I originally posted this faux fireplace on my other blog:  runningdownmydreams.com  Since then, I’ve made a few changes so I thought I would repost some pics here on my new DIY site to see what you think.

I ended up adding a border, using 3″ pine boards painted in a neutral tone.  Unfortunately, the rustic fence boards I used for the mantel were not all exactly the same length so there are some gaps here and there between the border and the fence boards which I don’t really like.

When I first started the project I wanted to mount the fireplace on the wall but the instructions said it needed to be mounted to studs and if I had done that it would not have been centered on the mantel.  So at the time, I settled for putting the feet on the fireplace and setting it on a barn wood riser I built, that sat on the floor at the base of the mantel.  Later, I did end up mounting the fireplace to the wall (not to studs) but used some anchors to make it a little more secure.  Now it sits up higher and easier to see when I’m relaxing on the couch.

I use two barn boards at the base of the mantel, sometimes propped up on something to make a step or bench and sometimes laid flat on the floor like the pic above.  The row of trees is something I found at Gordman’s and it consists of a 4′ long 2 x 4 with holes drilled into it and tree branches glued into it!  Probably another project you could do yourself easily enough but I got this one at half price for $20.  It helps hide the electrical cord and outlet that the fireplace plugs into.

So what do you think of the changes?  Did I ruin it with the border?  The photo below is what it looked like without the border.

This is the link to the original post on my other site in case you’d like to see how I completed this project: Faux Fireplace