Fifty Buck Fire Pit

My son is here visiting me and experiencing living in a tiny house for the first time. So far he really seems to like it and has decided his mother is not so nuts after all. In anticipation of his visit I made a list of projects we could do around the homestead together. Many of the projects are not hard, but require two people or some heavy lifting. The last few days in Oklahoma have been hot. Unseasonably hot. However, today a cold front moved in and I decided the first thing on the list should be building a fire pit to enjoy.

I had drawn a rough sketch of a fire pit inspired by one my friend built on the fly in her backyard. She used old concrete blocks and pavers she had left over from other projects. I made of list of what I needed and discovered I could build a fire pit that would be durable and deep enough to safely burn wood for a very reasonable price.

Off to our local home improvement store we went. They loaded up my trusty vehicle and we carefully drove back to the homestead. I let my son unload the heavy blocks since I am not allowed to lift any significant weight right now.

We picked a spot that looked fairly level and began by setting out two of the corner half blocks. We tried to duplicate my design idea, but ultimately found it didn't look very aesthetically pleasing. We played with them a bit and then my son came up with the final layout.

Row by row we lined up the blocks. My son leveled the area with dirt to make sure the blocks sat evenly. A couple of times he gave the blocks a kick, and found he had broken in the new boots we bought when he got here. Remember, one of the most important tools on a homestead is a good pair of boots. Anyway, he helped settle the blocks in place by giving them a few encouraging kicks.

Two blocks were added to the top row, which is finished with solid blocks, with their hollow sections open toward the fire. This allows folks to set their hot drinks in a place where they will be out of the wind and keep warm by the fire.

The final product looks good and is solid. I plan to finish it out with some bricks and rock. I will say it works great, is roomie enough to get a good fire going, and is just the right height to put your feet up while enjoying the radiant heat.

The total cost was about $50 (plus tax) and took us less than an hour to build! Take my advice; All homesteads need a good fire pit and this one is just the right price. It will not rust or fill with rain and should last a long time. We enjoyed sitting by it this evening as the sun set and the cold night descended.

Do you plan to have a fire pit? Have you built one or bought one commercially made? Tell other readers about it below.