Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Cozy Space for Outdoor Entertaining

Our friends enjoying our finished product last Halloween


When warm days start turning into chilly nights, your evenings are numbered for outdoor entertaining. There is nothing better than keeping your party going by lighting up a fire pit, roasting some smores and keeping the conversations flowing.

My husband and I are not handy people. Not even an ounce, usually we rely VERY heavily on our two brother in laws - we are lucky that one is a contractor and one is an electrician - we definitely scored in that department! (Thanks Brad & Brian!) However, after watching a step by step video on good ol' Lowe's website, we felt confident enough that we could turn some run-of-the-mill stones blocks and a fire pit bowl into something we could use for backyard entertaining.

First step, take the mesh cover off the fire bowl and place it exactly where you want to start building. Start layering the blocks in a circle surrounding the cover.



Second step - Once you have the first layer around, take the cover out of the center. To start building the second level, staggering each one from the bottom layer as you go. For this particular bowl (35" across) each layer will take 16 blocks.




You can do as many layers as you choose - we did 4 so it would be a bit higher up.

Next, if your fire came assembled as ours did, you will want to remove the legs so you just have the bowl. Most of them will come without the legs on, ours only did because it was a floor model - last one in the store. Place the bowl on top of the stacks and make sure there is enough overhang all around it to secure that it won't fall in.




Eventually we would love to get some snazzy furniture to put around it, but for now, our $17 Ace Hardware adirondack chairs will have to do!


Grab some outdoor throw pillows and some candles and you have instant ambience! You can change up decorations for the different seasons or events.



Cost Breakdown:
64 Stone Rocks from Lowes = $2.48 ea minus 10% coupon = $143
Fire Pit Bowl - $60 on sale
Adirondack Chairs - $68
Total = $271
Not bad considering what some people pay for fancy fire pit installations. Another plus? Its not cemented down so its easily moveable for when we decide exactly what we are going to do do with our backyard.

1 comment:

  1. That looks so cozy and comfy! And the price is right.
    xoxo
    SC

    ReplyDelete

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