Who doesn’t love a good fire? Whether in a fireplace, wood stove, or outside in a fire pit, it’s a great past time. Why not learn how to make homemade fire starters to make lighting a fire easier?
I’m not going to lie, I love pretty things like this mushroom garland I just made last week. But, when you think about a fire starter, the last thing you think of is aesthetically pleasing. But, why couldn’t diy fire starters be pretty?
I’ve got good news for you – they can be! And even better news, it’s not that hard to make them look so nice.
These ridiculously pretty campfire starters are a great project to make for yourself, or as gifts for Christmas or another holiday. You can make these up and then place them in a basket and wrap them up in cellophane. It’ll probably be the most unique gift your recipient receives this year! If you are lucky, maybe they will invite you over for a fire when they use them.
The nice thing about making your own homemade fire starters is that there are a few different ways to make them, meaning you don’t have to worry if you don’t have the exact supplies. You will need some basic things, but when it comes to the natural items you will add to these fire starters, you can pick and choose what you want in them.
Creating your own fire starters is pretty easy. You can make pretty fire starters using wax and natural materials like pine cones in a muffin tin. To craft these, you’ll simply melt candle wax in a pot and pour it over a muffin tin filled with pine cones, dried leaves, or other flammable items.
Once the wax cools and hardens, you’ll have compact, efficient fire starters ready to use for your next outdoor campfire or indoor fire in a fireplace. Not only do they work like a charm, but they also give you the satisfaction of repurposing items in nature while keeping warm and toasty.
Like I said, these wax fire starters are made in muffin tins. You’ll need paper cupcake liners to make these.
I used paraffin wax for my fire starters but that’s because I had some leftover from when I made candles a while ago. You can use beeswax or soy wax if you prefer. Beeswax would give the fire starters a beautiful yellow hue. You can also use the melted wax from old candles.
You don’t want to use wax from crayons though. It most likely not work the same way if you don’t use wax you would use to make candles. Keep the crayon wax for your kids!
You’ll also need flammable materials to put in the fire starters as the wax alone won’t be enough. I collected small pine cones, wood shavings, smaller pieces of wood chips, cinnamon sticks, pine needles, and dried flower petals. Another great option to add to fire starters are orange peels.
You will also want wicks to make a good fire starter. I had some leftover candle wicks which I just cut into pieces that were small enough to fit in the fire starters, but also long enough to stick out of the top. If you have wicks with the metal piece at the bottom you will want to cut that off.
So, let’s get into how to make an easy diy fire starter so you are prepared for your next fire on those cold days.
How to Make Homemade Fire Starters
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Supplies Needed:
- Muffin tin
- Paper cupcake liners
- Pine cones
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Wood shavings
- Wood chips
- Pine needles
- Dried flower petals
- Paraffin wax (or soy wax or beeswax)
- Double boiler pot
- candle wicks
Step 1
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Step 2
Arrange your flammable natural elements in the muffin cups. You can arrange them anyway you like, but remember that you want some of the items to stick out on the top to look pretty. Then place the wicks in cups. Make sure the wicks are sticking out so you can light them easily.
Step 3
Melt your wax. You can do this in a double boiler. I don’t have a double boiler so I just used a metal tin that we had in the recycling bin from pasta sauce. I put the wax in the metal tin, and then I fill another pot with a bit of water and place the metal tin into the pot with the water.
Even if you have a double boiler you may not want to use it for this as the wax can be hard to wash off a pot. Put your pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium.
Step 4
Once the wax is all melted pour it into the muffin cups. Fill them as high as you like. I filled them close to the top but if you want thinner fire starters just fill the muffin cups less.
Step 5
Let the wax cool and harden.
Step 6
Optional: you can take off the paper liners if you want. I took mine off because I like the look of them off, but honestly, the paper liner is helpful with the burning process.
And that’s it! These are great fire starters that are functional and pretty!
The truth is, there are many things you can use to help you start a fire. A paper egg carton, toilet paper tubes, and paper cups are all combustible material, but you don’t necessarily always have those on hand. If you make your own firestarters ahead of time you can just grab one whenever you want to start a roaring fire. And hey, it’s more fun to start a fire with these pretty fire starters.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy a fire? Do you prefer outdoor fires, or an indoor fire in a wood stove or fire place? I love it all but we don’t have a wood stove anymore so indoor fires are no longer an option. That’s okay though, because our backyard fire pit get’s plenty of use.
Sitting around a fire with friends and family are a great way to make memories. Kids love to roast marshmallows and make s’mores, and adults love chatting around a fire. At our house fire starters are a very useful item. Hopefully you’ll find them useful too.
