Keeping kids toasty warm (and in ready supply of smores) was key to keeping the party going. At my house, I have a permanent fire-pit/ BBQ, but it isn't mobile and this party called for something that we were able to pick up and move easily into the back yard. Short on time and unwilling to spend much, I shopped extensively and found these picks for contenders.
• The Square Ore Fire Pit is beautiful and I loved its modern lines and rusty finish, but the price (at around $1100) while reflective of its hand crafted quality was more than I was up for.
• I also considered the Big Bowl of Zen by John Unger. While a little less expensive (but not enough for my budget), it still has the rust I craved and the modern lines, but lacked an easy way to move it from place to place. I think this is an excellent choice for a stationary piece.
• Modfire's cool shapes and colors also caught my eye, but they also lacked the mobility feature and it looks remarkably too similar to my permanent firepit. But the modern twist on a classic chiminea shape is so great for a fire feature it was hard to dismiss.
• On the totally 'in my budget' end of the spectrum, I happily came across the Urban fire Hot Spot which for the price of 65 GBP is a great pit in a pinch. But, I was unable to find it in the USA.
• So I finally settled on the Hayneedle rubbed bronze outdoor firepit. It was delivered in two days, was put together in about 10 minutes and it served the purpose perfectly. It's lightweight, but very strudy, and even came with a cover, all for about $150 dollars (if you like this one shop around -- these are readily available at a variety of websites and can vary in price by about $30).
Add a pile of blankets, and the party was perfect.
Images: 1. & 7. Rochelle Greayer; All others as credited above.
Dirty Little Secrets of Tidy Families
Hillary & Michael's Refined Roost
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Nomade Express Slee...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Summer Cocktail Staple: Campari & IPA Spritzer
Absolutely adorable...I love this idea. I can't wait for my daughter to be a little older so we can try it. Thanks for sharing.
I live in Brooklyn - and I guess I should have known better- but I build a small fire in my backyard over the weekend while having a bbq with friends.
The fire department was at my front door within 15 minutes.
Woops.
We'll be doing this at my house in a couple of weeks for a housewarming party. We'll have pumpkin carving in the garage, a bonfire in the back, and who knows what else!
It's also a good opportunity to set up the tent, air it out, sweep it and check the seams before packing it up for the winter.
For those outside a big city:
* Pick up larger rocks and place in your trunk when you are out driving on weekends...have your children eyeball these for you.
* In your back yard select a spot that has no overhanging tree branches.
* Dig a hole at least 16 inches deep and 24 to 36 inches across or wider
* Surround hole with large rocks you have collected.
Now that is a genuine fire pit.
For those of you who would like to have something smaller that "looks" more modern - utilize and recycle the metal centre of a automobile tire. You may be able to locate these at your local garage or tire shop. Your resulting fire pit will of course be smaller.
@G Speaks: Do you have any ideas for building a fire pit on a concrete patio?
Hello to everyone on AptTherapy! :) My first comment/question ever: I found a huge stainless steel bowl at the LongBeach Vet's stadium flea market... I had no idea what to with it, but I couldn't resist it's 'bigness'! I want to use it as a firebowl, but a couple people have said the heat will either warp or discolor it... any thoughts??
I could line the bottom with beach sand to protect it... until I find out for sure it holds a big collection of fat candles, but I want a roaring fire!
And tuxedo, good point: check your city ordinances for restrictions on open fires everyone :)
Fire pit on a concrete patio:
Find someone that still has a charcoal briquette
barbeque that they no longer use Take the legs off and place on the patio. You may also locate one of these antiques at a "freecycle site" in your geographical area or at a local landfill.
I found the Hot Spot Urban Fire Pit from a company in Florida...
http://www.aniks.com/Patio-Accessories/Hot-Spot-Urban-Fire-Pit.html
Be warned though, the website is hard to navigate!
@G speaks: I just so happen to own not one but TWO of these antiques! HA!
I like the idea of using the old bbq. If you are looking for something a bit smaller for the tabletop though, these are good:
http://www.lamplust.com/portable-fireplaces-c-1_121.html
we had a friend make a double-walled one from steel and we filled the insides with decomposed granite -- the steel and fabrication cost $300 and it's pretty kick-a$$. the plans are here.
We were lucky to inherit a big, granite fireplace in our backyard. I've been dying to bust out the s'mores this fall! Maybe this weekend.
You can see it here: (gotta scroll alllll the way to the end. Need to work on my HTML jump skills)
http://thenestinggame.com/nest-tour/
Make one from a washing machine drum on bricks!
Me and my wife just hosted a grandkids sleep over, and we watched an outdoor movie. We recently bought a fire pit online from http://www.firepitsandrings.com and it worked out great for making s'mores afterward. Anyone have a good idea for hot dog roasters?