The corrugated cardboard fireplace is a design element that is often employed in seasonal retail displays as well as a prop in play and movie sets. While never used as a fully functional fireplace, these cardboard models do provide a visual image that can help convey the mood and feel for the display and help reinforce the scene that the designer wishes to create. Usually assembled from a kit in a matter of minutes, these disposable cardboard fireplaces can be moved into position with little effort and can be painted or covered to imitate just about any type of material from brick to stone masonry.
Perhaps the most well known use of a cardboard fireplace is connected with holiday celebrations. A cardboard Christmas fireplace is often used in retail displays that are designed with children in mind. The combination of a cardboard fireplace along with a jolly Santa and a bag of toys easily attracts the attention and delight of young customers. A corrugated cardboard fireplace display can also be designed to appeal to an older audience and perhaps create the perfect backdrop for the display of winter clothing such as ski sweaters or heavy winter coats.
A corrugated fireplace is also a handy and cost effective way to furnish a set for a community theater production. When money is tight, the cardboard fireplace can be designed using simple materials and outfitted with a simple light behind fake logs, helping to create a credible appearance of a working fireplace. This allows money in an already tight budget to be redirected to other essentials, such as costuming or the purchase of props to enhance the overall production.
Along with stage productions, movie and television sets may also make use of a cardboard fireplace when there is no need for a working fireplace. The cardboard can be dressed to mimic any look desired by using paint and other decorating techniques. As long as the fireplace is not a focal point of the scenes, there is a good chance that no one will notice that the fireplace is not constructed of some type of masonry material.
While it is not feasible to utilize a cardboard fireplace as a source of heat, this imitation device does often help to provide visual support for the type of mood or scene that the designer wishes to convey. Because the cardboard devices are easily constructed and very inexpensive, they often present the perfect alternative when the need for the look of a fireplace is only temporary.
