# Put a Gargoyle in Your Fireplace



## Duece (Jun 23, 2006)

Need a soulution for that empty fireplace?

Here's an illustrated guide on how to convert your fireplace from a device used to radiate heat into a device that radiates pure evil. This whole project cost me about $30 so it's very inexpensive to do. This semi-evil art will definitely get some comments on poker night, pool night, or whatever the occasion may be. If you throw a lot of parties and have some crazy lighting designs this fits in real well. A craftily hidden fog machine can make this display even better.

To see how it is done with photos visit http://www.firegargoyle.com/

Materials:

1 string of christmas lights, 1 old gargoyle, 1 bundle of firewood, some rocks, a log-rack, and a cage.

Gargoyles can usually be found at ceramic and plaster shops for around $20. Pull out your phone book and call a few, you'll find one. If you can only find unfinished gargoyles do a search on "dry brushing". It's a very simple technique for applying paint to raised areas of sculptures to achieve a shadowy look, it works well on rocks and things that you want to look like stone. This is how I painted the gargoyle above. This one is made of plaster and got cracked up over the course of a few moves. For this purpose though, it will work great. Gargoyle bulldogs look the best in my opinion.

The Steps:

1. Clean the soot out of the fireplace and gather the rack and rocks if you need them. I will need to use the rocks because of that huge, poorly installed gas line jutting out of the brickwork.

2. Strategically place the rocks in the fireplace to support the rack and provide an even surface for setting the gargoyle on.

3. Now is the time to plug in your lights and make sure they are all intact and working before you lay them in the fireplace. Also double check the rack and rocks because any movement could break a bulb.

4. Place them in the fireplace. When doing this step place the majority of the bulbs around the outer-most edges of the fireplace so the light will reflect off of the walls. You don't need to be too exact yet, just get them in there. We will fine tune this once the gargoyle is in place.

5. Time for the gargoyle! Be very careful with this part, I crushed a few bulbs putting it in the first time. Best to keep the bulbs out of the way until the gargoyle has been placed and then arrange them into more permanant positions.

6. Grab your bundle of firewood and lay out the logs to get an idea of which ones you are going to put where. Think of it as an aesthetics puzzle.

7. There we are, the logs hide the lights well and fit in with the theme. Rocks work well too if you want something that is not flammable.

8. Now is the time to turn down the lights and arrange the string of christmas lights to provide the best effect.

9. Once everthing is perfect, go ahead and replace the guard (If you're using one). That's it, you're done!


To see how it is done with photos visit http://www.firegargoyle.com/


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## Nev (Jul 10, 2006)

wish i had a fire place


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## CatMean (Jul 5, 2004)

Great site, you should post this in the "props" section.


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## drmort (Sep 30, 2004)

*great idea*

awesome...great idea....I just need to find the right gargoyle now. Tuscan design had some as I recall


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## Halloween_Maiden (Aug 4, 2006)

Hello drmort.
I've just started a new website, www.EyesOfHalloween.com. It has a how-to section that is currently very sad. Do I have your permission to link to your instructin site?


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