How to Make Decorative Wooden Fireplace Screens
Covering the front of a fireplace when it is not being used can help seal off drafts and camouflage a dirty fireplace interior. It can also keep cold or hot air from escaping through the chimney if the damper in the fireplace does not seal tightly. Making a wooden fireplace screen is a simple way of blocking the opening, while adding a personal touch of warmth and charm to the room at the same time.
Items Needed:
- Tape measure
- Black marker
- Plywood
- Sandpaper
- Jigsaw
- Screw in feet, two for each panel
- Hinges, two for each two panels
- Screwdriver
- Paint or stain
- Paintbrushes
- Measure the opening of the fireplace. Take that number and multiply it times three. Decide on how many panels the screen needs to have in order to fit nicely in front of the opening. For a small opening, three panels would be work well. For a large opening, four or five panels would be better. The average panels are usually between eight to ten inches in width, so use this as a reference in making a decision.
- Divide the piece of plywood into the number of panels that were decided on. Make sure that all of them are uniform in size. Once the panels have been measured, a sketch can be made on the plywood for the desired shape. Cut the panels with a jigsaw and carefully repeat the size and shape for each one of them. When all of the panels have been cut, use sandpaper to smooth around the edges of each one of them.
- Take all of the panels and lay them out next to each other. Check to make sure that they are the same. At the bottom of each panel, about four inches from each corner, place a screw in foot. Each panel should have two total. The feet will give the panels stability and will keep the screen steady when in use.
- Using a screwdriver attach two hinges between each two panels to connect them. Space them so that one is near the top edge, about four inches down, and the other is near the bottom edge, about four inches up from it. If you have three panels, make sure that all of the hinges are installed the same way so that the screen can easily be opened and closed. For screens with more panels place the hinges going in opposite directions so that the screen can operate accordion style. The screen should now be completely functional except for painting or staining.
- Paint or stain the panels. If desired, a design or scene can be painted on the screen to give it a personal touch.