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Lilies and Life - Interior Decorating | Blog | Home Decor | DIY

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DIY Simple Mantle

in DIY & Home Decor on 10/03/17

Once that masonry work was done on our fireplace, we needed a new mantle.  We decided to make a simple “L” shaped mantle with one flat side laying on top of the current concrete mantle and one hanging down over the new, beautiful stones.  Below are the instructions to our DIY Mantle!

Here is an image of the old fireplace and mantle:

Here is a list of supplies needed for a DIY Simple Mantle:

2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

Step 1:  Build Mantle

We found a lumber mill that sold us two 14 feet long pieces of poplar wood for only $60!  We chose poplar as the wood for the mantle because when painted, poplar allows for a grain free finish.  We nailed and glued the mantle into the “L” shape.

Step 2: Spackle Nail holes

Once the mantle dried overnight we were ready to fill in the nail holes!  I used lightweight spackle to fill in all the nail holes.  Once the spackle has completely dried you can lightly sand the spackle to a smooth finish

NOTE: If you plan to stain your mantle use wood filler instead of spackle so the holes will look more natural.

Step 3: Sand, Sand, & Sand

This step is so important if you want the mantle to be smooth.  So we used a belt sander and sanded the mantle A LOT.  We also used the sanding sponge to sand the spackle from the nail holes.

Step 4: Paint (or stain)

To paint the mantle, I used a paint roller frame and brush and it only took me about two minutes! I did two coats of the Sherwin Williams Pure White.

Note: If you are staining your mantle use an old rag to stain.  I really love the Dark Walnut Stain.  I recently used this stain color on our DIY Sofa Table (new post to come).

Step 5: Install!  

Once the paint dried, we glued the mantle to the original concrete mantle with Liquid Nails Adhesive.  Then sat very heavy objects on top to let it dry and cure.  After 48 hours we had a finished mantle!!  

DIY wooden Mantle created to cover old ugly cement mantle in full fireplace remodel.  Simple DIY home improvement idea! #Fireplace #mantle

See our Fireplace Reveal using the mantle we built here!

10 Comments

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Fireplace Reveal »

Comments

  1. Afton Jackson says

    10/07/2019 at 5:10 PM

    It is good to see how you made an already good cement mantle to a better one. I like how you used an abrasive belt grinder to smoothen the edges. If ever, we could use your knowledge of heavy construction equipment to help us out.

    Reply
    • LiliesandLife says

      10/08/2019 at 3:45 PM

      Thank you! It was a pretty simple project that made a huge difference 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sawyer says

    10/17/2019 at 1:17 AM

    Hi Emily,
    Do you have any video tutorial?
    Sawyer recently posted…5 Power Saw Safety TipsMy Profile

    Reply
    • LiliesandLife says

      10/23/2019 at 3:40 PM

      Sawyer, Thanks for reaching out! I have been thinking about videos. Thank you for the suggestion!

      Reply
  3. Catty Adrien says

    11/12/2019 at 4:34 AM

    Thanks for sharing Nice post.it’s very helpful information for everyone.

    Reply
    • LiliesandLife says

      11/20/2019 at 12:53 PM

      Thank you!

      Reply
  4. john says

    11/30/2019 at 11:50 PM

    Very interesting and informative article. Loved it and enjoyed reading it.

    Reply
    • LiliesandLife says

      12/04/2019 at 8:13 AM

      Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Afton Jackson says

    01/03/2020 at 2:05 PM

    I like that you have layered your concrete with ornate bricks with a color that fits your facade. My wife and I would love it if we do this in our fireplace as well. If only there is a contractor nearby that can help us with concrete services at home.

    Reply
    • LiliesandLife says

      01/04/2020 at 7:58 PM

      Thank you! We used a local tile person. Usually someone that does tile can also do masonry work. Good luck with your project!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Emily! I’m an Interior designer, decorator and blogger.  I help overwhelmed homeowners and DIYers bring timeless design and function into their home so they can love their space and the life they are building within it!  Thank you for visiting 🙂

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