DIY Fireplace Mantle
Make a fun and easy fireplace mantle for decorating at home. Fireplace mantles are so much fun for decorating all year long, and a great way to make events special for your kids and family. You don't need to wait for an actual fireplace, you can create the same effect with a DIY fireplace mantle!
The best part is, the lower insert is a DIY chalkboard — so you can decorate the mantle, and your kids can create fun art on the bottom.
DECORATING A MANTLE
Mantles are so much fun to decorate, and make events extra special all year long. You can switch up the decor based on the event or season, and your kids and family can help out.
Try using picture frames, candles, mirrors, seasonal decor, vases with flowers, garlands, cards, artwork, clocks, greenery, books and collectables.
SUPPORTING LOCAL
The best place to find a mantle is on from local sellers on Facebook Marketplace. There are abundance of mantles being discarded, from my search, which means you can probably get a good deal and save a mantle from a recent renovation or redesign from going to the dump.
FUN FOR THE FAMILY
This project is so fast and easy you can really do it with the whole family. I found the mantle from Facebook Marketplace. John borrowed a pick-up truck and picked it up. Chet and I went to Home Depot to get all the materials, and Chet painted the chalkboard. John cut out the opening to go around the baseboard and attached it the wall.
This is an easy project that will get the creative blood flowing for your whole family and everyone can help out.
MATERIALS
Our entire mantle cost under $200, which makes a DIY fireplace mantle a great way to jazz up a wall while keeping costs low. All you need is:
an old wood fireplace mantle — you can find these on Facebook Marketplace for anywhere between $80 to $1000 (depending on design and style)
plywood to fit the mantle opening — you can take the measurements of the opening to Home Depot and they will recommend the plywood type and actually cut the board to size for you
chalkboard paint and a roller brush — you can find these in the paint department at Home Depot
a saw for cutting out a small opening to go around your baseboard
L bracket, screws, drill, small nails, hammer to attach mantle and chalkboard
INSTRUCTIONS
search for the right fireplace mantle for you — you can find exceptional prices and an assortment of designs on Facebook Marketplace. As a heads up, you will need a larger vehicle to pick it up (like a pick-up truck or cargo van), and it may or may not be heavy depending on the size and style
head over to Home Depot with the dimensions for the opening of the mantle and ask a rep in the wood section to cut you a piece of plywood for your to take home. While you are there, pick up a drill and jigsaw (if you don’t have one), chalkboard paint, roller brush, screws, nails and L bracket
paint the board with the chalkboard paint, let dry overnight
measure and then use a jigsaw to cut out an opening in the bottom on both sides of the mantle to go around the baseboard, allowing your mantle to sit flush with the wall
use the L bracket to attach the mantle to the wall — we attached it directly to the studs and placed them in the insert, since they were going to be covered by the chalkboard
place the chalkboard inside the opening, and use small nails to hold in place
Making a DIY fireplace mantle is a great way to jazz up an empty wall in your house, making it a backdrop for decorating all year long. Your family can help put it together, and will enjoy decorating it and colouring on it all year long.
👋🏻 Hi, I’m Lindsay – a best-selling author, artist, blogger and creative mama sharing creative activities for kids, family + home.
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