So I don’t have a fireplace.
This is sad to me for a number a reasons, all the charming decor you can do around them, the instant warmth they seem to add to a room even if there’s no fire crackling within. But mostly, I don’t think about it much until Christmas rolls around. Then I feel like my home is missing a necessary appendage. I mean, where will we hang the stockings and more importantly how on earth will Santa get in to leave us our gifts?!
Because I need me some gifts and also because I love hung stockings for the weeks leading up to Christmas, I decided to take care of this problem with some hand DIYing this year.
I’ve seen some really fabulous chalkboard fireplaces, cardboard fireplaces and even flat out fake-but-look-just-like-the-real-thing wood built fireplaces but I wanted something even less permanent and especially less work than all of those options. So I made one to print out instead!
I really wanted a sketch-y, kind of cartoon look for this that still flows with the rest of my decor. So I drew one out in illustrator leaving some elements purposefully whompy and sketched-like.
The part about this project I’m maybe most pleased with, however, is the fact that I discovered engineer prints at Staples. I’m not sure if other print shops offer these, I assume someone else does, but at Staples, these giant prints (36” x 48”) are only $8. Eight dollars! *screaming face emoji*
So, if you, like me, are feeling sad and neglected due to your lace of a crackling, fire-filled grate of warmth this year and worried that Santa might pass you up, fear not! This fireplace is free from me to you for your printing pleasure. And at a price like $8, heck every room of the house can have one! They even have smaller size options if you want to spend less money and at the end of this post, theres 8×10 versions available too!
I’ve included a few variations for you. A chalky effect black outlined one (which is the one I went with and is pictured here), a white chalk on blackboard one, a straight outline with no effects and a color fire version. Whew! Whatdayaknow? Every room in the house can even have it’s own different looking fireplace (unless you have more than 4 rooms….). So hop to it! Literally this project is as easy as downloading, then uploading to an engineer print (or another large format) then taping it up once it’s printed! Instant fireplace happiness! Click which style you like and it’ll take you to the file for download. The file sizes are huge so be aware that there is no preview shown once you click.
So the one seen here is the top version, just a slight chalky effect that I love how it turned out! Let me know which one suits your needs and for sure let me know if you swoop this up to cozy your house this season! AND! If you’re looking for a smaller version (say, a tiny desktop version you can print and use to warm your work space or use as a wallpaper on your computer) click here for all of these in 8×10 sizes!
