Upgrade your space with these stylish DIY fireplace mantel ideas.
A DIY mantelpiece can play a major role in theoverall fireplace aesthetic.
Plus you’ll find a few helpful installation tips to pull off the project yourself.
Credit: Josh Grubbs
DIY Fireplace Mantel Ideas
Ready to craft a newfocal point for your living room?
Use these DIY fireplace mantel ideas for inspiration.
DIY Floating Mantel
Floating mantels are mounted above the fireplace like a shelf without any visible legs or brackets.
Credit: John Bessler
Source reclaimed wood for a rustic DIY floating mantel, or cut and stain lumber to your desired look.
Decorative Molding
Diverse trim pieces can give a classic, traditional feel to anotherwise ordinary mantel.
Shop your local hardware store for different styles of molding or trim to add to your existing fireplace.
Credit: Gordon Beall
A simple update: install quarter round as a finishing piece on the mantel’s underside.
Decorative Mantel Brackets
Consider adding even more style to your DIY floating mantel with brackets or small corbels.
Installing them on the mantel’s underside lends visual solidity to the fireplace.
Credit: Anthony Masterson
Stone Mantel Top
Aluxe stone fireplaceis timeless, cozy, and a huge selling feature.
If you’re free to’t add stone all-over, use it to create a mantel.
A thin piece of marble, concrete, travertine, or granite lends acontemporary aestheticto the fireplace.
Credit: Emily Followill
Fluted Mantel
Wood tambour or fluting can enhance a range of DIY fireplace mantel plans.
Fluted wood is a major trend, and a little goes a long way.
If you’re unsure about using natural wood near a wood burning fireplace, look for tile orstone options.
Credit: David Lamd
Always review and follow local building codes when changing or adding material to your fireplace mantel and surround.
Repurposed DIY Mantel
We’re all about reuse and recycle, and sustainability is the biggest trend of all.
Create a DIY fireplace mantelusing architectural salvage.
Shop local estate sales, salvage yards, flea markets, or secondhand shops for discarded mantels or remnants.
Or craft a brand-new mantel using reclaimed wood.
Tips for Installing a DIY Mantel
1.
The first step for installing a new mantel is to consider the size and proportion.
If you’re replacing a mantel, it’s easy to stick with the original mantel dimensions.
Start by using painters tape to mark out the length and height of the existing mantel on the fireplace.
Also, choose a length that’s about double the fireplace box.
Creating a cardboard replica of your mantel can help you better judge the proposed mantel size.
Attaching the DIY mantel securely to the wall requires sturdy support.
Many mantels are connected to a backer that helps support the material.
