We typically don’t use our heater in the winter since we have a wood stove, and at the moment, an unlimited supply of dead oak around our property. Starting fires at 5 a.m. can be a bit of a chore, so to ease that burden a bit, we (well, really Superman, since he’s the one who starts the fires…) buy those fire sticks that you light and they easily get the fire going quickly. We figured that those cost about 50 cents a piece, and we go through at least 1 a day, sometimes two if I’m a bad wife and let the fire go out during the day. That can add up, and if the point here is to save money (which it usually is), I thought there had to be a better way. Imagine my excitement when I came upon this idea! You got it, Homemade Fire Starters!
Homemade Fire Starters
What you need:
1 egg carton
Lint from your dryer (yes, I just said that. You can actually use the lint from your dryer for something!! I do about 2-3 loads a day {thanks, kids}, so I racked up a lint collection pretty fast…or you could just check your belly button occasionally…)
Candle wax (you can reuse old stuff, but since this was a new venture for me, I went ahead and bought a small container just to see if this actually worked)
That’s it!
What you do:
Get some candle wax (I bought the gel kind this time since it said slow-burning, but you can just use old candles or regular candle wax):
Melt it in a saucepan over low heat:
While that is melting, stuff some lint into each hole of the egg carton:
Pour the melted wax over each hole filled with lint. I think a couple tablespoons should do.
Let cool for a bit until it hardens:
Pull off a segment at a time and place in fireplace.
Light just like you would a fire starter and watch the magic happen!
There you have it! Homemade Fire Starters that are simple to make, easy to use and virtually free! Best of all, you finally found a use for that pesky dryer lint! Thanks for stopping by! If you are looking for more DIY projects, check out these: 15 simple DIY projects.
Beverly says
I learned to do this as a girl scout leader, you can also use sawdust and parafin wax in the egg carton. Sure beats buying them doesn’t it!
Diane says
I wash out a tin can and use a hot water bath to melt old candles to make these. I’ve read they burn for 15 minutes, but I’ve never timed them.
Jennifer says
I used to use leftover wax from making candles for firestarters. Add a few drops of essential oil to your wax for a little home fragrance. Although, a wood-burning stove probably smells nice all by itself!
Kim says
I’ve always called these girl scout fire starters :-). We’ve made them for as long as I can remember. I keep the wax from old candles (even birthday candles) in an old metal coffee can and melt that in a water bath when ever I want to make fire starters.
I also put rolled up cardboard into old tuna cans and cover with the old melted candles. These are fuel for my coffee can stove I made in girl scouts (having it around for 20+ years has actually come in handy a couple times during black outs!)
Geoff Geach says
WOW!!! I came across this video (Making home made egg box candles) whilst looking for something else and thought “Oh yes, I can make use of this idea.”
I work as a Traffic Management Operative in England and as such I spend a lot of time sitting at the side of roads in the middle of nowhere on my own. So that I can have a hot meal during the day I keep a “Kelly Kettle” in my vehicle so that I can boil water for hot drinks and food. These kettles work with an open flame using whatever wood etc is laying around near by.
After watching your video I recovered some old candles that I had thrown in the bin the day before and evicted the eggs from their current home. I then rounded up all the dirty clothes I could find and chucked then in the Washing machine followed by the tumble drier in order to generate a supply of lint. Then, following your guide, I made a few candles about 1/2″ high x 1/2″ diameter.
After the candles had set hard around their waxed paper wicks I lit them and was bowled over by the result. These candles burn slow and hot: exactly what my Kelly Kettle needs to ignite the other fuels.
Thank you for making my life that little bit easier.
If you are not sure what a Kelly Kettle is take a look at http://www.kellykettle,com .
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