Spring to fall are some gorgeous times of the year. It just makes you want to get outside and enjoy the weather while you can. A fire pit in the backyard is a great place to come together. I really love hosting fire pit gatherings at my house. I have several items that I just love to do as a hostess when people come over to enjoy the great outdoors and commune around our fire pit. I hope these will inspire you toward creating a warm environment for friends and family while at the same time keeping some money in your pocket.
Hot Apple Cider
I love to hook up my slow cooker early in the afternoon and pour in a gallon of apple cider. At my store this apple cider is around $5.99 per gallon.
Disposable insulated lidded cups!
I also purchase these adorable disposable, lidded, insulated coffee cups from the paper products isle. They are around $2.99 per pack. These cups are fantastic because they keep drinks warm, reduce spilling and help keep the bugs out of your cider when your outside. It also takes the chill off the cool autumn evenings!
Smore’s Kits
I don’t know about you, but I love making smores. In the past I always struggled because it seems impossible to juggle all the ingredients of smores while sitting outside in the dark. I came up with a way to package all the smores supplies so each person has their own. At the same time, the materials are a little more manageable. I like these kits because I feel like everyone has their own fresh ingredients! They can keep it all together in their spot and clean up is easy too. 
Here’s what I used:
- Clear goody bags- These came from the party section at Target for $2.00. When the person is done eating they can also put all their trash
in the baggie. - Fresh Stacks Graham Crackers– I love this new packaging. Each box has 6 little individually wrapped stacks of graham crackers. It’s perfect for a smore kit. Even better, these keep the crackers fresher in storage because I rarely eat a whole stack of graham crackers in the normal boxes and they always get stale.
- Marshmallows I baggie up these up from a large bag. I haven’t found “fresh packs” of these yet.
- Snack Size Hershey Bars- these little things fit on the snack pack grahams perfectly! This way guests can avoid chocolate fingers. I always find that my guests rarely eat
a whole candy bar so half the bars go to waste. With snack size bars, they eat as much or as little as they want with no waste.
- Wet Towelettes- I even include a little wet wipe in each person’s kit. You can get a small box of individually packaged wet wipes on the paper goods isle at your local grocer.
Environment:
My ideal fire pit set up.
I really wanted a fire pit area that would be comfortable. I took everything I hated about my previous bonfire experiences and created my own perfect zone.
- High back, arm rest chairs- I’ve sat on logs, I’ve sat on the ground, I’ve sat in tailgate chairs and to be honest, nothing beats these seats. $20 each at Target in the springtime.
- Tiki torches- I don’t care for the look of the bamboo torches so I got these tiki lamps that look really nice and are super sturdy. These keep bugs at bay while lighting the area around the fire pit.
Decent Tiki Torches
- Side tables- These were a big deal. I got one inexpensive plastic brown side-table to go in-between each set of chairs. You have to have a place for your cider and smores supplies! Otherwise you’re gonna get dirt on all your food! I picked these up at Lowes.
- Fire Roasting Sticks- I found my sticks at Target in the “Dollar Spot” section for $1 each. You can get them in the camping section for under $10 at your local mega mart.
If you have any fall fire pit traditions around your place, please share them in the comments section! If you want to learn how to build your own fire pit, check out my DIY Inexpensive Fire Pit post or watch my husband’s how to video below!
Have fun!
Kim Anderson
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jennifer thibodeau says
This is a great post w/good tips for a fire pit party! Thanks for sharing with us. Jenn T (www.backyardfirepitfun.com)
Lindsey S says
LOVE the s’more kits ideas! I hate sticky hands and that is my least favorite thing about making s’mores, so I love that you I included a wet wipe. Cute fire pit set-up too!
Kim Anderson says
Thanks Lindsey- That has always been my biggest hang up about smores by the fire too! I hate having sticky hands!!! Glad you like the set up!
Christy says
Thanks so much for sharing! Having a bonfire birthday party for my 10 yr old son in 2 weeks and these little goody smore bags are going to be perfect! Thanks for being so thorough!
Kim Anderson says
Christy, I hope that work out for you and keep the messes down! Thanks for taking time to comment and tell me what you thought!
Erica says
Love these ideas. I love doing parties on the cheap and on-the-fly. I like your disposable cup idea the dollar store has them too and they’re only a dollar. They come in a pack of six.
Kim Anderson says
WHAT! Those cups are at the dollar store now? Totally going there for the next party! Thanks for the great tip Erica!
Allison Montgomery says
Those individually packaged smores kits are too cute! What a wonderful idea 🙂 well done!
Kim Anderson says
Allison, thanks so much for taking the time to let me know that you liked them! They really do make smore parties WAY easier when everyone is sitting around the fire. It serves as a way to keep it off the ground and then gives everyone a trash bag when they are done which I love!
Gracie says
Hi, I am hosting a bonfire next month but I am having trouble making the invites. The ladies gathering are not my “girlfriends” so I have to be more formal but fun with my invites. Any ideas or suggestions?
Kim Anderson says
Do you like to make your own handmade invites or do you want printable ones?