LED Log Fire With Glowing Embers

In this tutorial I will share how I made my LED Log Fire With Glowing Embers for the Fairytale Treehouse's kitchen oven.

You'll Need:

• LED or dollhouse lights
• Scrap Cardboard
• Railroad Gravel or other "ash" (see suggestions below)
• Water Bottle Cap or Similar Clear or Opaque Protective Cover
• Black and White Paint
• Sharpie Markers In Your Choice of Red/Orange/Yellow and/or Blue
• Tacky Glue
• Hot Glue Gun and Hot Glue Stick
• Small Twigs for Fire Logs

For my lights, I used two Evan Designs E53852 red chip LEDs. You can use any bulb compatible with your wiring system, and they can be colored with the Sharpie permanent marker color of your choice.

You will need a base to adhere your fire elements to. For my base, I used a piece of a cereal box cut to fit inside my oven. I punched a hole for the wires, then painted it black.

I fed the two LED lights through the hole...

Then secured to the back of the base with masking tape.

You will need something to protect the lights from the logs. I used a water bottle lid because it is opaque and small. I applied hot glue to the edge of the bottle cap, centered it over the LEDs then pressed in place until the hot glue cooled.

As a supplement to the red LEDs, and to add to the warm firelight glow, I colored the bottle cap with orange and yellow Sharpie markers. You could also use red and blue to emulate flames.

Next, I applied a thick layer of Fast Grab Tacky Glue around the outside of the bottle cap, with some of the glue rising up toward the top of the cap in a few places. I placed the assembly inside a lid so that I could contain...

The railroad gravel that I poured onto the glue. Press the gravel into the glue so that it grabs hold. Shake off the excess and pour back into the bottle of gravel. 

*If you don't have railroad gravel, you could use aquarium pebbles, silica beads, crafting beads or Styrofoam balls. Just be creative - you'll find something!

The railroad gravel mimics the ash from the fire logs once they have been burnt. The farther away from the fire, the lighter the ash. Using a mix of white and black paint, color your ashes. I used an old paintbrush, picked up a small amount of paint, dabbed off the excess and then pounced it randomly across the gravel. I have a white ring moving into gray and then black as it gets closer to the fire.

Next, add your logs. Mine are dead branches from a Huckleberry bush that I foraged on a hike. You can use any type of branch or twig cut to length. Using the same paint from the gravel, dab on areas where the logs have caught fire and burnt. I used hot glue applied to the log and then placed it on top of the bottle cap. Keep stacking until you are happy with the size of your fire. I left space between my logs so that the flame light would come through.

Here is what your log fire with glowing embers will look like.

Here is mine placed in the oven of the Fairytale Treehouse.

And with the door installed and ambient lighting...

I hope you'll have fun making your own log fire with embers!

xo xo,

Jodi