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How to make faux fireplace mantel?

No place to hang those stockings with care? Debbie Stapley and her guest, woodworking expert Carl Mueller, demonstrate the process of building a decorative holiday (or year-round) mantel for your home.

Note: The dimensions given in the Materials list and in the instructions are for a finished size of 40" high by 48" wide. You may alter the measurements of the components as needed to build a fireplace of a different size.

Position the first three pieces of wood as follows: lay board A horizontally and place B and C at the ends. (The cumulative width at the top will be 48", or 32" plus 8" plus 8"; the height will be 40".)
Place D on top, aligning it flush at the top. Run a bead of glue around the board, check the alignment and nail it to the first layer with 1-1/4" finishing nails. (Note: Wipe away any excess glue when each step is finished.)
Place E and F down the two sides, centering them. Run a bead of glue around the boards, check the alignment and nail them to the first layer.
Notch the corners of G by marking 1" from each corner on each side of the board, drawing a line through the marks and cutting off the 4 marked triangles.
Run a bead of glue around the underside of the board, and center it at the top. Nail it in place with the 2" finishing nails.
Notch 2 corners each of the 4 decorative pieces (H-K) for the third layer.
Run a bead of glue around the underside of the boards and place them in position according to the diagram. The unnotched ends of the longer pieces should be flush with the top. Nail them in place with 2" finishing nails.
Create the braces for the mantel. (Tip: Braces can be either curved or straight diagonal. The curved braces require a jigsaw.)
- Straight-cut brace: Mark a line across the last piece of wood 7" from one end. Mark in 1" from the side edge of the wood at the top and on the line from the opposite side. Draw a line from one mark to the other. Saw along the diagonal line, then saw across the board, cutting off the two braces. They should be exactly the same size, or very nearly.
- Curved braces: Mark the wood in the same way as above. Then mark the center of the diagonal line and draw a line across the board. Using a large coffee can, lineup the bottom on the 1" mark and the center mark of the diagonal and mark the curve extending toward the narrow side. Repeat on the opposite side. You should have an S-curve looping around the diagonal line. Cut the S with the jigsaw, and then saw across the board as above, cutting off the two braces.
Glue and nail the brace with the wide end flush with the top of the mantel.
Notch the two outside corners of L, which is the shelf surface of the mantel. Run a bead of glue on the top edge of the three layers and the braces, center this board across the top of the mantel and nail it in place.
Finish by sanding, painting, staining and varnishing as desired. This mantel had its rough edges sanded; then it was painted. When dry, it was antiqued by sanding through to reveal the wood underneath, then it was stained and varnished.
Attach in position on the wall by hanging or nailing. If it will be used only in the holiday season, consider using hooks on the back of the mantel so that it can be lifted away when not in use.

All supplies are available at building-supply centers. The wood can be cut to size by the store.

Festive Fact: In Finland, Santa Claus trades in his sleigh and reindeer in favor of a straw goat named Ukko. And in Sweden, a similar straw goat figure, known as Julbock, is a common Christmas decoration.