Faux Stacked Wood DIY Fireplace Insert

Build your own fireplace insert with this amazing tutorial. It's easier than you think! Make a DIY fireplace insert to keep drafts out of your living room during the cold months and cut down the cost of your heating bill. This classy option has the appearance of stacked logs for a rustic chic look. This project could cost you next to nothing if you select branches and logs in a wooded area near your house to use for this project. Be careful when sawing down the logs, and enjoy your beautiful new piece of living room decor.

Estimated Cost$11-$20

Time to CompleteWeekend project

MaterialsWood

Primary TechniqueWood Crafts

Intermediate

Project TypeMake a Project

Materials List

Dark Brown Masonite (large enough for your fireplace opening) or large scrap wood
Tape Measure
Different Size Logs and Branches
Gorilla Hot Glue
Glue Gun
Miter Saw
Safety Equipment: Glasses and Ear Plugs

Instructions

Drafty, non-working fireplaces can present problems with style, aesthetic, and your heating bill. We thought filling it in with “stacks
of logs” would be an interesting way to make the empty space appear more functional and still have that inviting, natural fireplace vibe.

For this project, we chose a strong, clear adhesive that offers extended working time so we could be precise about where to place our wood cuts. Gorilla Hot Glue Sticks give 45 seconds of wiggle room to be sure the positioning is perfect. With all the different sizes of logs and branches, it may take a few tries to get them all to fit well.

Using this glue, you can be sure that those wood slices will stay upright in their “stacks” in the fireplace. Gorilla Hot Glue Sticks are five times more durable than the leading hot glue stick brands on the market. Even your decorative crafts can be Gorilla Tough!

Start by measuring the opening of your fireplace. Cut masonite or wood to fit the opening. Or take this measurement to a hardware store, have them cut the piece.
Cut your wood into small disks, approximately 1.5 inches deep.
Lay out all your wooden disks on the piece of masonite. This is kind-of like putting a puzzle together. You may need to play with it until it looks right.
Once you have it set the way you want, heat up your glue gun. Use Gorilla Hot Glue sticks to attach each piece to the masonite board, starting at the bottom and working your way up.
After everything is glued down, just pop the insert into your fireplace and you’re done!
When you need to remove it, drill a few screws through the wooden disks, and create handles to pull out the insert.