Lay a fresh sheet of tissue paper on a table before you. Pinch it gently in its center. Holding on to the sheet, whip your hand up quickly and gently catch the tissue paper. The force of pulling the tissue through the air should shape your tissue paper into a flame or bouquet shape. Handle it gently - it’s easy to deform.
If you have time, as an extra touch, try lightly soaking the paper towel rolls in water, crushing them in your hand, and allowing them to dry before drawing wood grain lines on them. This will give them a wrinkled, realistic appearance, mirroring real logs.
You may find that conventional bulbs give a better effect than LED bulbs. LED bulbs usually give off a “white” light and can be quite bright, while conventional bulbs can have a warmer, slightly dimmer, more natural “yellow” glow.
When it comes to cutting flames, you have several options. You may want to cut many thin strands of fabric to give your fire a thin, “wisp-y” appearance, or, alternatively, you may want to cut a flat flame-shaped sheet for a more robust look. You can even create a 3-dimensional flame by using a tented piece of fabric open at the bottom – however, if you do this, be sure to cut several holes at the top for the air to pass through or you’ll have a “fat”, stationary flame.
If you’re using the “tented” flame described above, attach each side of its open bottom to two dowels so that its bottom is held slightly open. This allows air to flow through, inflating the flame. Note - to be clear, flames should be attached to the long, round side of a dowel - not either end.
You may find that it’s easiest to put your fake fire directly in front of an electrical outlet so that the fan’s cord can’t be seen stretching across the floor.
If you don’t have real logs at your disposal, don’t worry - you can make fake lightweight logs by cutting pool noodles into short sections and wrapping these in construction paper. Another good idea is to mimic the appearance of “coals” by piling a string of LED or Christmas-style lights beneath the fire. The effect is best if you can find red or orange lights or if you put a layer of red or orange cellophane over the lights. [6] X Research source
