DIY A Backyard Fire Pit By Reusing A Washing Machine Drum

If you've been searching for fire pit ideas to turn your outdoor living space into the perfect oasis, this budget-friendly DIY creates the most unique patio feature. By attaching metal legs to an old, metal washing machine drum, you can make a cute, functional fire pit for next to nothing. For those that have scrap metal on hand, particularly angled iron, steel tubes, or iron pipes, you may not need to purchase anything for this project. You may be concerned that the drum won't be able to handle the heat of fire, but as long as it's made from stainless steel, it shouldn't cause problems. However, be aware that the pit will get extremely hot while in use. 

Because the drum can become so hot, you'll need to consider crucial safety tips when installing your fire pit. It shouldn't be placed under any roofs or awnings or on a wooden deck, but could sit nicely on some fire-resistant concrete pavers. Before you can construct your DIY fire pit, you'll have to take apart the washer. Try removing screws from the back and top of the washing machine, then continue disassembling until you've gotten the drum out. Make sure to take out any plastic pieces from inside the drum. Alternatively, you might find an old washer drum at a scrap yard or an appliance repair center to make this project easier. 

Wash the drum and scrap metal to remove any dirt or residue. If you'd like to paint your fire pit, do so before assembling the pieces, using a high heat spray paint like Rust-Oleum High Heat ceramic coating. With angled iron or steel tubes, you can simply cut them to size, file the edges so they're not sharp, and screw them onto the sides of your washing machine drum. Choose to have either three or four legs that keep the pit off the ground. Drill a hole into each of the legs, as well as in the sides of the washer, so that they line up with each other. Now, place bolts through the legs and drum to secure them together. Additionally, if the legs are rather long, you may want to drill two holes so that the bolts hold the legs near the top and bottom of the drum.

For those with pipes, cut them to size and place a cap on one end of each pipe segment. Now, screw the other end onto an elbow connector piece, followed by a floor flange. Finally, you can screw the flange piece of each leg onto the drum, either using existing holes or drilling new ones, and securing wing nuts to the back inside the drum. If you don't want the wood to touch the bottom of the pit, attach extra scrap metal onto a grill grate with wire and set inside. This hack lets you create a DIY fire pit in your yard for cheap and it's easier than expected.