We don’t get many cool days here in South Florida. But if you have a yard, having a fire pit in the winter is an excellent way to enjoy family time and the cooler weather. Building one is not as hard as you think and makes for a fun project the whole family can participate in. Here is how we built a fire pit in our back yard for around $40 bucks and one trip to the local Home Depot. Here’s what you need:
(Caution: Never build a fire pit under power lines, trees, or close to a structure. Never leave a fire or kids near a fire unsupervised.)
- Shovel
- Level
- 26 Rectangle Brick Pavers (Click Here for Link) (I purchased 13 in red and 13 in tan for a two toned look)
- 9 Flat Concrete Stepping Stones 12 inch by 12 inch (Click Here for Link)
- 2 Bags of Pea Gravel (Click Here for Link)
My Other Article on How To Build a Butterfly Garden With Your Family While Preventing Entitlement!
Step 1
Dig a hole 38 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep. An easy way to do this is to put a stake into the ground at the center of your fire pit. Then with a tape measure or pre-measured string attached to the stake mark the edges with spray paint or with your shovel. It doesn’t have to be perfect as you can adjust and fill with gravel.
Step 2
Make sure the bottom of your hole is flat, compacted, and level. Have the kids stomp on the bottom to compact the soil and use the level to make sure it’s even. This is a great time to teach the kids about the level as long as you can do it in 12 seconds as that’s about how long my 6 year old’s attention span is.
Step 3
Line the edge with the brick pavers. I used exactly 26 and yours should be about the same. You can adjust the the placement and always fill spaces with the pea gravel.
Step 4
Once you’re happy with the bricks, fill the center of the fire pit with one bag of gravel. Have the kids help smooth out the gravel to fill the pit with about an inch deep layer.
Step 5
Dig out a 12 inch circle all the way around the outside of your fire pit. Only dip deep enough to reach the top of the brick pavers as seen in the picture below.
Step 6
Add the 9 square stepping stones evenly around the top edge of the fire pit with the corners touching. Once you are happy with the placement, fill the dirt in between with more pea gravel. That’s it!
You now can enjoy your very own fire pit for stories, keeping warm during those cold Florida nights haha, or for cooking hot dogs and marshmallows with the family. Hope you enjoyed this article. Please subscribe below for more great stuff and make sure to share as well!
