A decorative electric fireplace is always a site to behold in any interior space. Aside from the heat it provides during cold seasons, the design prowess of this fire feature is truly visually interesting. Although the simulated fire and music are what heightens the beauty of an electric fireplace, its mantel is also a contributing element that makes it unique. However, as it isn't economical to purchase a new mantel, it would be more ideal if you could create one yourself.

Before you proceed with your mantel for your electric fireplace heater, you should first know what a mantel is. Basically, mantel is the shelf-like structure sitting on the wall atop the fireplace hearth. This fixture is integrated in order to widen the space where the fireplace would be situated, and also serves as a decorative feature for the fireplace. Usually a mantel is separate from the fireplace, but can also be purchased already connected to the said fire feature.

Even though you can simply purchase the mantel of your electric fireplace heater, it would be much better to build or customize your own mantel to further improve the character of your fire feature. By doing it yourself, you can be assured that the mantel you create will be unique as you could incorporate your own creative vision into it. Though this is not an easy project to do, it would surely be worth the effort as it is way cheaper than a pre-made mantel. To begin your mantel project you would need the following items: saw, nail gun, crown molding, wood glue, router, level, wooden boards and paint.

Measure your fireplace and mark the location where you will place your fireplace mantel. Ad 3/4 of an inch to your measurements as these additions would correspond to the thickness of the boards you are about to use. Don't forget to use a level when marking the location of your mantel in order to avoid squiggly lines. After doing the measurements, do your mantel design in accordance to your desired theme and scale down the dimensions of your mantel based from the measurements you did for your fireplace.

Create the legs of your fireplace mantel by using three boards in order to form a semi-box on the wall. Cut the side and front pieces of your mantel legs and connect them together by using wood glue, and afterwards nail them together for a sturdier finish. Attach the box to the wall by securing the sides of the legs to the wall with nails. To accentuate the look of your mantel legs, install pieces of crown moldings around the side of the legs.

Now that you have your fireplace mantel legs in place, create the top and shelf of the mantel by using a frieze board and then place it on top of the legs. To ensure the strength of the mantel top and shelf, nail it to the wall and then install crown moldings around its sides to accentuate it. To achieve smoother edges, use a router to scrap of tiny particles on the edge of your mantel. Finally, paint the mantel with your desired color but be sure that your chosen hue would complement your home's color scheme.