Unless you live with Santa in the North Pole, I’m guessing your fireplace in the summer is like mine – nothing but a boring dust collector.

I’m gonna show you how to make it fabulous in hot weather without the hot flames!

Fill your fireplace with wood as if you’re getting ready to start a fire. Make sure to get pretty wood.

No, that wasn’t a typo. The wood will be on display too. So try and pick pieces that would make Paul Bunyan proud.

Now go to your storage hideaway and get out your white Christmas lights. I use the ones with the white cord. But you can use colored lights, I promise I won’t judge (well, maybe just a little).

Now you get to spend the next three hours untangling the mess. Sorry.

It’s more fun if you do it while drinking a margarita. I recommend just one though. It might be even more fun after a few, but I’m guessing there will be more tangling than untangling. Again, no judgement (not even a little this time)!

Next comes the groady part of the project.

You WILL get covered in soot, but you will also make new friends. Dust bunnies, spiders and other creepy crawlies love those kind of hiding places. Its too bad the dust bunnies won’t eat the spiders. They don’t even pay rent to live in your fireplace. You’d think its the least they could do.

Anyway, back to the project.

Now you just take the lights and wrap them around and around the firewood and wood-holder thingy.

I hide the plug/cord that comes out of the side with either pine cones or some other fabulous decoration.

So here ya go. The finished look in all it’s glory!

Confession: I actually did this as part of my Christmas decorating, not for summer. We weren’t using the fireplace and it seemed like a great way to add lights to my winter wonderland.

Our family (and every single guest – boast boast) loved it so much I decided to keep it up all year! I turn it on in the morning and keep it on all day.

Don’t worry, they are LED lights, so it uses very little energy. No need to send the energy police to my house.

Here it is during Christmas in our family room…

So there you have it! I hope you enjoy making your fireplace fabulous without fire!

(This was featured on Hometalk! – boast, boast)