Disclosure: This DIY post was inspired and sponsored by Acer in conjunction with the Seize The Idea campaign.
DIY Build a Backyard Fire Pit
We just moved less than a month ago and while Lisa has been inside unpacking the kitchen I’ve been enjoying the great view of the golf course we have out back. All my hard work got done in a matter of a few days and now I’m focusing outdoors. The other day I was searching on my Aspire Switch 11 for some backyard landscaping ideas while laying in the hammock and came across a few companies that were selling fire pits. I know that Lisa has been wanting one for some time so the wheels starting turning and I decided to seize the idea to build one. When it comes to backyard landscaping, fire pits are becoming ever more popular. Building your own fire pit can be inexpensive and easy depending on your skill level and how elaborate you want to make it. A friend of mine built his for $42. In this DIY post I’m going to show you how to build a fire pit for under $100 that should only take you a few hours to complete.
Before you head out the door to your local home improvement store to get materials be sure to scout out a suitable place in your yard to build a fire pit. Unless you are one of those fire bugs you don’t want to be too close to any buildings or under trees and you want to find as level ground as possible. This is the general area we decided to put ours.
When you decide on what sort of stone you want to use line them up in a circle right there in the store. Count how many stones you use to form a complete circle and multiply that number with every layer you would like to build. We decided to build ours 3 layers high. Be sure to measure the diameter of your fire pit while you have it set up in the store and record it for later.
When you get home with your materials the first thing you will need to do is carve out a perfect circle to lay your foundation. To make a perfect circle cut a piece of twine or string slightly larger than the diameter of your fire pit and attach it to something you can stick in the ground. Any old twig will do. Just pull it tight and use your shovel to carve out a circle. Remove the grass in the middle of the circle carefully and in sections and place them outside the circle. You can use the sections of grass you cut out to fill in problem areas in your lawn. Be sure to lay it down as soon as possible and water thoroughly to keep it alive!
After transplanting the grass you removed from the circle just level the area and dump in your rocks.
Loosely arrange your stones in the center of the circle and look at it first before you start stacking another layer. You want to make sure you have the stones centered as best as possible. When you have your first layer positioned where you want it make sure all the stones are level for the next layer. Just stack the stones and until you are finished.
You can use an adhesive between the stones to bind each layer of stone but it is not necessary. We decided not to just in case we ever wanted to move it.
Fire pits provide a functional and attractive gathering place in the backyard. Be sure to know your local building codes before you put a fire pit in your backyard because some areas can be particular about this sort of thing. Don’t go getting yourself in any trouble.
Since the dawn of humankind we have gathered around fire pits to talk about things, eat, and hang out. Isn’t it about time you built a fire pit of your own?
That does seem somewhat easy to do if you have a big backyard and a safe place to build it. I however live in an apartment so will not be building one any time soon!
That is a great pit! Friggin looks better than the one my husband and I built a couple of years ago! Now i want to make a new one 🙂
I cannot wait to show this to my husband when he gets home. We were just talking about this the other day and he said his next project was to put in a firepit! This looks easy and very inexpensive, I pinned it to Pinterest!
Thanks Rena….my husband is a work horse and he had it done in 4 hours…but I told him most guys would probably do it in 6 so over estimate time.
What a fun project! When we moved into our house last year, it already had a fire pit but I’ve been wanting to improve it. I’ll have to keep this for Spring when we can see it!
Share photos if you decide to upgrade we would love to see!
Awesome bit of DIY there! We built our own fire pit, but it doesn’t look anywhere near as nice as yours!
As long as it works!
my brother in law made his own outdoor fire pit. He also one upped you and made this chicken turner so he could barbeque several at a time and turn the rack with a crank switch
Wow, that’s impressive!
That is pretty good work there. I would love a firepit like that in my yard. Looks fairly simple to make too.
Really was easy Sharon and low cost too!
I love the idea. I’m in an apartment right now so not able to build one but had always wanted one in our other home.
Love all the step by step pictures!
Wow how cool that you built your own fire pit! I live in NYC and we can’t really do that. It was so cool to see it being built though. Thanks for sharing this!
Ah, yeah…we don’t advocate building these on balconies…but come visit FL and I’ll share.
This is neat. I can’t wait until I get a husband and we can work on projects like this. I’m sure you all will have tons of fun this spring and summer with this fire pit.
I know what my husbands summer project is going to be! I love this idea! thanks for sharing!
This is beyond cool. I sure wish my husband would build us one, but he probably wouldn’t. 🙁 Thanks for sharing. It doesn’t look all that difficult. Wonder if I could do it… hmmmmmm
Very cool! We love sitting outside int he spring, summer and fall around our firepit. They are great to have!!
Penny our old pit was way to big so this one is much more functionable!
I wish we had the space in the backyard for one of these!! This looks like you did a fantastic job!
Thanks Lisa, it’s perfect for those chilly nights we have been having lately.
I love fire pits. My friends and I built our last summer of HS 2010 and since then it’s always been a tradition to have at least 10 bonfires in the summer and early Fall ♥
Omg absolutely love it!!! When we moved into our house last summer we made our own fire pit as well… Looks pretty similar to the one y’all made!!
I love this idea. When I invest in a house, we are definitely going to have a fire pit.
This looks awesome and love how detailed this guide is but i do nothing i will be building anything on this scale anytime soon until i buy my own house with a big enough yeard
That is super. I want to do that in my back yard. It looks nice and is useful. Thanks for sharing