Mini Fireplace Bellows

My dad made a mini “fireplace” one year at Christmas that was an old laptop behind a foam mantel and a piece of mesh as a grate.

The laptop played a YouTube video of a fireplace. We used to laugh because once in a while a hand would appear in the video to add or adjust a log.

One time I felt like giving it some decorations, so I made a log stack and Christmas stockings, got some mini string lights, and made a mini bellows that I was really proud of. For some reason I don’t have a picture of all the decorations, but the whole thing was really cute.

For the bellows, to start out with, I used wood veneer which I had left over from Christmas cards. That year I had wood burned designs on veneer for Christmas cards. I used it for the bellows because I could cut it with a scissors. I believe I used 2 pieces for each side glued together so it would be pretty rigid. The veneer bends pretty easily if it’s just one piece. I think the shellac also hardens it a bit (I put probably amber shellac on it IIRC as I was really into it at the time). I cut out 2 matching pieces and put a hole in one of them for the valve and another hole for the string.

I think I followed this Instructable to figure out how to make the valve and sides. The valve is just a flap of leather. I had some leather from something that I glued on. I used the same leather for the sides.

I put a bugle bead in for the air release area and then I braided some cord to put on the edges because they were kind of rough-looking. I also added that cord to the handles to keep them from coming apart.

It actually works, although it’s understandably a very tiny amount of air. 😀