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DIY rustic fireplace mantel: the cure for a boring fireplace

This DIY rustic fireplace mantel has all the charm of reclaimed wood but it’s inexpensive and easy to make using basic lumber and supplies.

I’ve never been a huge fan of our brick fireplace. It’s really big and awkwardly placed in the room, right up against the kitchen peninsula.

brick fireplace with big hearth before painting.

I’ve made lots of improvements to it over the years. First painting the brick white with a wooden mantel and then painting the brick navy  (Sherwin Williams Blue Mystery) and the mantel white.

brick fireplace painted white with a small wooden mantel.
brick fireplace painted blue with small white mantel.

Each change has been a big step in the right direction but something was always off about it. (Other than the glass doors which have to stay for practical reasons.) 

Finally, I figured out the problem!  This big, wide hulking brick fireplace was topped off with a dinky little mantel. The tiny mantel didn’t look great when it was natural wood and it was even more nondescript once I painted it white.

Not anymore! No more wimpy mantel for me; now our big fireplace has a mantel with presence. Nobody’s going to ignore this guy anymore!

diy rustic fireplace mantel.

My chunky DIY rustic mantel was inspired by this awesome mantel by Addicted to Decorating. 

Her instructions are top notch and are perfect for anyone with a flat-faced fireplace, but I did need to change several things to accommodate the style of fireplace I have, where the brick doesn’t extend above the mantel. 

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Materials for rustic fireplace mantel

Tools

How to make a DIY rustic fireplace mantel

This DIY mantel has the fabulous look of a huge old wooden beam, but in reality, it’s a hollow box made from inexpensive lumber.

Before beginning, remove your old mantel.

Pay attention to how it was attached to your fireplace. This will likely be the easiest way to attach your new mantel as well.

Build the mantel face.

I chose to use 10 inch wide boards for my mantel because the top of my fireplace already sticks out pretty far, but if you have a more reasonably sized fireplace, 8 inch boards would work great. 

The two 10” boards form the top and front of the mantel. 

First cut the 10″ boards to the appropriate length.  I decided to have my mantel extend two inches past the brick on each side so this is the length I cut my boards. 

Use wood glue and finishing nails to attach the two boards together. The nails will technically be visible from the front of the mantel but they are so tiny, they will never be noticed.

One 10" board on top of fireplace and one 10" board in front of fireplace.

Build the underside of the mantel.

The bottom of the mantel is slightly trickier.  You don’t want a big gap underneath, so you need a board that will extend exactly to the brick fireplace facing. 

To find this number, subtract the thickness of your fireplace from the width of your top board.

I used a 10 inch board for my mantel top and my brick extend 6 inches from the wall at the point where the bottom of my mantel hits, so I used a 4 inch wide board to fill the gap.

Cut this board to the length of your mantel and attach it with wood glue and finishing nails. It definitely helps to have an extra set of hands to keep everything lined up as you are nailing the mantel together.

Build the mantel ends.

For the ends, you can use the scrap wood left over from cutting your two wide boards to length.

Mark where you need to cut the wood so that it will fit snugly into the opening at each end of your mantel. Cut the wood and then attach it with wood glue and finishing nails.

Adding an end board to the DIY mantel.

Finally, there will be a small space at the bottom of the mantel on each side. Cut a 1” x2” board to fit this area and attach it with finishing nails.

Stain the mantel.

I stained everything using Minwax Dark Walnut stain. I think the dark color is perfect for that rustic wood beam feel I was going for.

end of diy rustic mantel before veneer.

Attach the veneer.

This last step is the key to helping the mantel look like one massive slab of wood rather than a bunch of boards nailed together. I attached wood veneer to both ends to cover all of the wood cuts.

You don’t need a huge amount of veneer since this is such a small area. You can buy small sheets of veneer at Amazon or at woodworking supply stores like WoodCraft. 

I went to my local WoodCraft for my veneer and the person working there was so helpful. 

They didn’t have small sheets of inexpensive wood veneer in stock. They did have some larger, more expensive sheets but I’m really trying to keep costs down on this fireplace makeover.

When I explained I was on a tight budget, he pulled a pile of wood veneer scraps from their workshop and sold it to me for $5.  Perfect!

adding veneer to mantel ends.

I attached my veneer to each end of my mantel. I had to use two pieces for each end since I was working with scraps but once it was stained, the small seam isn’t noticeable at all. 

Some veneer comes pre-glued, some needs to be ironed on, and some needs to be glued, so attach your veneer in whatever way is recommended for the type you are using.

When you attach it, leave at least a 1/2 inch of extra wood along each side. 

Once the glue is fully dried, use a utility knife to carefully cut away the excess wood.

Then gently sand the edges of the veneer  with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth them out.

sanding veneer edges.

Then stain the veneer with the same dark walnut stain.

Install your mantel.

The last step is to attach the new mantel to your fireplace.

My previous mantel was attached to 2 wood blocks that fit into empty spaces in my brick fireplace. 

old mantel with two pieces of wood attached below for attaching to fireplace.

I removed these wood blocks from the old mantel and attached them to my new mantel using wood glue and nails.

Then I fit the mantel into place.

diy mantel
easy and inexpensive diy wood beam mantel.

Oh my goodness, so gorgeous. 

The veneer on the ends really helps the whole think look like one massive chunk of old wood.

brick fireplace with simple diy fireplace mantel.
before and after of diy mantel.

Even without any other changes, this new mantel makes such a difference! It just fits the style of the fireplace so much better!

And this is how it looks today with a DIY TV frame and a few accessories.

blue fireplace with diy mantel.

This fireplace makeover is just one step in a larger (long overdue) makeover of our family room.

I’m participating in a challenge to make over one space in our home in only four weeks with a $100 budget. It’s a tough challenge, but so far I’m feeling pretty confident I can pull it off. 

This time around I’m fixing up our family room and you can see the before pictures and my overly ambitious plans right here.

That’s why it was extra important for me to keep this mantel update inexpensive.

Here’s the cost breakdown for this project.

Cost of DIY Mantel

  • Wood boards:  $44
  • Wood veneer: $5
  • Wood glue: $4
  • Wood stain, nails, tools: $0 (already owned)

Total: $53

Already over half the budget spent!  But that’s ok, because this mantel makes such a huge impact in the room. Totally worth it.

Other posts you don’t want to miss:

rustic fireplace mantel

How to build a DIY rustic fireplace mantel

Yield: 1 DIY Fireplace Mantel
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Estimated Cost: $53

This DIY rustic fireplace mantel has the look of a gorgeous old wooden beam but it's actually made from inexpensive lumber.

Materials

  • Two 8′ long 1” x 10” pine boards 
  • One 8′ long 1” x 4” pine board 
  • 1” x 2” scrap boards
  • Two 12″ x 12″ squares of wood veneer
  • Finishing nails
  • Wood glue
  • Dark walnut stain and rag to apply
  • 220 grit sandpaper

Tools

  • Hammer
  • Circular Saw

Instructions

  1. Cut the 10″ boards to the length your finished mantel will be. One of these boards will be the top of the mantel and the other will be the front.
  2. Use wood glue and finishing nails to attach the two boards together.  
  3. Cut a board to size to fill the gap on the bottom side of the mantel.
  4. Attach to the front of the mantel with wood glue and finishing nails. 
  5. Cut scrap wood into a square to fit snugly into the opening at each end of your mantel.
  6. Attach with wood glue and finishing nails.
  7. Cut a 1”x2” board to fit the small space at the bottom of the mantel.
  8. Attach with finishing nails.
  9. Stain everything with Minwax Dark Walnut stain.
  10. Attach wood veneer to both ends to cover the wood cuts using wood glue.
  11. Cut the wood veneer to size and sand the edges of the veneer with 220 grit sandpaper.
  12. Stain the veneer with the same dark walnut stain.
  13. Attach the new mantel to your fireplace.

Recommended Products

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Did you make this project?

I'd love for you to leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest!

© Carrie
Project Type: Home Improvement / Category: DIY Decor
carrie signature in blue

Google Web Story: DIY Fireplace Mantel

Comments

  11. Wendy Duffy says

    Wow, this is impressive. I love the veneer, you can’t tell at all what it is! Very nicely done. I can’t wait to see the finished room. I love the color of the brick by the way!

    Reply

  14. Melissa says

    This looks amazing!! I can’t believe what a difference it makes in your fireplace. Your directions are perfect too and good call on the veneer! Can’t wait to see the rest of the room!

    Reply

  15. Katie says

    This is beautiful! I’d like to do this to my fireplace but have a question. My current one isn’t brick but is drywall and the current “lip” that sticks out is falling apart because of heat. I wish I could attach a picture to explain this a little better….Anyways, do I need to cover this with something that is heat resistant? Is there any concern about the wood getting overly heated and catching on fire? Thanks so much!! Beautiful fireplace!

    Reply

    • Carrie says

      Thanks Katie, As far as your question, I really don’t know for sure. I’m not an expert on fireplaces and safety. It does seem like if the drywall isn’t a fire risk, that wood wouldn’t be either. But again, don’t take my word for it because that isn’t my area of expertise. Sorry I can’t be more help!

      Reply

        • Carrie says

          Thank you! It is Sherwin williams blue mystery. I had mine mixed at Lowes – it’s part of the sherwin williams hgtv line there. But I am pretty sure you can get it at the sherwin williams store as well.

          Reply

    • Carrie says

      It is actually attached to the brick fireplace, not the wall itself. It sits on top of the brick and is attached using two wood blocks which fit into holes in the thick brick fireplace. If you are replacing a mantel, I would recommend looking to see how it is attached and trying to copy the same method. And if you do need to hang it from the wall, a french cleat would work well – these are special hardware that allows you to have heavy objects flush against the wall.

      Reply

    • Carrie says

      I didn’t do anything to cover the nails. I used finishing nails so they really aren’t noticeable unless you are very close to the mantel and looking for them. And I chose to stain the mantel before attaching it just to make it easier. That way I didn’t have to worry about getting stain on the wall or bricks of the fireplace.

      Reply

  20. Drew says

    Now that it has been hanging for a while are you happy with your choice of pine wood or has that been too soft and you’d recommend a harder wood? Look great regardless though!

    Reply

    • Carrie says

      The pine hasn’t been a problem at all! Since it’s a mantel, it doesn’t get scuffed and bumped into the way a table would. And even if it did, I think it would still look fine since it’s a more rustic look.

      Reply

  21. Jenn says

    Amazing transformation!! Love the blue and love the stain color. I’m having a brick fireplace built as I type. Lol. Can I ask the width of your mantle and the width of your actual brick fireplace. I’m trying to scale mine similar to your look. I saw that you cut your 8’ length so that 2” were past the brick on either side….. but what was your total length of mantle. And if you could the size of your brick fireplace. (Height/width) Thanks a million!!!!!

    Reply

    • Carrie says

      Hi, I just measured and the fireplace is 79″ wide and the mantel is 83″ wide. And the whole thing is 58″ high. I hope that helps! Good luck with your fireplace!

      Reply

  22. Jenn says

    Oh wow thanks so much. Our mantles are super similar. Mine is 82”. My fireplace is 80”. My concern is my mantle is going to come off wall 7”(deep”) and it’s 9.5” high. I’m worried about it almost looking too large. I appreciate you measuring for me. Love yours!!!! ☺️

    Reply

  23. Karen Spadaccini says

    Hi Carrie !
    Thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial ! I watched every one I could find to get inspiration on redoing my mantel and tiled fireplace. It was hideous and I am half way through right now. I had to chisel out tile around the fireplace as well as the floor and the mantel ! Tile everywhere. It was horrible. Your instructions are so right on and it’s coming out beautiful ! I’ve re-tiled the floor and around the fireplace and stained my boards. Just need to finish the mantel and put it up. Can’t thank you enough !!!
    karen

    Reply

    • Carrie says

      I’m so glad my tutorial helped! It sounds like you’ve done a ton of work on your fireplace and I bet it looks beautiful!

      Reply

    • Carrie says

      Thank you! It is an old vintage radio that I got at an estate sale. The ‘guts’ were already removed so I just turned it around backwards and put the wood in.

      Reply

  25. Jillian says

    I LOVE THIS idea!!! We had planned to move last year but with the pandemic and the market making home prices SO much higher, we opted to rent until it all leveled out. SO with this rental, our mantel and fireplace are just really not cute, so this seems like it would be an easy and cost-effective way to cover our current mantel (if you can even call it a mantel lol – it is way too narrow). Any ideas on how we could “attach” this to what is currently there without damaging for when we move out? We can always nail into walls and fill/paint over when removing but not exactly sure how to go about that!

    Reply

    • Carrie says

      Yes, the housing market has gotten crazy! This sounds like a great idea for updating your fireplace while you wait out the market. If you have enough room around your existing mantel, you could attach L shelf brackets to the wall (try to attach them to studs). Then you can attach the mantel to the brackets with screws from above. The screws would be on top of the mantel but shouldn’t be too visible. This way the mantel would cover the existing smaller mantel and the brackets. There could also be other ways to attach it.

      Reply

  26. Melissa says

    I love this so much. My parents have been updating their house, I saw this and they are very interested this in their living room. Their fireplace mantel is all brick and runs the entire length of the wall. My dad and I have been trying to figure out how to attach the boards to the top (flat surface) of the fireplace. Obviously it needs to be sturdy. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Carrie says

      Good question. It sounds like the brick wall is completely flat with no connectors. You could use masonry screws to attach a 2×4 the length of the mantel directly to the wall and then screw the mantel into the 2×4. Or take it a step further and create an internal frame similar to what you would use for DIY floating shelves. You could also use sturdy shelf brackets or L brackets – screw them securely to the fireplace and then attach the mantel to them. I also found this post from a blogger I know that looks helfpul – https://www.runtoradiance.com/how-to-install-a-floating-mantle/ Good luck!

      Reply

    • Carrie says

      Thanks! I used high heat spray paint to paint the fireplace doors. You can get it at most home improvement stores and it often has a picture of a grill on the front. It does give off more fumes than any other paint I have used, so be sure to open the doors/windows and use fans if possible.

      Reply

  28. Natalie says

    I love your mantle and it has inspired me to do the same to my very warped mantle that needs to come down. I have stone under mine and it’s flat all the way up to the mantle so I feel it will be very easy to do this. I do have a question though, I would like to hang my tv as well over the mantle but we do not have an outlet up there. Did you already have one there, or did you install one yourself?

    Reply

    • Carrie says

      We don’t have an outlet over our fireplace either. We do have one right next to our fireplace though. I have our TV plugged into a simple white extension cord with the cord tucked up behind the TV. Then I used white cord covers to hold the extension cord in place next to the mantel as it goes down the wall to the outlet. It doesn’t look perfect, but it isn’t very noticeable. One day I would like to replace our old wood paneled walls with drywall and have an outlet installed above the fireplace.

      Reply

  29. Alan says

    I just came across this post from 2017 and your fireplace looked nearly identical to mine….also with a very thin mantle. So, I just wanted to let you know that I followed your steps, and now it has a chunky pine mantle that came out brilliant! Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Carrie says

      It is actually the outside of an old wooden radio – the guts of the radio were already gone so I just turned it around and put firewood in the back. I found mine at a yard sale – you may be able to find something similar on Facebook marketplace or craigslist.

      Reply

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