A MOM who didn’t want to spend a fortune on a new fireplace managed to create her own faux version using cardboard boxes. Jourdyn May Verrett, 27, a mom-of-two and keen DIYer from Texas, the U.S., spent just 4.50 pounds (US$6.09) on the stunning design — and says it required minimal effort. The money-saver is currently remodeling her home and had sold all her living room furniture. This meant her TV had been sitting on an old pop-up table before she created her new fireplace — and she was also limited on what she could do with Christmas decorations. Verrett had been searching online for unique ways to hang stockings when she spotted people making their own fireplaces for Christmas on Facebook. If you’ve got a real fireplace that you’re looking to spruce up, a design like this wouldn’t work as cardboard would be highly flammable and could cause a fire. Keep any fake fireplace you’ve built away from open fires or anything that could catch alight. She told LatestDeals.co.uk: “I was instantly obsessed with that idea and decided to make my own version. “I really needed to keep things cheap, so I tried to only use what I already had laying around the house. “The sides of my toddler’s playpen worked great to form the basic shape of a fireplace around the table. “I cut four cardboard boxes down to size and secured them to the playpen with zip ties. “The mantle is made of styrofoam packaging cubes laid across the edge of the table, and held together with duct tape.” Verrett used everything from rolled paper, poster board, paper towels, and duct tape to fill in any gaps. She also taped all the edges and corners together to keep the form secure. “I got really excited when I finally stepped back and realized it was actually starting to look like a fireplace. I finished it off with some Christmas decor,” she said. (SD-Agencies) | 