What You’ll Need
- 1 bag Quikrete Concrete (we used Fast Setting, but Sand/Topping Mix also works well)
- Molds
- Cooking Spray
- 1 Bucket for Mixing
- Weights
- Sandpaper
- Sand
- Fire source (gel fuel or a mosquito-repelling canister would work)
- Rocks
Directions:
When choosing molds for this project you’ll need two bowls, one larger and one smaller. Test out the bowls before you buy to make sure there’s enough room between the bowl for the thickness of your fire bowl. Ours is about an inch thick. When choosing the bowls, also consider the depth of your fire bowl.
Spray the inside of the larger bowl with cooking spray. Spray the outside of the smaller bowl with cooking spray.
Add the concrete to a large bucket. The size of your fire bowl will depend on how much concrete mixture you’ll need. Add the concrete to the bucket, then add the water slowly. You can always add more water and more concrete as you need it. You want the mixture to resemble thick pancake batter.
Once you have the consistency that you want, pour the mixture into the larger bowl. Push the smaller bowl down into the mixture and weight it down. We used paint cans.
When the concrete is set (check package instructions) remove the small bowl, then turn over the larger bowl to release your concrete fire bowl. You may have to wiggle it around and tap it with a rubber mallet a bit to get the concrete to release.
Then, sand down any rough edges around the fire bowl and inside the fire bowl to get the look you want. We used 100- and 220-grit sandpaper. Place your flame source in the middle, fill with sand and top with rocks for a finished look.
