I love our fire pit but honestly, when we aren’t using it, I think a fire pit cover is necessary…and I’ve been really wanting to make one!
You know, something to cover that gaping hole when we aren’t sitting around a fire…
When we have friends and family over from March to November, we gravitate out doors. When it’s too warm to use the fire pit why not use it as a serving table!? And since I was planning a table top for the fire pit…why not design it to serve a dual purpose?
After brainstorming a few ideas, Mike and I partnered with 3M DIY to make this:
It’s a cover…
It’s a game-board…
And, it’s a table…
I guess this little fire pit cover serves a triple purpose!
I have some photos that show you how to make one, just in case you might want to cover your fire pit!
The Husband thought we should use cypress wood since this cover will be out in the elements. Cypress is resilient to moisture and temperature so it’s a perfect choice for an outdoor project. (If you don’t have a lumber source, another good choice for this project would be marine plywood, which you can find at any home improvement store.)
Here’s What You’ll Need:
Cyprus wood- how much depends on the size of your fire pit.
Wood Screws
Semi Transparent Stain
Paint
Sanding Sheets
Including new 3M™ Ultra Flexible Sanding Sheets and Sponges
(Coming soon to a home center near you!)
Painters Tape
Duct Tape
For the Checkers:
Mason Jar Lids or Unfinished Round Wood Circles
Paint
Measure your fire pit and cut your wood into pieces that will make a large square with plenty of room to cover the opening.
If you want to keep this super simple, just use wood glue in-between each plank and clamp to hold them tight until the glue dries. (You’ll add additional support in just a minute!)
If you do a lot of DIY projects you may have a Biscuit Joiner or a Domino Joiner. If you have one, use it to join the wood!
The Husband used his Domino Joiner…
And then added wood glue and clamped the pieces together until they were dry…
When the wood glue is dry – unclamp and working on the BACK of your piece, find the center and mark it with a pencil!
Screw a wood screw into your center mark…DO NOT go all the way through the wood.
Tying one end of a string to the screw, wrap the other end of the string around a pencil and pulling the string tight, slowly draw a circle- Make certain the circle is the right size to cover the opening in your fire pit.
Using a Jigsaw, cut around your pencil mark!
***If you decided to join your wood using only wood glue…you’ll need to add two or three 1×2 pieces of wood to the back to help secure the wood..(Check to make certain your 1 x 2 is positioned so that you can sit it on top of the fire pit and it remains stable and not wobbly!)
Now it’s time to sand!!!
When I sand a project, I like to have several options…
I started with my hand sander and 120 grit to smooth over the top and sides… (you can use a router to soften the edges if you have one.)
Where some of the wood connected and on edges I needed to do more detailed sanding, so I tried this:
3M™ Ultra Flexible Sanding Sheets
… and they’re completely user friendly! They bend and contours so they’re super easy on your hands and perfect for tight spaces! (It’s like a cloth but it sands! This is my new favorite thing!)
I also tried out the 3M™ Ultra Flexible Sanding Sponge, which also bends and makes sanding contoured places easy. It’s comfortable to hold and sands smooth.
After the sanding it’s time to stain! I mixed 2 semi transparent stains, one white and one dark gray. I wanted a beachy look and these two mixed together gave me a perfect soft blue/gray.
I brushed on the stain…left it for a minute or three and gently wiped most of it off…
You could leave the top just like this because really, it’s beautiful with the wood grain showing through. But if you want to add a game board to your table, there are a few more steps!
To make the checker board pattern, I first measured a square. (big enough to hold my checkers-which are Mason Jar lids!)
Also, keep in mind there are 64 squares on a checker board-8 rows with 8 squares each.
The measurements depend on the size of your fire pit cover and the size of your checkers. This part can get tricky-try not to over-think it! I decided to use black on half the squares and leave the other half natural-After doing the math I measured a row of squares and using a yardstick and chalk I outlined the checkerboard. Then using my painters tape I taped off one row at a time and painted…
After they were dry, I did the same thing on the next row…
Because I love all-things old, I wanted the checker board to look weathered and aged, so I used my sand paper and lightly sanded the bold black squares…
until they looked ever so worn…
After the top was dry we put 2 coats of water based satin exterior urethane to protect the table top.
Just one more step! To be sure we didn’t get loads of water getting through where the wood planks were joined, I used Scotch® Tough Duct Tape ..
Have you ever used any of the Tough Duct Tapes? Oh my goodness…all Duct Tape is not created equal my friends…this tape is no joke…I added it to all of my seams on the back of the cover.
So now the unattractive fire pit is covered! But not just a cover!
This little project is working overtime!
Thanks so much for having a look at our latest DIY project!
You might like:
This EASY Mason Jar Light
Open up your cabinets the easy way! HERE
Studio Table with Laminate Floor Top HERE
And if you’ve got a minute… here’s where you can find all my DIY Projects (HERE)
Have a wonderful day my friends xo
I am proud to be a 3M- sponsored blogger, and, as part of my responsibilities, I get the opportunity to evaluate new products from 3M DIY. Opinions are my own and additional product used in the project were selected by me.
Linking up with Uncommon Designs!
This is adorable and ingenious. I’ve been thinking about investing in a fire pit once my husband and I move to a bigger place. When I do, I now have some inspiration for a covering, so thank you! I’m not a huge fan of black in decor, but the worn effect that you’ve created here is great.
Thanks! 🙂 x
Emma, I’m the same way about black! Which is why I had to sand sand sand! (But wouldn’t it look pretty in a soft color like teal!? ) xo
What a clever idea! I like how you can use it for different purposes. You did an excellent job. Actually the way you used the string reminds me of how I make a round table cloth. Excellent tip.
Marisa, YES exactly the same way I suppose! Now you have me wanting to make a round table cloth! ox
That is such a great idea, and so well done! Your backyard looks so beautiful!
Jane, thanks so much friend- xo
robin…and mike, just love the cover that you created. Mine could use something cute too..hint hint. sharing this in my weekly wow’s on Friday.
Laura, let’s make you one!!! Thank you so much for sharing our project on you WEEKLY WOW’S!!! OX
This is a fabulous idea Robin, you are so smart! Still loving those chairs.
Diana, thank you! And those vintage inspired chairs are my favorites too! ox
What a great idea to make your fire pit both decorative and useful when it isn’t the right temperature to enjoy a fire.
Paula, thanks so much my friend xo
What an awesome idea Robin! I love this! My family loves playing chess and this could be a great chess table! I haven’t tried out the flexible sanding cloth yet, but I sure will now!
Kim, with all your projects those Ultra Flexible Sanding Sheets would make your life so much easier 🙂 xo (I love that you guys play chess! Brilliant family!)
This turned out absolutely amazing!! I so want to make this for our firepit now! Genius.
Thanks so much Kristi…let me know if you make one! I’d love to see it! ox
This is such a clever and creative idea! And so good to know about those flexible sanding sheets/sponge. I’ve tried folding and manipulating regular sheets of sandpaper and it is hard to use and hard on my knuckles.
Sharon, thank you so much my friend and you really will love the flexible sanding 🙂 xo
Great idea – it’s so beautiful! I love those sanding sheets too!
i want one of these!
Marissa…I’m telling you –you can sooo do this! 🙂 xo
Love it, such a beautiful ideas!
Debbie
Thanks so much Debbie! Have a wonderful evening ox
What a perfect solution for a firepit when it’s not in use, which is more often than not! Thanks for the tutorial and supply links too!
Love this! Such a great idea!
Steph, thanks so much friend! xo
Love this idea. Great way to use the space when the pit is not in use.
LOVING this idea…I’m so showing my husband 🙂
Meredith, you’re a woman after my own heart! xo
Robin, ingenious! I so want to do this! I wonder what my husband is doing this weekend…. 🙂
Marie…I bet he could do this in no time! xo
Fabulous project! 3M products rock my world… Thanks for sharing.
They rock my world too Kelly! Thanks so much and have a great day! ox
OK that totally ROCKS! I love it!
thanks so much Kelley! ox
Robin this is one phenomenal project! From concept to execution…. you did amazing work here!
Thanks so much Malia!
Love this idea, Robin! I am always a fan of making a multi-use space. It looks really nice too. xxxooo
Wow! This is fantastic! Our firepit isn’t flat on top like that so I can’t make one of these, darn it 🙁 I am envious of your gorgeous patio space…nice!
Thanks so much Julie xo
Such a fun idea … I love that it’s multi-functional!
Thank you so much Randi, have a great day my friend xo
I LOVE THIS! I want a fire pit so much! The idea of covering it with a game board when it is not being used is AMAZING! The two of you are creative geniuses!!
Karyn, ohhhhh thank you ! smooch! ox
About how often (or how many) mortises did you make on each plank? I see from one of the pictures there’s at least two…? Thanks in advance!
What a great fire pit cover. I’m sure you have great times around the fire with friends. Visiting from DIY Sunday Showcase.
This is a great idea, Robin! I was just saying on Saturday afternoon, while sitting around our unlit fire bowl table, that we should make a top for it. Now that I’ve seen yours, I definitely think we need to make a top. Thanks for the inspiration!
What a cool idea! Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on G+! Have a great week!
Kim
In our opinion the opposite is true – this makes some
other road bike look area oof interest.
What an ingenious idea!! The fire pit is always somewhere kids like to hang out around, the day after our fires my younger ones tend to get ashes on their hands because playing in it is a great sensory medium for them. This would be a perfect way to keep the temptation hidden lol. It turned out so awesome. Sharing with my viewers. Thanks for sharing on Inspire Me Monday. I hope you have a great week!!
Thanks for sharing your great idea for your DIY Fire Pit Cover. I am featuring your DIY at INSPIRE ME MONDAY. I hope you will stop by. http://www.farmhouse40.com
Oh my gosh what a fabulous idea!! And perfect to create a new gathering space. Thank you so much for this idea.
Hi Robin, this is brilliant. I absolutly LOVE it! Thanks for sharing.
I happened to notice that your soch.us links were not working.
Take care 🙂
Simply amazing, beautiful job!
Oh my gosh what a fabulous idea!! And perfect to create a new gathering space. Thank you so much for this idea.