Fire Pit: DIY Ideas to Light Up Your Outdoor Space

by Century 21 Rauh & Johns 11/18/2021

Having a backyard fire pit gives you a great place to sit around with family and friends on summer nights or cooler nights. Although fire pits are sold in many stores, building your own gives you more control over how it looks. You can design your own fire pit, construct it yourself, and set it up to use right away. If you’re not sure of what kind of fire pit to build, the following ideas can get you started.

In-Ground

Fire pits can be built above ground, but they don’t have to be. You can build an in-ground fire pit for a cozier feel in your yard. Just make sure you check for underground utilities before you dig. Your in-ground fire pit should be placed in a spot that’s far enough away from your home to reduce the risk of home fires. For in-ground fire pits, you’ll also need to make sure the area you choose won’t have pooling water when it rains. You can make your in-ground fire pit as big or as small as you need it to be. You can also choose different shapes for the design, such as circular, oval or rectangular.

Custom Shape

When you’re making a DIY fire pit, you can get as creative as you want in terms of its appearance. Your fire pit can have a traditional square or circular shape, or you can choose a more unusual shape, such as triangular or octagonal, to make your fire pit stand out more. Having a custom-shaped fire pit also gives you the option to put it in an area of your yard that has an odd layout.

Ring Shape

A ring-shaped fire pit allows you and family or friends to comfortably sit on all sides for warmth. Building this shape of fire pit can create a cozy feel compared to fire pits with angular shapes. You can also get creative with a circular fire pit design, such as building a back on it on one side or stacking bricks in an unusual pattern.

Fire Pit Grill

You can combine your DIY fire pit with a grill if you want to save space in your yard. Instead of having a separate grilling station and fire pit, having both in one frees up room while also providing a convenient spot to grill hot dogs or other foods while sitting around the fire. A fire pit grill is an ideal choice if you typically enjoy spending a lot of time grilling.