People love fire pits all through the year… it seems like fire is a universal draw! We’ve shared some different fire pit designs but not DIY outdoor fire pits and this one so cheap to make.
It uses an old washing machine drum, you add some legs and you’ve created a great little portable firepit. Perfect for camping trips or setting it on those cool nights to roast some marshmallows.
Here are two resources for making this portable firepit from a washing machine drum: Apartmenttherapy and theflourishingabode.com, has an excellent tutorial on how they made their portable fire pit, but sometimes the connection can be slow.
Basic Outdoor Fire Pit Projects
If you want to go camping at your backyard, consider learning how to do a simple outdoor fire pit for cooking your canned green peas and meat. Apart from using it as a campfire, this DIY project also serves as an instant outdoor fireplace in your backyard because your family can easily set it up.
Using a cooking grate you can create a temporary fire pit with the help of some rocks you found nearby. If you’d want this to serve as a permanent outdoor firepit, make use of cement and sealant.
First, gather the below materials:
- Rocks
- Gravel
- Shovel
- Cooking grate or barbecue grill
Follow the below steps to create this DIY outdoor fireplace for your yard.
- Lay out the rocks you collected. Mark the place where you will build the DIY fire pit. You may choose a smooth ground or concrete platform near the patio.
- Put down the first layer of rocks and arrange them in a circle.
- Arrange the largest rocks to form a ring. If you want to make it a permanent fire pit, apply cement and put the rocks together. Push the cement into crevices and spaces until you can no longer find any. You can smooth the edges, or leave it as it is if you prefer a rough texture. In one of your empty bucket, fill it with clean water and dip the sponge. Use it to wipe the down the excessive cement.
- For the second or middle layer, use the medium-sized rocks and do the same as the above.
- For the top layer, use the smaller rocks and arrange them on top. To those who want to set up a permanent outdoor fireplace, don’t forget to smear cement on top of the layer before you place the rocks for the top layer of your backyard fire pit.
- After you assembled the ring, fill it up with gravel but don’t go beyond the level of the bottom layer. This will prevent spread of fire, if ever plant life will start sprouting from the ground. For permanent fire pits, weatherproof the fire pit by using the brush to apply the cement sealant.
- Finally, add a few stones at the middle and form a circle. At the center is where you will put coal, wood or other combustible material. Light it up to create an ember. Add the chairs, tables, and other products you will need to complete the outdoor fireplace.
You can make use of grills or cooking grates made of stainless steel. After you set it all up, you can just turned it into a barbecue pit. If you want to roast, or sometimes use it as a wood-burning pit, do not permanently install the cooking grates.
Multiple Portable Fire Pit Ideas
Some DIY and inexpensive portable fire pit ideas for your yard.
Trolley Fire Pit
Using a chrome shopping cart, you can create a cool portable fire pit that will still look good after a number of burns. Just remove the plastic and rubber materials attached to the cart, modify the bottom frame, and add a bottom pan. You also need to add spark screen covers to keep the embers from flying.
It’s your choice to either add a barbecue grill or cooking grate inside. Use the base to carry bowls, coal, logs, and other materials. This portable fire pit looks great surrounded by flower pot or bowl.
Sand Fire Garden
This portable propane fire pit does not only allow convenience and ease while setting it up. Seeing the flames coming out of the from the sand adds beauty to a nice camping night.
You will need some shelf parts that fit together. Start off with regulator hose, propane tank, fittings, stainless steel fire ring and a huge wok. You just need to make a hole at the center of the wok, attach the fittings together, and make a stand.
Lastly, add the sand to the wok. Light the torch, and turn on the gas. You should land the flame on the sand and wait for a bit until the sand catches fire. You need to do all these steps correctly to ensure safety. You can visit this link for more info, or you can watch the video below.