DIY decorative firewood for the fireplace: instructions with photos

Today, many people have bio-fireplaces, traditional wooden hearths or potbelly stoves in their country houses. Some prefer an exact copy of historical models, others adhere to strict symmetry in the design of such a device. Fireplaces are decorated with carvings, bas-reliefs, sculptures, and various paintings. However, without natural firewood you will not warm your home or soul. Ensure the operation of stove equipment using natural fuel - wood.

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What are they needed for

Artificial firewood in an electric fireplace

Many will ask the question: why are such dummies needed? Well, firstly, it's a matter of aesthetics. And secondly, you don’t need deep knowledge of stove equipment to notice the difference between a fireplace with an electric heating element and a wood-burning fireplace.

Due to the absence of smoke and rapid heating of the room, electric fireplaces are an advantage when compared with a wood-burning fireplace. But with all this, a certain naturalness of the hearth is lost, its charm and charm are lost. If you add dummy firewood to such a design, the picture of the fireplace changes radically.

This situation is especially relevant for a city apartment, where installing a real fireplace is simply impossible.

General points

First of all, let’s formulate more precisely the idea of why such dummies are still needed. The main goal of dummies of firewood for an electric fireplace or bio-fireplace is to make them as similar as possible to the classic analogue that runs on solid fuel. Because if you compare these devices in finished, assembled form, the striking differences immediately catch your eye. Ceramic decorative firewood attracts attention, covers the design details, improves the aesthetic appearance of the device and creates a clearer atmosphere in general.

Modern electric and biological fireplaces do not emit smoke or heat; for the most part, they are purely decorative devices. That is why the naturalness of what is happening is not felt to the proper extent, and the aura of true comfort is slightly blurred.

Decorative logs that imitate real wooden firewood are designed to bring back this unique feeling. They allow you to create an excellent visual sequence, which, together with our subconscious, complements the overall picture with the necessary elements.

Successful imitation of birch firewood

It is not possible to install a real stove or fireplace in a city apartment, but an ecological or electric option is quite acceptable. To make the system more natural, it is decorated with artificial firewood or coals specially made for fireplaces of this category. Thus, we can safely conclude that the main consumers of such products are city residents.

What can a decorative hearth be made from?

To answer this question, we collected scattered information, photos and videos published on the Internet by home craftsmen. If you have set a goal to make an artificial fireplace yourself, you will probably find a suitable material from the list:

cardboard boxes (for example, from a TV) or corrugated cardboard sheets used as packaging;
Chipboard, regular plywood and OSB, fiberboard;
plasterboard sheets (GKL), fixed to a frame made of wood or galvanized steel profiles;
facing brick.

This is how simple crafts made from corrugated cardboard look. The easiest and fastest way to make a fireplace portal is from a box from a TV or other household appliances. The fake hearths shown in the photo are of little use for many years of use, but they are easily installed in the right place. As a rule, a cardboard fireplace serves as a decoration for the New Year and other holidays, after which it is put away in the pantry.

Stationary models of false fireplaces that can last for many years are made from other materials, including polystyrene foam. They are decorated in accordance with the interior of the apartment and in various ways they create an imitation of fire or are furnished with candles. We suggest considering the production of each option separately.

Advice. Whatever manufacturing method you choose, first determine the location for the artificial hearth and sketch out a drawing with dimensions by hand. This will simplify the calculation of the amount of materials and the selection of design style.

How and in what is the best way to store it?

Fireplace wood material is best stored in a dry place, and artificial ceramic models are best stored in a prominent place as interior decoration. Today there is a colossal number of special “storages” that will remove the unaesthetic appearance of ordinary firewood away from the eyes. Online stores sell special holders, drawers, baskets and even cabinets in various sizes and colors. Thanks to such designs, you will not spoil the interior of the bedroom, living room or even basement, and the firewood will retain its properties.

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Fireplace: imitation of flames using Christmas tree garlands

Another fairly common way to create an imitation of fire. Here I will tell you how to make an imitation of a wood-burning hearth.

We will need:

Branches of the right size
Lace (can be not new, cut from old clothes)
Aluminium foil
Glue
Several stones
Christmas tree electric garland in yellow, orange or red colors.

We wrap branches without gaps in foil. This is necessary so that the lace does not subsequently stick to the branches.

Carefully coat the lace with glue and wrap it around the prepared branches in foil. Leave until completely dry (about a day).

Carefully cut the lace case along the branch and remove the blanks.

We lay out a circle of stones at the location where the hearth is installed. We place the garland in the middle, leaving the cord and plug outside.

We install our “lace” firewood into something like a fire. You can add a few stones for the composition. Our hearth is ready. We plug the garland into a socket and admire our imitation.

Tip : the flame will look more natural if the garland flickers.

The final stage is securing the structure

An imitation flame for a fireplace should not only look as natural as possible, but also be additionally secured. To do this, we use several scraps of pre-prepared fabric. For strengthening, it is best to use white silk, since throughout its structure and color, it fits harmoniously into the overall picture of the dummy and conveys all light effects well.

Tip: You need to cut out 4 or more triangular-shaped elements from the fabric; it is advisable to make them slightly asymmetrical in order to achieve maximum resemblance to a real flame.

The shreds need to be secured next to the fan, so when it operates, they will perform rhythmic vibrations.

This completes the imitation of fire in a false fireplace. In order to reproduce this effect, you simply need to connect the fan to the network. The advantages of this visualization are guaranteed safety, high realism and minimal production time.

How to light a fireplace with glass?

A glass fireplace will retain its transparency and neat appearance if it uses a special type of firewood, even better decorative (models with lighting, ceramic products, etc.).

It's always nice to watch the dance of fire through huge glasses with wide viewing angles, in which soot does not appear immediately. The cleanliness and transparency of the glass surface is influenced by the quality of the fuel you choose.

Experts recommend paying attention to such types of soft wood as aspen and alder. Hardwoods in the form of oak and beech logs are also suitable. They will literally “smoke” the soot from the fireplace.

Buy firewood with a moisture content of less than 20%. Such dry material naturally exhibits an even flame, which means it reduces the risk of heavy smoke and soot formation. Conifers placed in the firebox, which spark, crackle and clog not only the glass “panorama”, but also the chimney itself due to its resin content, would not be the best solution.

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The aroma of a burning fireplace

Visualization of the burning flames is the main, most labor-intensive and expensive part of the construction of a false fireplace. But the feeling of warmth and comfort will be incomplete without the specific smell of burning wood.

Achieving this effect is not difficult. You can choose a suitable option from oriental incense. There is a chance to get a more realistic smell from the combustion of thin splinters, but in this case you need to take care of fire safety.

If you have set yourself the goal of getting the most realistic artificial fireplace for yourself, then it is better to hide the combustion chamber under the outer panel of the fireplace in a closed niche. It must be equipped with forced ventilation based on a computer fan with the odor escaping into the hearth of the fireplace.