Nearly every fire pit in this gallery costs between $50 and $150. The secret to these low costs is the basic building materials used to form the fire pits, such as bricks, pavers, concrete, and retaining wall blocks. You can make fire pits from repurposed materials such as metal planters, flower pots, steel receptacles, and even glass.
Fire Pit Fuel Sources
Gel canisters designed for fireplaces or low-combustion pressed wood logs can supply the fire’s fuel in most smaller fire pits. You can use real wood logs or charcoal in the larger pits. Be sure to check with local air quality restrictions on burning wood outdoors. So they purchased retaining wall blocks from their local home improvement store and stacked them four tiers high, using the lawn as the pit’s floor. To increase the oxygen flow, they cut one of the blocks in half and placed each half on opposite sides near the bottom of the ring to form the necessary vents. Retaining wall blocks effectively form the pit walls thanks to their angled sides, creating a perfect circle without gaps. A trip to Home Depot cost them around $50 for retaining wall blocks, sand, and pavers. They first laid a ring of blocks, maintaining a diameter of 33 inches, then installed pavers for the floor. A quick sweep of sand across the pavers was enough to lock them in place and prevent the blocks from shifting. The project did not include grout, mortar, or concrete, making it a perfect starter masonry project. The hardest part was paring down some pavers with a hammer to create a circle. Kaysi used a hammer and masonry chisel, making sure to wear heavy gloves and safety glasses. Lucy, who blogs at Lucy’s Lampshades, turned her old koi pond into a DIY fire pit for outdoor gatherings. She was ready for the change since raccoons and owls tended to gobble up the fish. The transformation was simple, and it took a layer of sand, a covering of rocks, plus firewood in the middle to start the party. She glued the sheets of glass together with marine silicone, then placed the four-sided glass structure into a rectangular metal planter. A grate was placed on the bottom for gel canisters to fuel the flames. Karen notes that if you cannot find a metal planter like hers, a terra cotta planter will work equally as well. For this DIY fire pit, Deb McDaniel at Evansville Living sprayed the inside of the container with non-stick cooking spray and poured in quickly setting concrete. Set one or more gel fuel canisters into the wet concrete to create the right-sized space (coat the canister with non-stick cooking spray for easy removal). Place rocks or beach glass into the still-wet, pliable concrete mix for a sparkling finishing touch. When the concrete dries, remove the container (gently break it apart if necessary or glide the concrete out of the container) for your unique fire pit. Two full-size grills rest atop a ring of retaining wall blocks, allowing Stacy to cook anything from steaks and kebabs to s’mores. Extending the use of the fire pit ensures that it can be used for more than just the summer season.
