How to Build a Stunning DIY Faux Fireplace Mantel

Do you wish your home had a fireplace? You can add one by learning how to build a stunning DIY faux fireplace mantel.

I love our home, but one thing missing is a fireplace mantel to decorate.

Homes in Florida rarely come with fireplaces!

Since we don’t need a functional fireplace to heat our home, I wanted to get a faux mantel to add to our dining room!

We looked at antique sales, yard sales, and flea markets but couldn’t find anything, so I asked Rich if he would make one for me!

I was thrilled he said yes!

I knew what I wanted my mantel to look like, but I had difficulty explaining it to Rich.

So, I started searching for pictures of faux mantels!

Our Inspiration for the Fireplace Mantel

If you’ve been following us for any time, you know I love to look to Pinterest for inspiration.

I searched for how to build a faux fireplace, and one stood out.

I liked the look of the mantel, and Rich understood the details of the instructions.

So we want to thank Kim from Shiplap and Shells for sharing her tutorial, “How to Make a Faux Fireplace Mantel Surround.”

Ours is based on her design, and then we tweaked it to make it our own!

Rich started sketching, and here is what he came up with!

Every DIY of this type starts with graph paper and a good sketch to visualize the idea.

Now it’s time to head to the store and buy our materials!

Gather Materials

We primarily used Lowe’s for the wood and other supplies.

Gather the following items for this DIY:

• Compound Miter Saw
• Brad Nailer
• Brad Nails (18 gauge – 1 1/4″ to 1″)
• Drill
• Caulking Gun
• Caulk
• Measuring Tape
• Wood Filler
• Putty Knife
• Wood Glue
• Wood Screws
• Selection of clamps
• Mantel Top: (1) – 2″x 10″x 6′ Pine Board – Home Depot
• Leg Column Face: (2) – 1″x 6″x 6′ Pine Boards – Home Depot
• Leg Column Sides: (4) – 1″x 4′”x 6′ Pine Boards – Home Depot
• Wrap on Base of Columns: (1) – 1″ x 8″ Pine Boards – Home Depot
• Header Board: (1) – 1″x 12″x 6′ Pine Board – Home Depot
• Backer Board: (1) – 1/4″ Plywood, cut to fit
• Optional: Brick Panel – Home Depot
• 8′ Crown Molding – Home Depot
• 2 3/4″ Chair Rail
• 4 1/2″ Block Molding – Home Depot
• Decorative moldings
• Hardwood Fluted Door Casing Set – Home Depot
• Large Applique
• Masking Tape

Because we chose to use Pine Boards and the wood can be knotty, we looked closely at each board and made a mark on the best side.

We can then turn the good side out.

Steps to Build A DIY Fireplace Mantel

CUT MANTEL TOP BOARD

We decided on a 2″ x 10″ board for the mantel shelf.

Measure, and cut to length with a miter saw.

Put it aside for now.

Assemble columns

The columns should be 53 1/2″ tall and will be constructed from a 1″ x 6″ front and 1″ x 4″ sides.

We will also cut 1″ x 4″ pieces to brace the middle of each column and cap the ends.

This will help keep the columns lined up and square.

We aligned the two 1″ x 6,” clamped them together, and then cut both together so they would be the same length.

I then did the same with each set of 1″ x 4″‘s.

We also cut the 1″ x 4″ braces to help with assembly.

Next, we stood the 1″ x 4″s and added the braces.

We used a bar clamp on each end to help hold things together.

Then, we put wood glue on the edge of the 1″ x 4″s.

We did not glue the braces at this point because they may not be cut exactly right.

Sometimes, boards are not uniform.

Next, lay the 1″ x 6″ on top of the 1″ x 4″s and carefully align the edges to make them flush.

We loosened the bar clamps at this point, especially in case as brace was not right and was not helping to align the top and sides.

Start at the top, align things there, and get a few brads in place.

Work your way down, aligning the boards and brad-nailing the top.

Now, reinsert your braces and trim to fit if necessary.

Use bar clamps again to tighten and square things up.

The columns should be 5 1/2″ wide from top to bottom.

Measure, cut, and adjust the braces until the column is uniform.

Brad nails through the sides to fix the middle brace and top and bottom caps in place.

Repeat for the second column.

TEST FIT CoLUMNS to the mantel

First, we cut two six-inch 1″ x 2″ and attached them to the inside rear edge of the top of each column. We will connect the apron board to those.

Get the mantel shelf put aside and flip the mantel board top-down to measure and mark where our columns will go on the underside.

We aligned each column 5″ from each edge of the mantel board.

Once aligned, mark with a pencil the position of each column on the mantel shelf.

MEASURE AND CUT the apron BOARD

Based on the measurements from the test fitting the columns, measure and cut the apron board. Ours is 31 inches.

We spaced our apron down two inches from the top of the columns to make it line up with the decorative trim/molding we chose that will attach to the front of each column in a later step.

Position your apron board to line up however you desire.

Attach the apron between the columns by attaching brads to the 1″ x 2″ pieces of wood. It was easier to connect things with columns upside down.

To make the columns and apron more sturdy, we also temporarily attached a 1″ x 2″ board between the bottom of the columns.

Attach crown moulding

Cut and attach the crown molding you chose.

We cut outside corners to wrap the top of each column and then we coped the ends of the inside piece running across the top of the apron to make inside corners.

We kept the mantle upside down, making it easier to attach the crown molding.

Wrap the base of the columns

We cross-cut a 1″ x 8″ board to create 5″ tall pieces and wrapped the bottom of each column. We then used chair rail molding to wrap on top of that.

Adhere Decorative Trim to the columns

Next, we measured and cut two pieces of chair rail molding per column at the same width as the decorative block we chose.

We applied wood glue and adhered them to each column.

Let the glue dry per glue instructions then measure and cut the fluted molding to fit on each column.

Apply glue to the back and put it in place then secure with a few brad nails.

Add decorative Trim around the mantel SHELF

We decided the mantel shelf needed to be more decorative so we wrapped the shelf with 1 3/4″ chair rail. Attached it in place with brad nails.

Install Applique to the fireplace

The last step in construction was to glue the decorative applique to the apron.

We inserted a small nail in the center of the applique.

We used this to help align the applique on the apron.

A small hole was drilled in the apron.

We then applied glue to the back of the applique and aligned it on the apron by lining up the small nail in the applique with the hole in the apron.

We then used painter’s tape to hold the applique until the glue dried.

Construction complete.

Now, it’s time to prep it for painting.

Steps to paint a DIY fireplace mantel

Caulk seams and fill holes

We caulked all the seams in the molding and also filled in all nail holes and other imperfections with wood filler.

Then we came back and sanded all rough edges and spots we applied wood filler to.

Clean

Before painting, remove all of the dust and debris from your mantel.

First, vacuum all the dust left from sanding the mantel.

Next, use a tack cloth to get tiny particles that could still be stuck to the wood.

Prime

We used pine wood boards and do not want the knots to show through the white paint, so we will prime the mantel before we paint it.

Apply a thin coat of primer with a roller.

Use a small foam brush to get into the grooves and small areas the roller can’t reach.

Allow the primer to dry for 24 hours.

Paint

Apply the paint with a high-quality roller and brush.

Allow to dry.

Add another coat of paint until you are happy with the coverage.

Optional: Add Faux Brick

To make our fireplace look more authentic, we decided to add faux brick to cover the opening.

We purchased this from Lowes and had them cut it to fit into our car.

We used the same paint and primer that we used on the mantel.

Then, used screws to attach it to the back of the mantel.

How to Secure a DIY Fireplace Mantel to the Wall

Our mantel is a bit top heavy and we do not want it to fall over, so we will attach it to the wall.

We used a no-tip kit that has brackets for the mantel and wall and then connected the two with a zip tie.

Our DIY Faux Fireplace Mantel

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Blessings, Donna and Rich

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