FIreplace Gingerbread House

Everything is edible on this fireplace!

Every year we go to my mom’s house and enjoy the family tradition of making gingerbread houses. This year my husband was able to join us (yeah!) so we wanted to make something fun and unique. Looking for some inspiration, we decided to go to our Christmas tree filled with ornaments. We were looking for something that wouldn’t be too complicated to make out of gingerbread, but still be fun and relevant to our lives at this time.

My husband spotted a fireplace with a snoopy hanging in the stalking…. and since we have a fireplace website (TheMasterFirePlace.com), that became our inspiration. Next, we had to figure out what kind of candy to bring to mom’s to make our fireplace come to life. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars and Hershey’s Cookies n’ Creme Bars seemed the logical place to go for the brick on the front. The cookies for Santa just had to be Choco Chippers Cereal. But the rest we kind of just made up as we went.

As mom was preparing the gingerbread dough, my hubby and I were getting the candy ready to apply. I cut out a few templates and husband started breaking apart the Hershey’s bars. Once all the gingerbread was made, we glued it together with mom’s special gingerbread icing recipe that gets hard in seconds. (Very helpful when making a big “house”.)

We decided a Crunch Bar would work great for the fireback. Candy canes held together with gummy wreaths was my husband’s ingenious idea for the fireplace grate. It wasn’t a great stretch to figure out that the logs could be made by simply stacking three Three Musketeer Bars! But the fire on the logs took a little thinking, as well as a little luck. We had some leftover candy from Halloween, so we decided to bring it along, just in case. Turns out, it was the perfect color for the fire! Several Sour Patch Gummy Pumpkins were squished and stretched to achieve the realistic looking fire flames.

As for the stalkings, we squished and pressed together Swedish Fish and cut them to the correct shape. Mom’s magic icing made a perfect white fluff for the tops of the stalkings. The coal (if you can see it) is made out of chopped up bits of chocolate dusted with cocoa. The hearth is broken up pieces of Nilla Wafers interspersed with Jelly Bellies. The plate for the cookies is a Oatmeal Pie and the glass of milk is several white gummy wreaths stuck together with icing. And of course the sign “For Santa” is made of to Crunch Bars and icing.

My husband and I had a blast making this together, from coming up with the idea, to figuring out what to use for the different parts. Spending time with family and being creative at the same time…. that’s the best of both worlds!

Maybe this will serve as inspiration for your next Gingerbread House project. Happy Holidays!

Complete Your Wood-Burning Fireplace with a Fireplace Tool Set « TheMasterFirePlace's Blog

Complete Your Wood-Burning Fireplace with a Fireplace Tool Set

A beautiful addition to your fireplace.

If you are one of the lucky people to own a real wood burning fireplace, you know that you also have to keep it clean to keep it functioning great. You could use a regular household broom and pan to clean out those ashes, but wouldn’t it be so much nicer to use something made for the job?

Fireplace tool sets have special features that make cleaning out your fireplace easier, such as sturdy iron construction and heat-resistant brushes. The brush is sized to fit easily into the firebox and the pan is the correct size for the brush, making sweeping the ashes and disposing of them a simple project rather than a messy one.

Another bonus feature of a fireplace tool set is that it can add to the style and beauty of your fireplace and home decor. There are so many designs to choose from, you are sure to find one that fits your needs perfectly. You can even find some that have matching fireplace screens and log holders to complete the look.

Come see our expansive selection of fireplace tool sets and enjoy using your own practical and stylish tools.

Add an Outdoor Fireplace for that Special Touch

Gather around and visit with loved ones!

Summers are great for outdoor parties and family get-togethers. You can make these special times even more memorable with an eye-catching outdoor fireplace. They add a little something extra to your gathering. Make some yummy ‘smores with roasted marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers and keep the party going even after sun-down as you sit around the inviting fire.

Come see our great selection of outdoor fireplaces and start a family tradition this summer!

Use a Fireback to Accent Your Fireplace in the Summer « TheMasterFirePlace's Blog

Use a Fireback to Accent Your Fireplace in the Summer

Add this beauty to your fireplace today!

We all know that fireplaces don’t get much use in the summer. But that doesn’t mean they need to be completely neglected. This is valuable real estate in your home, so you should get the most use out of it as you can. If you are neglecting your fireplace in the summer simply because it is too hot to burn a fire, think again. Tap into the beauty of decorating your fireplace during the hotter months of the year.

One great idea for decorating your fireplace is to add a fireback. These fireplace accessories are not only decorative, but also practical. During the summer, they can add a special interest to your fireplace. Then, in the winter, when you are actually burning fire for heat, they will add to the efficiency of your fire by absorbing and deflecting the heat back into your room, even after the fire is burnt out.

Consider adding a fireback to your fireplace, and enjoy its beauty year round!

Fireplace Candelabra – A Great Summer Solution for Your Fireplace « TheMasterFirePlace's Blog

Fireplace Candelabra – A Great Summer Solution for Your Fireplace

Add the beauty of a fire without the heat!

Don’t know what to do with your fireplace during the hot summer months? How about cleaning it out and replacing the fireplace grate with a beautiful and decorative fireplace candelabra? These candelabra are designed specifically for placing in your fireplace to add a special touch to your hearth while it is too hot to burn wood. You can light a few candles and still get that romantic glow without the heat of a fire.

Try one out today, and let the beauty of your fireplace shine throughout the year!

Your Fireplace Tool Set Can Do Double Duty « TheMasterFirePlace's Blog

Your Fireplace Tool Set Can Do Double Duty

Store your tools and your firewood in one place.

If you are one of the lucky homeowners to have a fireplace, but you don’t have the luxury of tons of space, here’s a great solution for you.

UniFlame makes a combination fireplace tool set/firewood rack/newspaper rack called the 5 Piece Antique Copper Wrought Iron Square Fireplace Tool Set w/Shelves. The space-saving design has plenty of room for small pieces of kindling, rolled up newspapers and even larger pieces of firewood. With sturdy wrought iron construction and a beautiful antique copper finish, the set includes a poker, a natural fiber brush, a shovel, a log grabber and of course the rack with three shelves. So if you are short on space, and need something that will serve two or more functions at once, this fireplace tool set is the way to go. Find your favorite fireplace tools at TheMasterFirePlace.com.

Who Says You Have to Measure for a Fireplace Candelabra? « TheMasterFirePlace's Blog

Who Says You Have to Measure for a Fireplace Candelabra?

This Fireplace Candelabra does the measuring for you!

Fireplace candelabra create a great summer look for your fireplace. They are easy to display and easy to customize to match your home decor.

Normally you need to be sure to measure your firebox before you purchase a fireplace candelabra to ensure that it will fit. But Adams Company has a model that is worry free when in comes to measurements. The Chain Link Fireplace Candelabra has a unique design that allows you to collapse and expand it to fit your fireplace like a glove.

It can be expanded to as wide as 50″ or back down to as little as 19″. You can arrange the 11″ tall candle holders to sit exactly where you want them. Each candle holder is a generous 4″ in diameter to securely hold your choice of candles, whether they are votive, ball or pillar. You will h

ave no worries about durability either, because this beautiful matte black, powder-coated fireplace candelabra is constructed of solid steel.

Don’t forget to add your own personal touch. Find some fun and easy hints here: Five Fun and Easy Ways to Make Your Fireplace Candelabra Patriotic or 10 Decorating Tricks For Your Fireplace Candelabra.