to decorate the hearth, paint with dark chocolate in a brush. Top lightly tinted with gold and set them aside separately.
We are waiting for the complete drying of the paint on the workpieces. We fix them on the fireplace base in even rows with a glue gun. The gap between the bricks and rows of 4-5 mm.
We fill the entire surface by adjusting the size of the bricks.
We finish the laying with chocolate-colored bricks, laying them in a semicircle over the fire.
For the decor of the fireplace, we make two identical compositions from a ball, snowflakes, bell, spruce branch, bow and fans from corrugated paper.
We fix symmetrically in the corners of the product.
Spread tinsel on top.
On the fireplace we place plates of old bent phonograph records (for this they need to be heated on an open fire)
with painted cones
beads, beads and poinsettia flowers.
We throw firewood and the included multi-colored garland into the fireplace.
We put next to a couple of New Year's gifts, a little cute Christmas tree, make a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the result.