New Year's fireplace decoration: new ideas and classic options

New Year is not only about a Christmas tree, champagne and tangerines. In recent years, a fireplace has become a mandatory decoration for an apartment during the Christmas holidays. It is not always a massive stationary structure made of brick or timber. A dummy made of cardboard or foam plastic can look no less festive and elegant, the main thing is to decorate it correctly.

You can decorate the fireplace for the New Year yourself, or you can involve children in the process, adding a family atmosphere to the holiday. Photos against the backdrop of such decor will turn out no less emotional than near Christmas trees or snowmen.

There are many ways to decorate. You can decorate not only the hearth itself, but also the space around it. Also, when choosing decor for a fireplace, you need to take into account the properties of the material from which it is made.

There are practically no restrictions for real active outbreaks. Any design solution is suitable for New Year's decoration of the fireplace area. There are more prohibitions for false fireplaces:

• decorations for fake fireplaces made of light and not very durable materials should not be massive;
• false fireplaces made from flammable materials cannot be decorated with heating elements and open fire (lit candles, etc.).

Otherwise, there are no strict restrictions. When choosing a fireplace finish for the New Year and Christmas, you should first of all be guided by your own preferences and personal understanding of beauty.

Fireplace area design

Every holiday has colors that symbolize it. For New Year or Christmas you should use to decorate the premises:

• red;
• white;
• blue;
• blue.

And navigate by the animal whose year is coming. The traditional color palette is complemented by emerald, orange or burgundy. Warm tones should not overlap with cold ones; you should also take into account the decor in the room: the color of wallpaper, curtains and furniture. For the New Year, make beautiful garlands and paper lanterns with your own hands, and sew funny socks. The main thing is not to disturb the style of the room. Cute angels will look out of place in a strict Gothic room. And Baroque bas-reliefs will not fit into design or minimalism.

Important! Observe safety precautions if the fireplace is real, because... he is the source of open fire.

Holiday candles

A good idea is to decorate the fireplace and living room with candles:

1. Candles without candlesticks do not look so impressive. The exception is twisted candles with sparkles. You can take ready-made candles in cup holders, both simple and scented. The best New Year's scents are citrus, pine needles, coffee, vanilla, chocolate.
2. Carved New Year's candlesticks are not a problem to find in stores. For handicraft lovers, there is an option to create a container with your own hands. Take a transparent glass jar, a sheet of paper and scissors. We draw or print a template on paper: snowflakes, Christmas trees and other New Year's themes. Cut out the stencil and paste it onto the jar. Fill the cutout with gold or silver spray paint. We remove the template, put the candle inside, and light it.

Fireplace decoration

The main decoration areas are the wall, shelf, side parts, portal and base. When decorating a fireplace with your own hands, you can grab the ash pan and chimney pipe. Paying attention to one element or all at once.

Step 1. Decorating the hearth

The best decoration for a room with a fireplace will be the flames of the fire and crackling logs, creating a magical atmosphere. This option is suitable for real structures. You can imitate fire - the optimal method is chosen depending on the complexity of the work, the material used to make the false fireplace and plans for the holiday:

• Draw a flame - make a picture with your own hands or print a ready-made one from the Internet. For authenticity, place a mobile device with a large screen inside the fireplace and play a long video with a burning fire. You can draw a fire on cardboard, lay branches below and attach strips of paper to them. The volumetric design looks natural.

• Illumination - use a Christmas tree garland on the fireplace or LED strip. Choose non-heating elements with protected wires.

• A steam installation - from a fan or steam generator, several light bulbs or a controller will help create a safe and quite realistic flame, complemented by a smoke effect that humidifies the room.

• Candles – A few candles in the hearth area look beautiful and provide a natural source of flame. Warm up on New Year's Eve by the fireplace. It is safe to use them for structures made of fireproof materials.

• Red silk, a fan and lighting will create an imitation of fire. Or a small LED flashlight.

A handful of “firewood” stacked at the bottom of the hearth, as if the flame is about to light up, will also create a New Year’s mood. Tinted stones will look like real ash, and hiding a garland or one LED strip between them will create the effect of smoldering coals.

An original decoration for the fireplace for the New Year would be a figurine of Santa “stuck” inside, or gifts scattered from a fallen bag, or a beautiful picture instead of a fire. Or a composition of small toys, pine branches and cones.

Step 2. Decorating the facade

The front of the fireplace is decorated with garlands of different materials: natural pine needles, colored paper, Christmas tree decorations, ribbons, snowflakes, tinsel. Bright socks often complement the picture.

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Foam plastic “drifts”, snowflakes, frosty patterns and crystal icicles add variety to the New Year’s decor.

It is worth considering the finishing material of the fireplace. If it is white, then the “frosty” elements will be lost. It is necessary to dilute the palette with a neutral shade that connects the composition of the hearth area with the rest of the room. For example, imitation of patterns similar to wallpaper, curtains in the living room or carpets. And don’t go overboard with the amount of details.

Step 3. Decorate the mantelpiece

Decorate the New Year's fireplace shelf in two ways:

1. Attach garlands (glue or pin) to the edge or Christmas tree decorations, homemade lanterns, tinsel.
2. Place decorations on top within the same theme using the following items:

• candles;
• compositions with fir branches, figurines and tinsel;
• photos of family members and pictures;
• figurines, toys;
• flowers with a white coating of “frost”;
• bowls of fruit.

Or combine both options without overloading the shelf.

Step 4. Decorating the base

For a real fireplace, the decoration of the base is an iron grate and a firewood rack. A false hearth can be decorated in a similar way by constructing an imitation of the necessary elements from thick cardboard or polyurethane. Any metal structure or stand is suitable for the firewood rack.

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Place candlesticks or small figurines on the protruding base - any, angels, Santa, or instead of them a family of deer, a group of snowmen or a symbol of the year would be perfect.

For a dark-colored fireplace, a border with piercing (kirigami) in the form of a snow-covered forest / small village of several houses is perfect.

Large decorative elements should be placed on the base, creating a visual counterbalance, making the composition stable.

Christmas socks, stockings and boots

The tradition of decorating a fireplace by hanging special boots and socks on it has come into our homes from TV screens. Every American Christmas movie had, has, and most likely will have this kind of decor, so it's not surprising that this tradition was soon adopted throughout the world.

Besides, it's not just about PR - it's also an atmospheric decoration if there are children in the house. Just think about the ceremonial removal of such boots from the fireplace in the morning after New Year's Eve and shaking out a mountain of various sweets from them. Every child at such a moment feels like a real rich man!

Most importantly, do not forget to sign each boot to avoid conflicts. For example, attach a name tag to it or embroider your initials.

Now about the mundane: how to attach decorations to the fireplace. To do this, you need special hooks that cling to the mantelpiece at one end, and socks are already hung on the other. Or they could be decorative figures that also have small hooks on one side.

But it is not necessary to buy ready-made mounts to hang decorations on the fireplace - you can easily make them yourself.

To do this, simply take a board whose width and length will be slightly less than the width and length of the mantelpiece. The thickness of the board should be small so that it does not spoil the entire decor. Then screw short self-tapping hooks into the board - you can securely hook your socks onto them and guarantee that they will not fall. The screws should fit snugly into the board, but it is important that they do not pierce through it, otherwise the metal point may scratch the mantelpiece. Select the distance between the screws so that it is convenient for you to hang the boots.

Instead of self-tapping hooks, you can use regular hanger hooks, the principle is the same.

Next, boots are hung on hooks, and a garland decoration made of any material is placed above the fireplace on a shelf to hide the board. The main thing is that the board is thin, but quite massive - it should not only withstand Christmas stockings filled with sweets, but also not give way if a child tries to pull off the boot.

If there are small children in the house, it is advisable to attach both the board and special hooks to the mantelpiece with double-sided tape.

What to hang above the fireplace

When thinking about how to decorate a fireplace for the New Year, you should place it away from the TV so as not to distract from viewing the screen with bright lights. Place one neutral element in the area above the fireplace:

• big clock;
• mirror;
• calendar;
• photo, painting;
• Christmas wreath.

To complement the existing interior of the room without making major changes, because after the holidays you will have to clean everything up. If there is a sconce hanging in that area, leave it untouched, just decorate it with pine branches or a figurine.

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With a stencil it is easy to create a “frame” of beautiful frosty patterns on the mirror. Attach a couple of Christmas tree decorations to the picture frame/on the edge of the clock. It is also easy to decorate windows and interior doors in a similar way.

How to decorate the floor near the fireplace?

When celebrating the New Year by the fireplace, you want to sit on the floor nearby. If there is no sofa, armchairs or ottomans, it is worth spreading a soft blanket, a small rug or an imitation fur skin. Complementing the picture with a pair of sofa pillows. Provide enough space so that everyone who wants to sit on the floor can fit without crowding. Place a heater nearby if necessary (near a wall or in a corner). Place figures of Father Frost (Santa) and Snow Maiden for decoration.

You don't have to put gifts by the tree, even empty boxes. Children will not appreciate fakes. It is better to leave free space for movement and check the stability of all objects by securing them lightly. Place the gifts on the sides near the fireplace, each with a postcard so that the household can quickly sort it out. Or on a table/coffee table in one pile. Place small surprises inside the socks hanging on the facade - figurines of the New Year's symbol, soft toys, coins or pendants. All cute and memorable things that your loved ones will love.

Walls near the fireplace

When decorating a fireplace for the New Year, you can leave the walls empty or make them part of the composition - put a Christmas tree in the corner, attach snowflakes and garlands to the sides. So that new elements complement the hearth area without making it look alien in the room. Coniferous branches, wreaths and garlands are ideal. Another option is to hang photographs of family members in New Year’s frames in a single composition, complemented by the number of the coming year at the bottom.

Fruit garlands

Vases with tangerines will definitely fit into the decoration of the fireplace. Place there both fresh fruits in vases and dried citrus fruits:

1. Without removing the zest, cut the oranges, lemons and grapefruits into circles.
2. Place on parchment paper and dry in an oven heated to 100 degrees. Keep the door slightly open.
3. Form a garland of fruit using thin satin ribbons.
4. Hang citrus fruits above the fireplace. A subtle aroma is guaranteed.

Decorating a corner fireplace

The corner hearth is more stable and, accordingly, can withstand greater loads if it is made of thick cardboard or a piece of foam plastic (fake). This design is placed on a stand in the far corner, allocating more space around. You can decorate it in the same way, using more massive elements.

New Year's surroundings create a festive mood; coming up with decorations for the fireplace is useful for the whole family, especially to involve children. Their vivid imagination will be a great help!

Preparatory stage

When preparing and selecting materials, you will have to start from the object of decoration - the fireplace. A good-quality stone fireplace can be decorated with natural spruce garlands, while heavy materials are not suitable for a fake version. In addition to the garland, the required components include figurines of fairy-tale characters, socks for enclosed gifts, themed decorations, and colorful rain.

Traditional materials:

• fresh spruce branches and different-sized cones;
• tinsel and rain;
• colored paper and foil;
• foam plastic figures for decoration;
• candles of different textures and sizes;
• ribbons, braid and pieces of fabric;
• figurines of fairy-tale heroes;
• photo frames;
• glue, paints, scissors, thread, wire and twine.

Don't forget the traditional socks and gift wrapping paper.

Before you start designing and manufacturing elements, you need to decide on the general picture of decorating the room. It is important that all the details fit together. You can use a red-green color scheme with elements of gold; an interesting option is a blue-silver tone. When choosing a color, you can use the tips of astrologers. For example, 2022 is the year of the Yellow Dog, feel free to experiment with sunny shades.

Artificial fireplace

Owners of private houses can afford a real home fireplace due to the need to remove the chimney and the space that the structure occupies. It is easy to install an artificial fireplace made from auxiliary materials in the apartment. It will perfectly complement the design of any living room. You can make a structure from polystyrene foam, sheets of cardboard from unnecessary boxes or wood:

• Come up with a design and shape, allocate space in the room and calculate the size of the parts.

• Cut them out, then fasten them together with glue or another method.

• A mandatory element will be a stand; without it, the fireplace will not stay horizontal on the floor.

If necessary, cover the finished structure with paper and paint it to match the color of the wallpaper/floor so that it looks harmonious.

Instead of painting white foam, decorate it with carved patterns, highlighting the hearth area, shelf, walls and stand below.

For the hearth, select a spacious niche - imitate fire or place figurines, pine branches and other decorative elements there.