{"id":1451,"date":"2017-06-07T14:55:43","date_gmt":"2017-06-07T19:55:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplyseptember.com\/?p=1451"},"modified":"2019-01-30T11:34:09","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T16:34:09","slug":"babyprooffireplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simplyseptember.com\/staging\/2017\/06\/07\/babyprooffireplace\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Baby Proof a Fireplace: DIY Hearth Cushion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let me guess… you’ve heard it from the pediatrician, you’ve heard it from your well-meaning parents, and you’ve heard it from your mommy\/daddy friends, not to mention you’ve had that nagging feeling that you know… YOU NEED TO BABY PROOF YOUR HOME! And most importantly you need to baby proof a fireplace!<\/p>\n

So you get to work and before you know it, all outlet covers are in place, child locks are on door knobs, gates are up and heavy furniture is secured to your wall. You are done, right?! Wrong!<\/p>\n

How the heck<\/strong> do<\/strong> you\u00a0baby proof a fireplace?! Specifically, that dangerous hearth. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t you worry, I’ve got you covered!<\/p>\n

* Affiliate links are included\u00a0in this post. All this means, is that if you click on one of those links and purchase something, I may receive a small commission. However, you will not pay a penny more- promise!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"DIY<\/p>\n

Raised Hearth<\/h4>\n

Now, if your specific fireplace has a raised hearth that is off the ground, baby proofing the edges may not be quite as difficult as you may think. In fact, you can simply purchase a hearth cushion that is created in the form of padded tape<\/a>. This tape<\/a> is applied along all edges of the hearth and comes\u00a0as a large roll along with individual corners. As you can imagine, this prevents your kiddo from getting hurt by falling\/bumping directly into the hard and sometimes sharp edges.<\/p>\n

Gating Off the Entire Fireplace<\/h4>\n

Perhaps you just don’t want to take any risk and desire a product that allows you to secure off the entire fireplace premises, keeping your little one away from the fireplace at all times. Then a fireplace gate<\/a> would be right for you.\u00a0This product<\/a> makes sure that your little one can get nowhere near the fireplace; however, provides a door for you to easily get in and out.<\/p>\n

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Baby Proofing a Flush Fireplace Hearth<\/h4>\n

What happens when you don’t wish to gate off your entire fireplace (perhaps you feel it isn’t necessary given your little one’s behavior or perhaps either space or your home decor doesn’t allow for it)?<\/p>\n

What if you don’t have a raised hearth that can be padded with a hearth guard cushion tape as featured above?<\/p>\n

What if you have a flush fireplace hearth, where instead the hearth\u00a0is level with that of the surrounding floor?<\/p>\n

If this sounds like you, then you are not alone. I had this exact same dilemma and have the perfect solution for you! You can baby proof a fireplace in no time!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Background<\/h5>\n

When it was time to baby proof our home, I just couldn’t seem to wrap my head around how to properly baby proof a fireplace. While I wasn’t as concerned about the heat element of the fire (we decided to take a hiatus from actually using our fireplace on a regular basis while our kiddos are little), I was quite alarmed at the fact that our brick flush fireplace hearth was a huge hazard. I couldn’t help but to visualize injury upon injury that could occur (rolling and hitting her head, crawling and hurts her knees, walking and falling onto it… OUCH!).<\/p>\n

\"DIY<\/p>\n

I searched and searched for\u00a0a product that\u00a0would provide safety but also not be a huge eye-sore in that this product would be used for quite some time (rolling, crawling, walking, playing, etc.) and was viewable in our main living space. You may find it hard believe (or perhaps you may not if your unsuccessful search has landed you on this post in search of an answer) that there is not a product for flush fireplace hearths! Say what?! \u00a0I know, I know… this may not sound like a big issue in the scheme of all things parenting; however, if you are trying to do your due diligence in the form of baby proofing, then I’m sure you get where I am coming from. It is important to baby proof a fireplace!<\/p>\n

\"DIY<\/p>\n

\"DIY<\/p>\n

My solution to baby proof a fireplace<\/h5>\n

When my search yielded limited results, I decided to temporarily fix the issue by laying pillows and blankets along the fireplace hearth. However, I knew this was not a permanent fix as 1) there was no way the Type A side of me would allow blankets to line my fireplace for years to come and 2) I knew these would easily move and would not provide the ultimate level of safety. Fortunately, these loose pillows and blankets did inspire a solution to my issue. A solution that not only was cosmetically suiting to me but also provided ample fireplace hearth safety! I decided to create a padded and weighted hearth cushion as the ultimate way to baby proof a fireplace.<\/p>\n

\"DIY<\/p>\n

\"DIY<\/p>\n

\"DIY<\/p>\n

Making Your Own<\/h4>\n

In order to make this cushion, you should expect to put in a little legwork and give up a couple hours of your day. However, the end result will be worth it, promise!<\/p>\n

In order to make this product, you will need:<\/h5>\n