New Year Cardboard-Box Fireplace You Can Make by Hand

Things you will learn

A real fireplace in an apartment isn't realistic, but with cardboard boxes, a garland, tinsel, and New Year ornaments you can create a very convincing faux fireplace that won't give off heat or crackle, but looks like the real thing.
You'll need 6 same-sized boxes (adjust the number depending on your fireplace's size), sturdy cardboard, fast-drying glue suitable for cardboard, a few sheets of foam board, primer, a PVA glue-and-water solution (2:1), old newspaper, and paint.
First, lay out the shape of your future fireplace from the boxes on the floor, glue them together in pairs under a weight, then join all the pieces together; once the frame is dry, cover it with another layer of cardboard for a smooth surface and to form the back panel and base.
Soak newspaper in the PVA-and-water solution and glue it onto the blank, then once it's dry, apply primer — it dries faster and uses less paint, and you can start painting after about 2 hours.
Cut foam sheets into strips and "bricks" (cut the bricks in half so they don't stick out too far), glue them onto the surface, and paint however you like (for example, white spray paint or a faux-brick finish), then place a garland in the niche and decorate the top with tinsel, candles, and ornaments.

What you'll get

You'll get a decorative New Year faux fireplace made from cardboard boxes, with a faux-brick finish, a garland, and festive decorations.

Materials and tools

Materials

6 same-sized cardboard boxes, adjust the count depending on your fireplace's size
Sturdy cardboard, to even out the surfaces
Fast-drying glue, a construction adhesive or any other glue suitable for cardboard
A few sheets of foam board
Primer
PVA glue and water solution, mixed 2:1
Old newspaper
Paint

Tools

A knife or utility blade, for cutting the foam board
A brush, for applying glue, primer, and paint

Preparation

Gather your materials ahead of time

For this project, gather ahead of time: 6 same-sized boxes (adjust the number depending on your fireplace's size), sturdy cardboard, fast-drying glue, a few sheets of foam board, primer, a PVA glue-and-water solution (2:1), old newspaper, and paint.

Build the fireplace frame from the boxes

Lay out the shape of the future fireplace from the boxes and join them together.

Lay out the shape and glue the boxes together

First, lay out the shape of our future fireplace from the boxes on the floor and join them together. Start by gluing the boxes together in pairs, and always put something on top as a weight. Then join everything together. The photos below show in detail how everything connects, and the glue I used for the project.

Boxes laid out in the shape of the future fireplace's portal — Boxes laid out in the fireplace shape

A long cardboard box for the base of the decorative fireplace — A long box for the fireplace base

Vertical posts of the fireplace made from glued boxes — The vertical posts made from glued boxes

Glue used for assembling the cardboard fireplace — The glue used for assembly

Assembled frame of the cardboard fireplace with a portal — The assembled frame with the portal

Cover the frame with another layer of cardboard

Reinforce the frame and form the back panel and base.

Cover the frame with cardboard

Once the box has dried and is holding together well, you can cover it with another layer of cardboard. This is needed to even out the surface and to create the back panel and base.

Placing the top panel onto the cardboard fireplace frame — Placing the top panel

Rectangular top frame for the fireplace portal — The rectangular top frame

A boxy, three-dimensional blank for the fireplace front — The box blank for the front

Papier-mâché it with newspaper and prime it

Add a layer of newspaper with the glue solution and prime the surface.

Glue on the soaked newspaper

Take the glue-and-water solution, soak the newspaper thoroughly, and glue it onto the blank.

Painting the fireplace's top shelf white — Painting the top shelf

Apply the primer

Once everything has dried, apply primer (it minimizes how much paint you'll use later). It dries faster, and you can start painting within about 2 hours.

Cardboard fireplace primed with white paint — The primed fireplace

White front panel of the fireplace after priming — The front panel after priming

Cut the foam "bricks"

Prepare the decorative bricks from foam board.

Cut the foam into strips and bricks

Now cut the foam sheets into strips and "bricks." Cut the bricks in half so they don't stick out too far and better mimic real brick.

Bricks marked out on a foam panel for the fireplace — Bricks marked out on foam

Cutting foam bricks for the fireplace decor — Cutting the foam bricks

Preparing individual foam bricks — Individual foam bricks

Glue on and paint the bricks

Finish the fireplace's front with a decorative brick pattern.

Glue on the bricks and paint the front

Glue the cut pieces onto the surface and paint them if you like. I used white spray paint since it fit my room's style. You can use any other color, including going for a faux-brick finish.

Gluing foam bricks onto the fireplace front — Gluing on the foam bricks

Several rows of decorative bricks on the fireplace — Several rows of bricks

Fireplace front fully finished with decorative bricks — The front finished with bricks

Add a garland and New Year decorations

Decorate the niche and the top of the fireplace for a finished look.

Place a garland in the niche

Place a garland in the niche (if needed, you can route a cord to an outlet through a corner of the back panel). It's better if the garland's color mimics fire. If you're feeling creative, you can use branches, coat them in varnish, and tuck the garland underneath — the effect will look like a real fireplace.

Lighting inside the decorative cardboard fireplace — The lighting inside the fireplace

Decorate the top of the fireplace

Decorate the top however you like. I used tinsel, candles, and Christmas ornaments.

Finish and variations

Finish

Your cardboard New Year fireplace is ready

Your fireplace is ready! It won't give off heat or crackle like a real one, but with a garland, tinsel, and New Year ornaments, it looks very convincing.

Variations

Paint the bricks to look like real brickwork

Instead of a single flat color, you can achieve a real brickwork look by using a few different paint shades.

Use branches with the garland

If you're feeling creative, you can use branches, coat them in varnish, and tuck the garland underneath — the effect will look like a real fireplace.

Troubleshooting

The boxes warp while gluing

Problem

After gluing pairs of boxes together, the piece comes out crooked or uneven.

Likely cause

Not enough weight was placed on the glued boxes while the glue dried.

How to fix it

Always put something heavy on top of the glued boxes as a weight, and leave them under it until the glue has fully dried.

The newspaper layer wrinkles after drying

Problem

After the glued newspaper dries, the blank's surface becomes uneven, with creases and bubbles.

Likely cause

The newspaper wasn't soaked enough in the glue solution, or it was glued on without smoothing out the wrinkles.

How to fix it

Soak the newspaper well in the glue-and-water solution and smooth it out by hand right after gluing, removing any bubbles and creases.

The foam bricks look uneven in size

Problem

After gluing, the bricks on the front are different sizes and don't form an even brick pattern.

Likely cause

The bricks were cut by eye without marking out an equal size beforehand.

How to fix it

Before cutting, mark the foam into bricks of equal size so the finished brick pattern comes out even.

FAQ

How many boxes do you need for the fireplace?

6 same-sized boxes, though you can adjust the count depending on your fireplace's size.

What ratio do you mix the PVA glue and water in for the newspaper?

2 to 1 (glue to water).

How long does the primer take to dry before painting?

About 2 hours.

Why do you cut the foam bricks in half?

So they don't stick out too far and better mimic real brick.

How do you make the effect more realistic?

Use a garland the color of fire, and branches coated in varnish with the garland tucked underneath.

MargoJan 13

Your project inspired me to make something similar) But after the New Year holidays I really didn't want to take apart something so lovely, so the fireplace got permanent residency in the apartment. The only difference is that in my version I decided to add a little "secret"☺😉

Image in Margo's comment

To make this "wrought-iron grille," I used flat cable. To bend it into these patterns, the cable had to be heated with a hair dryer and fixed in place with Titan glue. After that, I coated the piece with acrylic paint and several layers of varnish. It took 3 meters of cable to make.

And now, here's the secret itself))

And here's what the fireplace looks like at night)

KislinkaNov 8

Awesooome! (y) That's my dream too! We live on the top floor, so in theory it'd be easy to run a chimney out through the roof for a real fireplace. But I have no idea how many circles of hell you'd have to go through to get the housing authority to approve a renovation like that ((
So we just have a regular electric fireplace. Which, by the way, you could actually build into a faux surround just like this — it'd look really realistic!

NataNov 7

Wow, what an interior transformation! And it really does look like the real thing — practically a modern-day Potemkin village ))
You could, of course, go all out and prime the bricks for a perfect match, but with the garland and candlelight, the picture will look great as it is! 👍

I agree with you. It's just a work of art. Sure, it could be made even more realistic, but I think that all comes down to the owner's taste. I probably wouldn't have the patience for that myself. Although I'm already picturing how nice little red stockings would look on the front of this fireplace. Such an atmospheric tutorial.

How to Make a Cardboard-Box Fireplace by Hand. A New Year DIY

Things you will learn

What you'll get