17 Clever Ways to Use Cinder Blocks at Home (With Pictures)
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Shea Cummings
- Last updated:
Cinder blocks are a super versatile project material, and there are quite a few things you can do around the house with them. The best part about many of these projects is that most require little to no tools. So, they are great options for someone just diving into DIY projects for the first time.
However, like many DIY plans, there is almost always room for you to customize the project to suit your particular needs or wants.
The 17 Ways to Use Cinder Blocks at Home
1. Cinder Block Bench- home stead survival site
| Materials | Cinder blocks, 4×4 posts, cushions and pillows |
| Tools | Construction adhesive |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
If you’re looking for a simple DIY project where you don’t even have to make a single cut, this cinder block bench is the one for you. All you need is a handful of cinder blocks, a few 4×4 fence posts for material, and a couple of tubes of construction-grade adhesive.
Taking this project to the next level isn’t hard to do. You can paint or stain the posts, plus you could paint the cinder blocks to match whatever color theme you have for your outdoor furniture.
2. Raised Garden Bed- fab everyday
| Materials | Cinder block, concrete top cap |
| Tools | Construction adhesive (optional), soil |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
Creating a raised garden bed doesn’t have to be a complicated project that includes complex cuts, screwing, and gluing. All you need is cinder blocks and a few concrete top caps to finish the look. If you want to make this raised flower bed a more permanent fixture in your yard, you can use an adhesive to attach the blocks and the caps on top.
The nice thing about this design is you can make it whatever shape you want. So, just buy as many cinder blocks as you need for your desired garden bed shape. Once you’ve got the blocks laid out and glued together, all you have to do is dump in the soil, and you’re ready to garden.
3. Fire Pit- houseful of handmade
| Materials | Cinder blocks, cinder block caps, construction adhesive, fire ring, rocks or gravel |
| Tools | Measuring tape, caulk gun, spray paint, weed barrier, landscape staples, shovel |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
It’s easy to go down to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a pre-made fire pit, but where’s the fun in that? These comprehensive plans guide you in building some incredible cinder block seating beside a custom fire pit.
Unless you’ve taken on DIY projects like this before, you may find that this one takes you a while longer. So, the average DIYer can expect this to take you most of the weekend to do. Another tool that might make your life easier is a tiller to break up the ground when clearing it for the fire pit.
4. Outdoor Kitchen Grill- backyard water garden
| Materials |
Cinder blocks, mortar mix, 2×4 lumber, screws, stakes, gravel, concrete mix, rocks, conduit (optional)
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| Tools | Shovel, grouting tools, hammer, level, wheelbarrow, string line, tamper, rake |
| Difficulty Level | Advanced |
Nothing says backyard BBW like a custom outdoor kitchen grill. This is a project for the more experienced DIYer as it takes some advanced techniques regarding pouring concrete and using mortar. However, the plans are very detailed if you’re not 100% sure of what you’re doing.
If you are an experienced DIYer, this one would be nice to customize to suit your particular needs. For example, you could install a working sink with the right tools and knowledge or wire in a receptacle to have power near your BBQ.
5. Easy Raised Cinder Block Garden
| Materials | Cinder blocks |
| Tools | Construction adhesive |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
This easy raised cinder block garden is not so different from the first one we looked at. It also uses simple materials: adhesive and cinder blocks. However, it’s a video tutorial, so if you’d prefer to watch a how-to versus read it, this is a great option. The nice thing about small projects like these is that they take very few materials and are very easy to do.
6. Simple Cinder Block Bench- the happy home project
| Materials | Cinder blocks, 4×4 posts, spray paint, cushions (optional) |
| Tools | N/A |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
If you thought the first cinder block bench design we looked at was easy, wait until you see this simple cinder block bench. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a rustic addition to your backyard furniture around the fire pit. The best part—no tools are needed!
With a little sweat equity, this could be one of the cheapest pieces of outdoor furniture you have. Adding cushions is definitely a plus for comfort. Still, it’s totally unnecessary, and the bench works fine without them.
7. Cinder Block Strawberry Garden- clear water cottage
| Materials | Cinder blocks |
| Tools | N/A |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
Hanging pots are a super common way to grow strawberries at home, but what about building a cinder block strawberry garden? Sounds simple enough, and these plans do not disappoint. Literally, all you need is cinder blocks to build a strawberry garden.
Because of their size, cinder blocks are easy to stack in a secure way that leaves the holes accessible. Once the pyramid is built, fill the holes with dirt, and voila, you have a strawberry garden. If you’re not interested in strawberries, it’d be easy to grow herbs or other small plants.
8. Cinder Block Pit Smoker- the owner builder network
| Materials | Cinder blocks, steel plate, expanded metal, mortar (optional) |
| Tools | Level, mortar tools |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
Nothing beats smoking your own meat in the backyard, and bonus points when you’re doing it in your own cinder block pit smoker that you built yourself. If you’ve got some experience with DIY projects of this nature, this wouldn’t be a difficult project to modify to your own needs or simply to improve the aesthetic. For example, you could use heat-resistant paint to change the color or add more shelves to the smoker.
9. Easy DIY Patio Bar- north countrynest
| Materials | Cinder blocks, 2×4 boards |
| Tools | Drills, circular saw |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
Even though this project actually uses a couple of different tools, this easy DIY patio bar is still an incredibly simple project. A few things to note on how you could take this to the next level would be the addition of some paint on the top and the legs. Additionally, using some construction adhesive to secure the blocks would be a good idea.
10. Cinder Block Herb Garden- ona silly whim
| Materials | Cinder blocks |
| Tools | Spray paint |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
The beauty of this cinder block herb garden is its simplicity. Essentially the idea is to paint the cinder block your desired color choice, set it somewhere sunny, and fill the holes with potting soil. Voila, you have the perfect little herb garden. If you’re not looking to grow herbs, you could easily grow strawberries or other small flowers in the cinder block holes.
11. Cinder Block Fire Pit- budget 101
| Materials | Cinder blocks, mortar mix, red lava rocks |
| Tools | Mortar tools |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
This cinder block fire pit is slightly different from the one we looked at earlier. It’s designed with a much bigger focus on aesthetics in addition to its functionality. As a result, there’s a little bit more advanced skill needed with this fire pit. You’ll need to be familiar with mixing mortar and its use. Don’t let that scare you, though. It’s not so difficult that a beginner couldn’t manage to get through it. Just allow yourself a little extra time to get it done if you haven’t used mortar or concrete before.
12. Concrete Block Greenhouse Foundation- home stead and chill
| Materials | Cinder blocks, adhesive, landscape material, concrete screws, road base material |
| Tools | Level, soil tamper, stakes, rope, measuring tape, drill with a concrete bit |
| Difficulty Level | Advanced |
You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars pouring a greenhouse foundation when you can just do a concrete block foundation for a fraction of the cost in a weekend. To accomplish this project successfully, you’ll want to be pretty familiar with some basic construction techniques. Because after you build this foundation, the goal will be to build a greenhouse on it.
Pro tip: don’t skimp on the time spent tamping the base material. This will significantly affect the overall quality and how long it lasts.
13. Cheap Cinder Block Fire Pit- Wednesday morning whispers
| Materials | Patio pavers, cinder blocks, adhesive |
| Tools | N/A |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
If you’re looking for a cheap cinder block fire pit, then look no more. The plans advertise that you can get this project done for under $60. Obviously, this will depend a bit on the cost of materials in your area, but the point is that they use a minimal amount of materials. In some cases, you may be able to do this project for next to nothing if you shop yard sales or look for someone getting rid of cinderblocks for free.
14. Cinder Block Wall- wiki how
| Materials | Cinder blocks, cement |
| Tools | Level, tape measure, shovel, stakes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
If you’re doing landscaping, this cinder block wall could be the project to save you hundreds of dollars. And you can do it yourself without hiring a landscaper. Remember that this is a fairly manual labor-intensive job, so unless you’ve done projects like this before, give yourself lots of time to complete it.
The plans are very thorough, but they are easy to modify to your particular needs. Make sure you plan ahead, so you know exactly where you’re putting the wall and how high it needs to be.
15. DIY Shed- instructables
| Materials | Cinderblocks, mortar, and various other materials dependent on type of shed being built |
| Tools | Shovel, level, hammer, drill, stakes, string |
| Difficulty Level | Advanced |
If you’re an experienced DIYer looking for a fun weekend project, check out this DIY shed. Similar to the greenhouse above, this one also uses a cinder block foundation. This is an easier and more affordable foundation solution.
One significant reason that this one is advanced is that the plans don’t tell you exactly how to build the shed portion in detail. So, you’ll need a reasonable amount of construction experience to accomplish this one.
16. Cinder Block Planter- thrifty fun
| Materials | Half cinder blocks, potting soil, gravel, liquid nails |
| Tools | N/A |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
If you loved how easy the strawberry planter was, this cinder block planter might blow your mind. This is the perfect project to use up any cinder blocks you have from previous projects. If you want the planter to be a more permanent fixture, you can use liquid nails or another construction adhesive. Otherwise, you can simply stack the cinder blocks to the desired height and plant away.
17. Cinder Block Fence- home talk
| Materials | Concrete pavers, cinder blocks, 4×4 posts |
| Tools | Concrete adhesive |
| Difficulty Level | Beginner |
This cinder block fence won’t be a fence that keeps fido in the yard, but if you’re looking for a great-looking fence for decor purposes, this is the project for you. The closest thing you need to tools for this one is something to spread the adhesive and paint for the blocks if you want. Otherwise, you could leave them gray for a more natural look.
Conclusion
There you go, 17 things you can do with cinder blocks around your home. The best part about these projects is that most of them use essentially the same ingredients: cinder blocks and construction-grade adhesive. So, there’s no reason that you can’t actually complete several of them with leftover materials. Painting the blocks is easy, and then you don’t feel like you have three or four things in the backyard made of the same gray material.
Featured Image Credit: Debby Urken, Pixabay
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