I originally did this DIY fireplace template for my other website, but I’ve merged that one with this one. So the free printable template is here, and you can make your own miniature fireplace mantel with cardboard using the pattern. It’s sized for a 1:12 scale doll’s house. I made this demo version with cardstock, and it was pretty flimsy, so you should do it with cardboard to give you a better surface to work on! Have fun, because there are no dollhouse rules, and anything you make is going to be fine.
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Printable template and cutting out the pieces.
The original fireplace that I made when I was testing out the pattern was done from a cereal box, so the cardboard was sturdy enough to stand up on its own. For this one I decided to use cardstock because I could print the template onto it.
First, I printed out some templates directly onto cardstock so that I could just cut them out and use those to assemble them.
(Click to get the template to download)
I still have the cardboard one that I made when I designed the template, but using the cardstock let me cut them out without having to trace anything, and I was feeling lazy.
I used tape to put them together since I was planning on covering up the surfaces completely.
For an article about how to make a no-sew mini rug, click here.
Decide on what you’re covering the fireplace with.
I poked around in my materials stash and found some vinyl wallpaper with a paper backing. I folded one line in it to get it started, and fit it around the edge of the left side of the fireplace shape.
I wrapped the wallpaper around and measured where the other side of the fireplace would hit the folded edge, and I folded the other side.
I trimmed the wallpaper so that it would match the edges of the fireplace in the back.
Since the wallpaper was vinyl, it didn’t want to stick to the cardstock very well, plus I had decided to use rubber cement because I couldn’t find my glue, and that didn’t want to cooperate either.
I pressed it onto the cardstock and taped it into place to hold it as it dried, and that did work.
I also decided to cut some tabs on the bottom edge, and fold those up into the legs of the fireplace sides.
What that did was give the wallpaper something to grab onto, which helped the outside covering to stay in place. I taped those tabs onto the inside of the legs to hold them in place.
I cut the middle section out, leaving enough wallpaper to fold into the center.
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I folded the extra wallpaper in toward the center to cover up the cardstock on the inner edge.
The folded wallpaper didn’t want to stick to the inside edges, so I put a piece of cardboard into the opening to press against the two legs and to keep them in place.
Do the inside.
I covered the cardboard with a piece of black cardstock and glued that into place.
This is how thick the insert ended up being, and this shows why it was able to hold the wallpaper in place.
I decided that I wanted to put a thicker mantel on the fireplace, so I cut off the cardstock one.
Make the mantel shelf.
I poked around until I found this linoleum print cutting thing that I’d bought a while back when I was feeling ambitious about doing some linoleum carving (I think I did one, then stopped.)
It was thick enough, and since you can cut it with a knife I was able to cut a piece off that was the same shape as the mantel template.
Putting this on the fireplace, I was able to see that it was the right size after I trimmed it a little using a craft knife.
Since you can write on the cutting thing, I used some silver and black sharpies to cover the surface.
The black one worked really well, but the silver one didn’t want to give the same coverage, so I painted another coat of paint on using craft paint.
Here’s the finished fireplace and mantel, minus one more coat of paint when the first one dries.
Once I do that second coat, I’ll start on another mantel in a different style.
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