on "containing the fire" : )
You mentioned the dryer bin, so cool in use. My wife and I do an annual campout with a large group and even when there are no "bans" we use the bin. We put it on top of the camp's fire ring/grate and elevates it to a fun height for all to enjoy.
sooo... with the container concept in mind, but usually only my wife and I...
We use one of two devices for campfire ambiance.
1) The IKEA Kitchen Utensil bin as a DIY pellet fire, or
2) Stovetec Firefly Lantern.
One thing we ran into in our typical soggy forests we frequent (our choice, not a complaint) is a general lack of usable firewood. We decided to give the pellets as-fuel-source a go and find it clean and convenient.
I think if I had to do something maybe with a small group (like when we get together with our adult kids now and again) we might think about trying something like
this little ~14" pellet fire pit I found at Home Depot. Looks cool too.
Thom