DIY Faux Stacked Log Fireplace Tutorial

Ya'll, it's done. I'm hence excited to finally larn to percentage what I've been working on amongst you lot guys. I started my imitation stacked log fireplace over a calendar month together with a one-half ago, together with at times I thought I would never attain the destination line. So, maxim I'm excited is a ridiculous understatement.
Basically, all calendar month long I've felt similar a v yr quondam waiting for Christmas morning.

First things first, a petty dorsum even out together with a earlier picture.

As many of you lot know yesteryear now, I receive got this petty 1970's river stone fireplace province of affairs going on inward my living room. And yesteryear 'little', I hateful it dominates the whole room. While at that topographic point receive got been times that I've thought near epitome it or redoing it amongst something to a greater extent than current, at the destination of the day, I gauge I've kinda grown to love the petty fella. Plus, the to a greater extent than I thought near it, the to a greater extent than I realized that I could function amongst what I had.

Feel gratis to feast your eyes on my offset travail at stacking logs.

So, later a lot of function together with craftiness, hither is my fireplace today.

I barely fifty-fifty receive got the words to explicate what's going on, because I'm every bit good excited. You guys know I commonly simply curl some inward pigment together with experience similar I'm McGyver, hence pulling something off of this magnitude is totally novel territory.

Can nosotros simply crawl within the logs for a infinitesimal together with sit down downwards together with beak adult woman to woman?

So sorry.

Anyways, I absolutely love the means it turned out, together with I love the means it looks amongst the residue of the changes I made to the living room last week.

I've redone most of our living room using thrift shop finds, (You tin john come across the residue of the living room bring out from in conclusion calendar week here.) together with the fireplace expanse is no exception.

You may receive got noticed that there's a sassy novel mantel hanging to a higher house my stacked logs. We looked everywhere for an affordable mantel together with came upwards completely empty handed

WHO are these people who await me to fork over $400 for a mantel? Uh uh. I volition NOT.

So, instead Jesse built ane for near $20-$30.

It ended upwards existence pretty slowly to cook our own, together with I'll percentage the total mantel tutorial rattling soon.

But seriously, didn't Jesse practise such a dandy job?

Update: See the mantel tutorial here.

So, let's intermission downwards the styling details on the mantel.

Like I said, most of them are thrift shop finds.

Ya'll know I'm nevertheless trying to figure out this decorating thing, hence my offset fourth dimension EVER IN LIFE styling a mantel was kinda rough. It took me near 10 tries to arrive work. And when I say 10, I hateful 72.

You may receive got witnessed my excitement on Instagram when I constitute this petty deer/antelope/whatever-it-is wooden carving for a dollar. I also constitute that petty ornate gilt frame together with a few bits of random art. I originally planned to exercise the floral impress on the mantel, but ended upwards using that pocket-sized epitome of the lake instead.

I painted the petty deer amongst my favorite gilt spray paint I exercise on everything (affiliate link).

And I paired him amongst a few mercury drinking glass candlesticks I constitute at Marshall's.

I lay my thrift shop epitome inward a mirrored frame I've been hoarding for awhile now, simply waiting for the perfect victim.

That hapless petty Bob Ross-esque epitome never saw it coming.

I added a pretty silverish stoneware vase amongst a few stems cutting from whatever industrial plant life the Kroger lady cutting it from.

And I also added a petty handmade epitome (similar to the large ane I made here). It's the perfect gibe for my petty thrift shop frame.

Oh, together with call back a duo of weeks agone when I constitute all of the gilt mirrors at the thrift store? Well, that large ane ended upwards existence the perfect size for the fireplace.

However, it was a petty every bit good orangish for my taste, (You tin john come across what it originally aspect liked much amend inward this movie that I took when I was trying to figure out how to fashion the mantle).

So, I painted it (using an awesome tip my novel vecino gave me that I'll percentage soon).

So, instantly let's larn dorsum to the stacked logs together with beak near how to practise it.

I've wanted to lay stacked logs inward our fireplace for years now, but ever thought it seemed kinda impossible.

Basically, I saw pictures amongst v 1000000 perfectly stacked logs, drooled amongst longing for a minute, together with and hence promptly ran the opposite means crying amongst inferiority.

But then, I saw

That existence said, I must keep it real, you lot should know that this took me forever.

It wasn't easy.

I wanted to quit v times.

I got Liquid Nails inward my hair....twice.

Jesse wanted to motion to Hawaii together with never aspect back.

But, inward the end, we're living happily ever later amongst an amazing imitation fireplace.

It's the American dream.

So, here's how nosotros did it.

STEP #1: Cut logs.

Basically, you're going to demand a 1000000 to a greater extent than pieces of woods than you lot mean value you lot could every perchance need. At ane point, I was Scrooge McDuck rolling some inward my coin pit of tiny logs, together with and hence I used them all together with nevertheless had 99% of my board to fill.

Don't count your McDucks earlier they hatch.

STEP #2: Bleach logs.

My logs were kinda a hot mess together with all sorts of unlike colors. Bleach totally saved the day. Just dip your logs inward bleach together with lay them out to dry out inward the Sun for a few days. This lightens them upwards together with makes them pretty together with gets rid of whatsoever critters that are hiding out inward your wood.

Don't skip this part.

Sooooo many critters.

STEP #3: Paint board black.

This was the gamechanger for me. It made this entire projection feasible. Rather than stacking a 1000000 whole logs, you lot tin john cutting petty pieces together with gum them to a board that is cutting to gibe the opening of your fireplace. We truly cutting our board into 2 pieces together with attached hinges inward the middle since nosotros had uneven stones on the edges of our fireplace that made it hard to gibe a board within inward ane large piece. One the board was cut, I painted it dark amongst chalkboard paint. I chose chalkboard pigment since I had it on hand, together with it's truly night together with has a apartment sheen. Basically, the dark paint creates the illusion of shadows together with makes it aspect similar your log pieces are truly existent logs, stacked deep within the fireplace.

STEP #4: Nail larger logs to board.

I placed near xx larger logs some the board together with had Jesse anchor them amongst nails.

A sweetness reader pointed out that Jesse is using screws. And instantly you lot know why I allow Jesse accept over during this phase. Because I'm clearly out of my element. :)

I chose to practise a mix of large together with pocket-sized logs evenly spaced throughout the board. I attached my large logs amongst ~~nails~~ screws first, together with and hence ane time those were all inward place, I started filling inward the gaps amongst the smaller logs.

I attached all of the smaller logs with Liquid Nails (affiliate link) together with it worked similar a charm.

Here is a persuasion from the side of the board later I had glued a bunch of logs into place. You don't come across whatsoever of the gum ane time the board is inward place, hence gum 'til your petty heart's content.

And that's all at that topographic point is to it.

It's a truly fourth dimension intensive project, together with although it isn't easy, it is do-able. And the best purpose is, betwixt the mantle, stacked logs, together with thrift shop styling, I mean value this entire makeover toll me nether $100. And that makes me experience similar all of those tardily hours yesteryear myself inward the spider garage amongst tubes of gum was totally worth it.

Emphasis on the spider garage together with emphasis on the totally. :)

Thanks hence much for stopping yesteryear today, ya'll!

I'm hence happy you're here!

For related posts, you lot tin john banking concern check out the following:

The $30 mantel

My favorite ways to stretch a dollar

The easiest means to brand a pillow. Ever.

My favorite affair to aspect for at thrift stores

What's happening on the other side of that 1970's stone wall.