Easy German Smear Fireplace Makeover

Hey there!  So sorry I missed posting last week, I was busy enjoying my time off!  *wink*

Today I have something that I recently completed just in time for Christmas decorating!  Yep, I'm already decorating for Christmas! Woohoo!

I German Schmeared my fireplace, well my best friend and I did and I LOVE IT!  I do not know why I didn't do it sooner!

It was so easy to do and there was very little mess to deal with.  Right or wrong, this is how I did my version of German Smear.

This was my fireplace before.  I thought it was kind of ok, but honestly, the first thing I said when I walked into this house while looking to purchase was that I would have to paint the fireplace.  It was just too dark for my liking.  Not anymore though!

Somewhere in the past someone had swiped that top row of bricks with white paint and it was really bugging me and I would notice it again and again.

Ok, let's get started:

I used blue painter's tape and taped off the entire outline of the work area because I didn't want anymore booboos to look at.

These were my supplies.  Very little needed to achieve such a big makeover.  I spent less than $30 for everything I needed too!

SUPPLY LIST:

All purpose joint Compound (This bucket was WAY too much for my small job, just so you know)

Plastic Wall Scraper, I got the 3 and 4 inch sizes

Chip brush, 3 inch size

Blue Painter's Tape

I started at the top and worked my way down to the bottom.  I used very little joint compound on my scraper and then dabbed and swiped it on lightly.  Every now and again I would make some bricks heavier than others.

There really is no right or wrong way to apply the compound because it is up to you on how you want the end results to look.

I highly suggest stepping back away from your project and making sure its all looking the way you want it to every now and again.  I would tweak the thickness of the compound as I saw needed.

After I had the entire fireplace covered like I wanted it, I went back in with the chip brush and added more compound to the grout lines.  I also use the brush to swipe over a few places that looked too thick.

I gave the mantle a fresh coat of white enamel paint to brighten it up and then waited until the next day to decorate.

Tah Dah!

Like I said, this may or may not be the correct way to do this treatment, but its how I did it and I love the end results and that's all that matters, right!

If you try this treatment or have tried it before, let me know what you think.

If you loved any of these ideas and want to save them for later, be sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board.  I have a Pinterest board set up for all kinds of Christmas Decor ideas and it's called Cool Yule.  I'm pinning something new on Pinterest every day. Won't you join me?

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