Project #1.1....An Up Cycled Fire Pit

Projects!!!! Well to catch you up on the huge project that is my back yard, the deck frame is in place. It had to be in place before the pool could go up. Last night, a tractor was brought in and the ground where the pool will be, was scraped level. That will be new and novel since my my last pool became extremely un-level over time, earth movement and sand/dirt shifting. My last pool had an unintentional deep end which was almost six inches deeper than the rest of the pool. This could explain why the liner no longer fit!

Since last week, we have still had to dodge weather and work around work schedules (theirs not mine), but the deck frame is complete. After the pool is put up, then the deck boards will be put in place and finally the stairs and gates. These poor guys aren't going to know what to do with themselves when they don't have to drive to my house every day after work to put in another 6-8 hours. NOT! 

Last night when the tractor arrived, the guys let David give the tractor a spin. He had a ball. It wasn't all fun and games though as the ground is now pool ready. Hopefully today will start the pool set up and then we should be just days away from pool time beginning. I will be sure and keep you all posted as this project moves forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So as this huge project is going on, we have begun some smaller projects too. I think I may have mentioned that we were going to have a fire pit area. After a good bit of research and some Pinterest browsing, I finally came up with something I liked, was within my skill level and best of all was in my budget...free! Free always makes me happy.

Okay....this is where I forgot I was suppose to be documenting everything for this blog, so I forgot to take pictures along the way. However, I did take a finished project picture, so I guess I didn't completely drop the ball. I also planned to pull my how-to instructions from Pinterest but apparently I didn't pin them, so you will
jut have to take my word for how to build it. Again though....it is not rocket science and I have the completed picture for you. Here goes....

To make this fire pit, myself, Z and Z's girlfriend A, used a portable metal fire pit I already had. I had purchased it at a garage sale for about $10 several years ago. We had never used it much because a)it was portable and had a tenancy to move during high KS winds and b)it was just not very safe. The fire pit was on wheels and a stand with a base tray, a wire basket that fit into the base and then a lid. We proceeded to take it all apart and then when we got to the wheels and stand, I tried to unbolt them. Unfortunately after sitting in the outdoor elements for several years, the bolts were rusted on. I then allowed Z to take our trusty sledge hammer and beat the wheels and stand until they broke loose. This left holes in the bottom tray where the bolts had been which is fine because the tray needed to have the holes....I assume for ventilation.

We then laid the base on the ground and marked an area about 3-4 inches larger all the way around it. At this point, A and I began to dig the circumference we had marked and then we dug about 4-5 inches deep. We laid the base into the bottom of the hole and then put sand around the area between the edge of the tray and the edge of the dug out wall. Once this was done, we then reassembled the original fire pit putting the basket into the base and then covering the basket with the lid. After that, we took paver stones(we used 2x6x18 stones) and arranged the pavers around the fire pit building up the sides.

The completed project took less than 30 minutes and looks much better than the old fire pit and I believe it is also safer. I think I am going to fill the base with pea gravel or rock as most fire pits have some form of this in the bottom. The lid can also be removed and a grilling grate can be placed over the top to allow the fire pit to also double as a grill. Versatile and free....what more could a girl want???? I really can't wait to start putting our new creation to good use.

Currently with my torn up yard as the backdrop for this new up cycled creation, it doesn't look as amazing as I think it will when Project #1 is actually finished. Still though, it is something that we will be able to use and enjoy for a long time to come and will extend our outdoor season time, from early spring to late fall.

Okay....so there you have it. Since project #2 is actually going to be the basement room.....we will simply call the fire pit, Project #1.1! We are moving right along and progress is being made. So how are your summer projects going? Any you would like to share? You can either share them by commenting in the "comments" section of this blog or message or email me. I would love to see them and share them in my upcoming blogs.

Until next week.....wish us luck on Project #1!