Fireplace Storage

So, we have an old gas fireplace that no longer works. We gutted it awhile ago, and tried to make it look decent, but now it needs a new function: Micah's storage.

This is what it looked like once we gutted it.

Then we added some seasonal decorations.

Eventually, Micah thought these decorations were his toys, and we had to remove all of them. We started storing his books on the baskets, but he would knock them all over. I researched various basket sizes, shapes and materials for various options to fill our useless eyesore. Eventually, my inspiration was found in my recent Kohl's purchase. The box.

First, I measured how deep the fireplace was and marked the box the whole way around. I used a box cutter, and cut the box to the right fit.

I couldn't believe how easy it was to cut.

I needed the top of the box to be more secure for my second "shelf", so I taped the flaps to the body of the box.

Now, I had to measure it to fit the rest of the fireplace. I needed 9" total, so I cut 4.5" on one side and 4.5" on the other side, and duct taped the two sides together to make the 9" wide box.

I found some old curtains that I knew I would never use again, and laid them over the boxes, securing temporarily with duct tape.

In the meantime, Micah was decorating a different part of the living room. That's a tissue in his mouth (and yes, he needs a haircut).

This is the result with duct tape. After an hour of sagging, I was confident enough in the overall look to cut and glue the curtains to the boxes. 

Final look!