Fire Starter

Summer is here and it is time to have a fire in the fire bowl.  YIPPIE!!  This is my favorite time of year.  Hot days and cool nights to sit by the fire with the family.  But you can’t sit by a nice fire unless you can get one started!!  Say goodbye to buying chemical laden fire starters and skip the risk of dumping gasoline on the fire and make your own fire starters.  Using items found around your house you can make a fail proof fire starter on the cheap.

You will need:

1. Old candles or parafin wax.
2. Shredded paper from your paper shredder. Talk about deterring identity theft!
3. Dryer lint.  Yes we found a use for the stuff.
4. Cardboard egg carton.  Say no to the styrofoam ones.  Burning them is just not good.

 

First you are going to line a heat proof bowl with foil.  Put it over a pan of simmering water and let it melt.  It will take a while but you can go onto the other steps while it is melting.  I use the foil so that there is easier clean up of the wax in the end.  If you have a disposable foil pan that will work as well.

 

Line up your egg cartons for easy filling.

 

Fill each section with dryer lint.  Stuff it in.  It will all burn.

 

Next top the lint with a thick payer of shredded paper.  Yes, we found a good use for this stuff as well.

 

Now you have your candles melted.  Very liquid and hot.  Be careful.  Kids can help up until this point.  Adult supervision is needed from here.

 

Pour the melted wax all over the paper, lint and egg cartons.  It will drip down and through all the layers.  This will keep everything together and prevent it from leaving little bits of paper and lint all over your house.

 

While the wax is still wet flip the cartons closed.    Now you are ready to star a fire!  I use a large bread knife to cut them into smaller sections.  You are able to use the entire carton but it is not necessary.  Now that was easy right?