We Built a Fire Pit

Friends, we've lived in our home 11 years and we always had a spot at the back of our property where we would have bonfires, which were always a blast, I mean, we even used a pitchfork in an attempt to pop popcorn over it, (hmmm...may need to break that out again), BUT we've always wanted an actual fire pit.

My youngest daughter and I have been talking about it for the last year or so but hadn't done anything about it. My husband recently started mentioning it, I think for a few reasons....1)We've always talked about it. 2) Our daughter was talking about hosting a few parties up here for friends. 3) It would be a great way to have that daughter home more if we had a fire pit to host her friends at....lol. We also just love having people at our home. 

He visited a local company called Mutual Materials, brought home some pamphlets with ideas and types of materials, etc, to decide how we wanted it to look, and what colors we wanted. We also visited a newly opened spot in our home town for gravel and sand, called Bigfoot Bark, Rock and Supply.  We finally chose a style and a pre-made plan, because let's face it, life is busy and sometimes it's nice to have the thinking done for you, without the guessing of what materials are needed, how much, etc. Trust me, he could've done all that...he built our home after all and is very handy and good at this kind of thing. But time is valuable and this made it easy. He set aside an entire Saturday, and that's what it took and he and a buddy worked all day and into dark to finish it. It turned out awesome! Even the moles like it....(grrrr). 

I will say this, I looked FOREVER on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, anywhere to find some free or cheap material to use for this but I just didn't have any luck. And while my hubby likes a good deal, he also likes things to look really good....I joked with my daughter that the key is, if we procrastinate on a project long enough, eventually he'll take it on and it will turn out better than if we had done it. So, I'm all about being frugal and pinching pennies, and upcycling, etc..but sometimes my time is more valuable and we just go for it! Nothing wrong with that (if it's in our budget, because yes, we like nice things but we also stick to a budget..that's another post). 

Take a look at our new pit. I can't really share many tips because, well, I was just on the clean up and feed the workers crew...lol. 

Deciding location and layout. We decided just off the back porch would be great for easy access. 

 When this project was done, I hauled ALL of that sod away. Got my workout that day.

Once the area was cut out and leveled, we laid sand and gravel.

 Then they had to find the center! 

 These guys worked so hard! I kept them fed with snacks and burgers for dinner.

  Next they had to decide the pattern for the base stones.

 Next, the main stones were laid and we determined how high to make them. 

We used a heat resistant material to hold them in place. 

They worked til after dark! 

Finished product! Love it. 

Also...a mole likes our fire pit and has made more work for us since he keeps digging under the stones. We have to go back and fix some spots where the stones are caving in due to his digging.....we have an acre of land and he chooses HERE to do his digging! 

Now I have some leftover pavers, the gray and the red...what would you make with them?

My daughter has had a few birthday parties for friends since we put in the pit. It's fun having a yard full of young people. 

With Joy Unquenchable,