Hey friends! A couple weeks ago I shared with you how we painted our brick fireplace in two easy steps. Well, today I’m going to show you how we built and installed our new floating mantle. And when I say “we”, I really mean my amazing dad! You guys, my dad is a master carpenter and can build anything. I didn’t realize how lucky I was growing up with a dad who could (and was willing to) build me anything I asked for! And even though we live across the country now, he’s still willing to help me out with my crazy projects 🙂
Here is our original mantle:
It was in desperate need of a facelift! And I absolutely love how it turned out.
Building a floating mantle may seem intimidating, but I’ve got you covered–I break it down for you in 4 easy steps with LOTS of pictures. (Thanks mom!)
How to Build a Floating Mantle
Step One: Build the box
You’ll need to decide how thick (tall) and long you want your mantle to be. Mine is 4 inches tall and 68 inches long. We used 1 inch pine, because it is easy to work with, lightweight and best of all, cheap! (Pine is 3/4″ thick, so you need to take that into consideration as you make your design.)
Measurements we used for our floating mantel:
- Top and bottom piece: 68″ x 8″
- Face piece: 2 1/2″ x 66 1/2″
- 2 side pieces: 2 1/2″ x 7 1/4″
- 2×4 for mounting piece: 2 1/2″ x 66 1/2″
(Yes, the face piece and mounting piece are the same size.)
Cut down your wood into the correct measurements, then nail your box together using 1 1/2″ nails.
You can use a the two end pieces as supports while you nail the box together…
And then just slide each one down to nail them in!
(PS-We built our mantle before we moved, and brought it with us. We didn’t take any pictures of the building process, so my amazing dad built a mini mantle so you can see each step in action! Isn’t he so nice?? So, if some of the pictures look like the mantle is super small, that’s because it’s our mini one!!)
Now, back to the instructions….
When you mount your mantle to the wall, it will need to slide onto a 2×4 that’s already been attached to the wall. It will look like this (but don’t mount it yet!!):
You’ll want to test how well that 2×4 fits inside your box before it’s attached to the wall. It needs to be a very snug fit to ensure that you have a strong mantle. We drilled holes into our 2×4 so we could slide it in to test the fit and then be able to pull it back out!
Step Two: Putty and sand the box
Now that your box is built, you just need to fill in the joints and nail holes with putty. We used DAP CrackShot Spackling Paste. Let it dry and then sand down so it’s ready to be painted after your install it.
We rounded the edges of the mantle slightly, so they wouldn’t be super sharp!
Step Three: Install your mantle
Remember how we talked earlier about your mantle sliding over a 2×4 that’s been attached to the wall? Well, now is when you’re going to attach that 2×4 to the wall! Set one piece of scrap pine on each side of the brick to keep the 2×4 3/4″ above the brick. This will ensure that when you slide the mantle on, there will be enough room for it to fit snuggly.
You can either nail or screw your 2×4 into the wall. We nailed it and used 16 penny nails. If you decide to use screws, make sure that they are 3 inch screws and that you pre-drill your 2×4.
Now that your 2×4 is attached, slide your box over it and nail the top of your box to the 2×4 so it will be nice and secure. Then fill in those nail holes and sand them down.
Step Four: Prime and paint your mantle
The last thing you need to do is prime and paint your mantle! I wanted mine white and I love how crisp and clean it turned out! (We painted ours before it was mounted and then repainted it after it was installed, so save yourself a step and just do it once!)
That’s it! Not too scary once it’s broken down into simple steps! I cannot tell you how much I love my fireplace and floating mantle! It has completely changed the look of this room and will stay stylish for many years to come.
Give it a try! I’d love to hear and see how your project goes!!
