12 DIY Outdoor Fire Pit Ideas

Ready to take your backyard bonfire from a simple stone circle into the breathtaking DIY outdoor fire pit of your dreams?

Picture relaxing with your friends and family around a campfire area complete with a paver patio, cedar lawn chairs, and fairy lights encapsulating the space around you. Sounds amazing? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you’re looking to create a designated fire pit spot to gather around on chilly nights or a chic tabletop with a glass stone centerpiece eager to be set ablaze, below you’ll find the best of DIY outdoor fire pit ideas to have you roasting marshmallows over an open flame in no time. 

If this fire pit doesn’t scream cozy campfire under the stars, we don’t know what does! Pea gravel, sand, and stones were used to create the patio base of this all-encompassing entertaining space, where three layers of decorative stones make up the circular pit.

The backyard retreat is then furnished with lawn chairs (spray painted black for a modern look), a s’mores making station, and fairy lights strung from cedar poles held in place by cement bases. 

Perhaps crafting an entire swinging pergola from the ground up isn’t your forte. But maybe a backyard fire pit that is a bit more low key and can be built on a budget might just be up your alley.

Take this simple yet ultramodern campfire area for instance. The project was completed in one day and added up to a total expense of $530 for the maker.

Now let’s say you already have a fire pit and it’s quite run down. You’ll be happy to know that there’s a DIY for you too and it can cost less than $200.

This project sees an old fire pit receive a fresh update by removing the top of the pit from the base and retiling it. In order to fit three rows of the black glossy tiles, a wooden frame (spray painted black to match both the tiles and base) was built to extend the tabletop.

This fire pit area used to be a dull space with uncomfortable tree trunk benches surrounding the hexagon pavers. But simply updating the seating to navy lawn chairs and a pair of white porch benches created a huge difference.

The DIY element of the project is the wood holder that also functions as a convenient table perfect for housing your marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate.

You can’t live by the lake and not have a cozy fire pit area that warms you up on a brisk fall night. It’s the unwritten rule that makes this fire feature project so appealing. To begin, the carved out fire spot features a pea gravel patio rather than stone. Gravel somehow feels much more rustic than pavers.

From there, the comfy charm of the campfire space was elevated by the set of lounging Adirondack chairs, wooden bench, array of lanterns and throw blankets, and of course, the premade fire pit smack dab in the middle.

Have an existing fire pit that doesn’t have a home but has instead sat in practically every part of your yard because it’s lacking a designated bonfire area? Sounds familiar?

Well, if you’re tired of thrusting your outdoor fire feature around, it’s time to finally DIY the inviting campfire spot your home has been craving. First and foremost, start your project by claiming the perfect patch of your backyard as the allotted place you’ll want your fire pit to permanently reside.

Next, decide on your theme. If you’re aiming for a relaxing space, considering choosing lounging outdoor furnishing, like the Adirondack chairs above.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to accessorize. We’re talking cozy wool blankets, patterned throw pillows, potted plants all around, and even a s’mores making station set up on a DIYed table.

A conversation area by day and bonfire by night, this modern chic DIY outdoor fire pit area proves how easy it can be to turn a small section of your deck into a warm and inviting backyard paradise enjoyed by everyone in the family.

The cozy look is complete with black and white sofas, a subtle patterned rug, greenery for a pop of color, and string lights to tie the entire space together.

Using pavers to create the perfect DIY outdoor fire pit area is the typical route most homeowners chose for their backyard space. And while one husband and wife duo decided to take on the same project, they opted for a slightly different path — an in-ground fire pit as opposed to one built up with stones.

The result is a large pit that seats eight chairs comfortably around it.

Does your yard back onto a wooded area? If so, first, we’re super jealous. And second, this DIY outdoor fire pit was literally made for your home. The entire project is budget-friendly utilizing furnishings you already own.

The fire pit, for example, is simply made out of a galvanized steel ring but practically any metal container can serve as a fire pit — even a wheel barrel!

A fire feature crafted from the ground up out of bricks may be the most orthodox of DIY outdoor fire pit ideas. But what isn’t all that typical is using those same bricks to create a sitting wall that not only divides your campfire area from the rest of your backyard but also provides plenty of seating around the open flame. 

Okay, so maybe this ultramodern space that features a large white brick fire pit and an outdoor sofa set isn’t the most realistic of backyard fire pits, but it’s nice to dream every once in a while.

Imagine roasting marshmallows and sipping rosé by the open flame while admiring the mountain view all around you. We’re swooning at the thought!

It’s finally time to recycle those leftover bricks from your latest home project into the backyard fire pit oasis you’ve always wanted. The simple DIY only requires three materials — bricks, landscaping construction adhesive, and gravel.

Consider furnishing the area with outdoor seating, potted plants, and string lights for a total backyard transformation, much like this fireside retreat.