While cool nights are trickling in for the rest of the country, here in San Francisco they are a way of everyday life. We've learned to adjust with cardigans and other forms of layering, but I think I'd prefer to sit around one of these little bad boys. And for $25, it's cheaper than most of my scarves and sweaters to boot.
Thankfully, the ingenius Karen from The Art of Doing Stuff attempted this project first. Not only can we be assured she worked through the kinks, we can also be confident that she found the cheapest way to built this fire pit and the most entertaining way to provide us with instructions.
Using the glass from cheap glass frames, an on sale metal planter, some "cheapo" grill grates, small rocks, marine silicone and gel fuel, Karen assembled this lovely fire pit in about an hour. The only way to make this fire pit even better...add a good friend and a couple of glasses of wine!
For full instructions with easy to follow photos, visit: The Art of Doing Stuff - How to Make a Personal Fire Pit For Cheap!
Image: Karen Bertelsen / The Art of Doing Stuff; found via Happiness Is...
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Comments (17)
It looks really cool, but I guess I'd rather put the time, effort and money into bricking up my own outdoor fireplace. I could then use real firewood, and I imagine that it would give off actual heat.
Not knocking her project (it's super cute and would rock in a living room), but I don't see an advantage if you're outdoors, especially in cooler climes like SF or Chicago.
What cool nights? Here in Birmingham, AL, it still feels like the beginning of August. It's supposed to be 98 here today and I could only dream of nights in the lower 60's, upper 50's. *sigh*
I love this! Is it safe for indoor use?
Although I have a fireplace, it would be so cool to have the fire theme echoed in an unexpected location.
OK - read the actual post - this IS safe for indoors as long as one buys the right type of fireplace gel. So, as soon as I get my LR remodeled, I'll make the perfect spot for one of these babies!
If (as Karen sates) the glass is indeed from photo frames, this is probably not very safe. I would strongly discourage the use of photo frame glass as it is quite thin, often has very sharp edges, and definitely not heat resistant, tempered or safety glass. Nice idea, I would love one, but not without proper glass.
Yes! OMG Please please do not use glass from picture frames! How incredibly irrespossible. Never mind the heat, glass from pictures frames is very fragile, and prone to breaking.
You should use tempered glass. I don't have a good suggestion as to where to get them, but where ever it is you do get them, you'll need to have them pre cut as its card to gut them.
Otherwise, this is a wonderful idea.
...non-tempered glass makes such cute little projectiles when the rocks heat up and explode...
Look nice but you would have to use fire proof glass (as others have pointed out). Does it actually provide any heat?
This is such a bad idea as executed...breathtaking! Still, the herd does need thinning sometimes.
You can probably find a safe, fire-rated chimenea on sale at this time of year, or even (at big-box stores) a returned or clearance fire pit. Or, just use a hibachi. Or light a few candles on a tray.
Perhaps just tie down a lit blowtorch and place a vase over it. From a pure safety standpoint you wouldn't be losing much.
Glass from cheap frames . . .
she's crazy, not "ingenius" (sp).
I assume they meant ingenious?
"...non-tempered glass makes such cute little projectiles when the rocks heat up and explode..."
My favorite party trick!
To everyone who seems to be concerned about the thin glass in this project: Regular glass does not "explode". Glass does not break from heat. It breaks from uneven heating or from very fast temperature changes. So unless you plan on heating up your fire pit and then jumping into your freezer with it you should be fine. Also, thin glass is LESS susceptible to uneven heating and cooling and is therefore less likely than thick glass to break. Perhaps before you judge, criticize and call people "crazy" you should do a little research. I'm actually fine with being called crazy ... just do it for the right reasons.
I do not post anything on my website that I haven't tested and researched. That indeed would be irresponsible. Hope that clears everything up. Thanks! - karen
www.theartofdoingstuff.com
Good for you Karen!!
@Karen. While I appreciate you response, my post, its not the heat, but the general fragility of glass in really cheap picture frames. While more expensive picture frames might have safety glass, that wont break into large pieces, often times glass from really cheap dollar store frames will break into large sharp shapes.
Hi Jose A! Sorry ... I wasn't referring to your post. This particular dollar store glass is fine! (Dollarama in Canada) No sharp edges, no thinner than glass from a regular picture frame. Thanks! - karen
My favorite thing about this is the lack of smoke :) Someone in our neighborhood has a fire pit that gets smoke in everyone's houses, and it has caused a lot of conflict. A nice alternative!