Creative Ideas on What You Can Use for a Fireplace Grate

Family Name Fireplace Grate

• Personalize your fireplace with a fireplace grate that features your family's surname at the front of the grate. From a website such as FindGift, you can order up to 12 letters or characters to spell out a name or perhaps an inspirational word such as "faith" or "dream." The grate is fire-retardant and comes in black. It will hold coal or wood but not gas logs.

Fireplace Andirons

• Andirons originated in the 1500s and make a unique alternative to traditional fireplace grates. An andiron is a metal bar, typically made from iron, bronze or steel, that is positioned horizontally to hold logs in a fireplace. Two andirons typically form what is known as a firedog. Andirons may be ornately decorated or they can feature symbols such as the Phoenix or Egyptian Sphinx. Consider having your own andirons made with a symbol that represents your family's ancestry or interests.

Cats

• Cat lovers will appreciate a pair of black, cast iron andirons in the shape of a cat sitting on a piano-legged stool. There are holes for their eyes so that you can see the fire burning through them. These cat andirons are made of wrought iron with a matte black powder-coat finish for durability.

Deer Heads

• Hunters will enjoy cast iron deer head andirons for a fireplace grate. They resemble the antlers on a deer's head and feature a graphite powder-coat finish that looks like iron. Each deer head andiron has a third leg in the middle to prevent any sagging from heavy firewood, and it will also keep logs from rolling out.