Easy Tabletop DIY Fire Pit

Fourth of July: It’s all about fireworks, flags and parades, and family cookouts – including marshmallows roasted over the fire. But here in Florida, a fire in July is the last thing anyone wants (it’s plenty hot enough already)… but we still want to make s’mores! So for my holiday cookout, I wanted a DIY fire pit small enough to be used on a tabletop, just big enough for roasting marshmallows but not big enough to add even more heat to the inferno of a Florida summer.

This tabletop DIY fire pit could not be easier to assemble, and the options are just about endless. You only need a few items, and the whole project can cost as little as $10 (or much higher, depending on the items you choose).

I used a simple ceramic bowl I already on hand (I prettied it up a bit for the holiday with some adhesive stars and gems). I fell in love with fire glass the first time I saw it (it’s special glass that’s heat-tempered so it doesn’t crack or melt around fire), so I splurged a little on 5 pounds of these cobalt blue gems. They didn’t quite fill my container, so I added aquarium gravel at the base and nestled 3 cans of Sterno cooking fuel down into it. Then I added the fire gems around the cans, and it was time to get cooking!

Follow the instructions on the fuel cans to light them, and be sure your container is set on a heat-resistant surface (or use a cork trivet underneath). These cans of Sterno Cooking Fuel, which I found at the grocery store, give off a fairly low flame that’s not very visible, so I think the next time I do this I’ll buy one with a more obvious flame, like Sterno Wick Chafing Fuel. However, this fuel is still just perfect in my tabletop DIY fire pit for making s’mores!

Happy Fourth of July!