How to Make a Fold Away Christmas Fireplace Decoration

We all know that Santa magically enters our homes down the chimney and through the fireplace. What if your home doesn't have a chimney or fireplace though? Well in this instructable I'm going to show you how to make a fold away fireplace perfect for Christmas! It folds away for easy storage and is really easy to set up.

I made a video showing how to make the project here:

Materials Used

• 18mm Plywood
• 12mm MDF
• 6mm Hardboard
• 4 Hinges + Screws
• Wood Glue
• Wood Stain
• Black Paint

Tools Used

• Table Saw
• Mitre Saw
• Jigsaw
• Drill
• Screwdriver
• Sandpaper
• Brush

Step 1: Cut Pieces

I have created a cut list you can follow if you like. All the pieces apart from the Yellow & Green pieces are 18mm plywood. The Yellow piece is 12mm MDF and the Green piece is 6mm Hardboard. Of course this can be adapted to suit any size or design you want.

To cut the rectangle pieces I used my table saw to rip them to width and then my mitre saw to cut them to length.

Although these tools definitely make the task easier they are the only way to get the job done. You could use a variety of different tools. You could use a band saw, jigsaw, circular saw and even a hand saw if you want a work out.

To create the arch section I laid out the design using my cut list as a guide and then cut it out using a jigsaw. Again any way you wish to achieve this will of course work.

Once all the pieces are cut make sure to sand and round over the edges. You don't want any sharp corners that children could hurt themselves on.

Step 2: Create Front Face

To create the front of the fireplace I simply glued on the 2 side pieces (in Red) to the arch piece (in Yellow).

I only glued a 50mm strip (in White). This is to make the overall size wider. You can of course tailor this to suit your needs.

The centre section (in Orange) glues into place between the 2 side pieces and flush with the top

Step 3: Add Hinges

Making sure the side fold out piece (in Light Blue) is flush top and bottom and along the far edge, use some scrap 18mm plywood to butt up against it in 2 places. Add some wood glue to secure them into place. These aren't on the cutting list but just make sure they are large enough to fit what ever hinges you have.

The hinges will attach to these and the fold out side pieces (in Light Blue). They will also act as a positive stop.

Mark the hole locations of the hinges and then drill pilot holes to make driving the screws easier.

Step 4: Create Top Shelf & Cover Arch

I wanted the Top Shelf to look chunky so I glued on some more 18mm plywood to the front (in Pink) and the 2 sides (in Purple). These give a 20mm overhang to the Top Shelf. They make it easy to position the shelf too.

To cover the arch I used 6mm Hardboard (in Green). I added some wood glue and some small tacks to hold it in place while the glue dried.

Step 5: Paint - Stain - Decorate - Done!

Now all the construction is done! This is a great time to get the kids involved in the project. Its time to stain, paint, decorate whatever you like.

I went with stain for the plywood sections and black paint for the MDF and Hardboard sections. You could paint of flames for the fire, paint of Christmas decorations or many other options. Let your creativity shine through. I'm sure the kids will love decorating this!

When folded away it is very easy to store and move around which is always good for Christmas decorations. Its also very easy to set up too.

This can easily be made over a weekend so there is still time make it before Christmas Eve. Let Santa arrive in style!