How To Make Fire Starters

Twenty one years of being a Girl Scout leader have taught me a few things - making good fire starters is one of them.  When you need to start a campfire,  the best way to start it is by using old-fashioned fire starters.  How do you make them?

Save all your old left over pieces of candles (all colors and all scents) and toss them into a cleaned out gallon veggie can until it is over half way full...

Save all your cardboard egg cartons.

Collect a pile of dryer lint.

When you have enough cardboard egg cartons, and enough candles, and enough dryer lint... it is then you are ready to make fire starters.

Put the can of pieces of wax in a pan of water (use it like a double boiler) and add water to the pan - NOT to the candles.  Put over a fire, let the water boil (be sure to keep adding water to it) and eventually the candles will melt into one great big vat of wax.   

While the wax is warming, set up a table outside; spread some cardboard over it then put the lint and egg cartons out.   Cut the tops and lip off of the egg cartons.  Spread all pieces out on the cardboard.

Now it is time to get one cute kid:

Put the child to work putting lint into each of the holes where an egg normally sits.  

Then have them put lint in the tops of the egg cartons and any other cardboard packing stuffs you can find:

At this time, an adult should pour the warmed wax over the top of the lint, soaking the lint and cartons.  Be liberal with the wax.  It is messy.  Be prepared to get a nice wax manicure.  You will need to press some of the lint down into the wax, and vice versa.  Once the wax cools a bit, kids should feel free to help.  They love it - trust me!

Feel free to spill wax on the cardboard under it,  it is ok - you are going to use it anyway.  If you spill out leftover wicks from the melted candles - the more the merrier... it'll be ok... all is well in this mess.  They will burn.

This is what it should look like:

One big, beautiful mess!

Let your art dry (solidify).  Once it is solid, crack it all apart.  

To do that, I use a serrated knife, and elbow grease - and not much elbow grease either.  Trust me, if it took much, I wouldn't be doing it - I would figure out an easier way... lol...

I put all of this in a large ziploc bag:
 

Then I cut all the cardboard into 9-ish x 9-ish squares:

And I chunk it all into a pile near the fire wood to use when we start a fire.  It lights like lighter fluid and starts the wood burning very quickly without the nasty smell of lighter fluid - in fact, you will have a nice potpourri of scents mingling with the campfire.

If I really feel nifty - I cut wax paper into rectangles, fold in half to make squares and add chipped wax to the center of each one:

I roll it up and twist the ends.  If I get really fancy I can make circles out of them.  I don't think it burns any better, but it adds interest... lol...

Then I toss them in a plastic bag:

 

...and I put them in with the other fire starters - they work just as well.  However, I must warn you, kids are not nearly as interested in helping you make these.  The wax/lint manicure is preferred by all children; they seem to love getting really messy.  The fuzzy, waxy fingers entertain them for a good while - and the more kids, the merrier!

How do you use them?  You pile all the wood in a fire pit just like you are starting a campfire.  When you are ready to start the fire, just toss a chunk of waxy mess on the wood, light it and watch the wax melt down into the wood and wallah! - the fire lights!   It is that easy - I promise.

Give the fire starters a try - I think you will be impressed! 

 

At the very least you will enjoy the beautiful and easy to light results and soft, wax manicured hands, so sit back and enjoy the view - after the kids are clean of course.

Sorry, I can't help you there.