Upcycled box Fireplace and Pool Noodle Centrepiece - Helmar Creative Team

I hope you are having a great Christmas Eve.  Today I have 2 Christmas Decor projects to share with you.  But first I wanted to start by sharing how I came to be creating my project.
I originally started created the word MERRY from large wooden letters that I was decorating with various papers and embellishments, I was in the middle of my first letter when I thought to myself this decoration really needs to be on a mantel but I don't have a mantel.  So I decided to make a box fireplace.  There are so many versions of this on the internet but I wanted to make one that was kinder to the environment and stronger thanks to using Helmar wherever possible.

So I collected 6 identical wine boxes and 2 laptop identical laptop boxes and assorted non-recyclable clean plastic rubbish and foam packaging that was't recyclable to fill the boxes to give them stability and strength, I sealed the boxes with packing tape, this was the only time I used tape in this project.
I set to work constructing my Fireplace.   I glued my boxes together with Helmar Hobby & Craft Glue at first but later switched to Helmar Premium Craft Glue as I thought it would give more strength and it definitely worked better when I experimented to add texture with fibreglass tape.


I created my base by cutting down a box from a fan and adhering my fireplace to it with Helmar Premium Craft Glue.  I also cut multiple strips from the fan box to use for adding details to the fireplace.
I stacked some boxes of books on top while it was drying to ensure enough pressure was applied to both sides while the glue dried.  And I was hoping it would help my laptop boxes straighten out as they were a little warped.

I added a back to the fireplace and then I added details to the front with the strips I cut from the fan box earlier.










I decided to try covering my fireplace in crushed packing paper and then a coat of beige paint to give it what I hoped would be a rendered look.
When adding the paper I found it best to work in small sections to ensure the details came through.
I used Helmar Premium Craft Glue where the packing tape was to ensure a strong hold.  Adding the glue then applying the paper here first.
Then I used my Helmar Craft & Hobby PVA for the parts that didn't have tape on.  Again working in each detail section at a time.

Once these front sections were covered I applied the paper to the sides and inside as far as it would go.

Now it is ready to be painted.

I was hoping my sample pot would be enough to give me a good coating but still allow my details to show through and that the overall effect would be a rendered look.   However I ran out of paint after 1 coat and my back was not happy so I decided to love it the way it is.
Here is a close up of the top.  What do you think?  Did I get a rendered look?







During one of the breaks I took while making the Fireplace  I saw a post about creating a pool noodle table centrepiece in a Mum's group and there were so many Mum's who had burnt themselves using hot glue to create this, I knew I had to make one with Helmar so people would know they could avoid the burns by using Helmar for projects like this.
I wanted to be as environmentally friendly as I could be by using old/damaged decorations a friend gave me and a damaged pool noodle.  I wound up buying the green pine tinsel on sale for 50% off and some extra red and gold decorations as there wasn't quiet enough in the box my friend gave me but I tried to keep my environmental footprint for this as small as possible so I only bought what I needed.


I first experimented with doing a all gold one just to see if it would work.  I looped the tinsel garland and bead garland and applied Helmar Premium Craft Glue in sections to add these garlands to my pool noodle.  This was a great way to get it on quickly.  I would wind up removing this before it was dry so I could instead use green pine type tinsel garland and a mix of red and gold decorations.






So the LED candles could easily be turned on and off and fit where they needed to go easily I cut the packaging they came in into 3 and added it onto my pool noodle where I wanted them to be with Helmar Premium Craft Glue. 

I added some of the gold bead garland to the candle packaging as it is clear and I needed to hide the pool noodle when the candle is in it.
I then started adhering the green pine tinsel around the bottom and cutting some pieces off the end to fill in the top between the candles.

I then started adding decorations, just adding them where I thought they looked best and keeping in mind when putting them near where the candles would go that they should help provide stability and support to the candle packaging.
When adhering each decoration I would put some Helmar Premium Craft Glue to the parts that would be touching something else, I would hold whatever it was touching together until dry, whether that was the tinsel and another decoration or 3 decorations.

I used Helmar Premium Craft Glue for the entire pool noodle decoration.  It has been great for this project.  This was my first experiment creating anything like this and next time I will experiment with Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive as I think this will give me a even better hold.

And here is the finished Fireplace and Pool Noodle decoration all set up with LED candles and LED wire lights ready for our Christmas celebrations.  I love how they turned out.