Recycled Christmas Cereal Box Craft: Santa's Fireplace

Welcome Santa into your home with this Recycled Christmas Cereal Box Craft! Recycle cereal boxes and help the kids not only recycle but make Santa’s fireplace for the Christmas village. This was such a fun Christmas craft for kids! I love upcycling cereal boxes into homemade Christmas decorations.

Another Christmas craft that the dollar store can help out if the materials are not already in the craft closet. But more than likely the materials are already in your kitchen, home, garage and yard!

How To Make A Recycled Christmas Cereal Box Craft – Santa’s Fireplace

Materials

Used cereal box (start saving the cereal boxes!)

Construction Paper

Scissors

Cotton balls or a roll of cotton

Acrylic Paint

Foam brush or paint brush

(Optional, but fun, a piece of bark or mulch from the yard)

Directions:

Paint the cereal box with the color of your choice.
I suggest letting the box dry overnight as the paint does take a bit longer to set on paper.
Cut out the fireplace opening.
Place the painted cereal box on its’ side.
The opening should be in the middle of the box.
The bottom of the opening is NOT cut, this will make the rug area of the fireplace later.
For a regular size cereal box the opening can measure about 6 inches wide and 5 inches long. The opening should be a rectangle. Larger cereal boxes will require a larger opening.
Trace the cut lines in a rectangle beginning at the area at the bottom of the box.
An opening “flap” will be made by cutting each side and the top of the opening.
Once cut, fold down the flap and the flap will be the entrance or rug to the fireplace.
Find rocks, mulch, bark, little stones form the yard to decorate the fireplace.
I cut out stockings free hand from foam paper or construction paper.
Glue the stockings on the mantle.
Glue cotton balls or a roll of cotton fluffed on top of the stockings to make the mantle.
Free hand cut out the flames from construction paper for the fireplace logs.
Glue the flames onto the material using for the fireplace logs. I found old pieces of mulch worked well.
Cut out a piece of foam paper to make the fireplace rug.
Glue the rug to the opening flap which is now folded out.
If desired, Christmas figurines can be added for a bit of whimsy. I found a few old mini ornaments in the Christmas box I utilized

Decorating Ideas

Plain Fireplace With Stockings

Fireplace with candles

Fireplace with Christmas decorations.

I used the clothespin reindeer made one year to add a bit of homemade whimsy.

Make A Recycled Box Christmas Decoration

I know I am box overload and had so much fun helping to make the fireplace the craft was expanded to include a different box. This box was the interior box and the cut outs of the box were used for mini Christmas decorations.

Painting Tip! Because of the waxy covering on the cereal boxes it does affect the paint. Actually I found the painting came out more realistic almost a wash type affect. If a smooth painted finish is desired the box will need to be painted twice.