Fire Fun...

Okay, I must clarify....one should never "play" with fire.

I should say that Drew and I had "fun" making something FOR the fire...

not having "fun" WITH the fire...

Matt has been making fire starters for years for the various camp outs he attends either with the family or scouts.  They are cheap, work amazing and the kids can help make them too.

Supplies:

parafin WAX

Dryer lint

egg carton

metal can

I used a 32 oz can to melt the wax in.  Pinch one side to create a "spout".  This will make the pouring of the wax much easier and very little mess.  Use a sauce pan that is a little larger than the can.  Add enough water to fill about 1/3 of the pan before you place the can in.

Place the wax in the can, then place the can in the pan.

(this could turn into a clever little rhyme)

While the wax is melting, fill the egg compartments with the dryer lint.  There is no "right" way to do this, just what ever looks good to you.  You won't need the lid of the carton so you can cut that off now too.

After the wax has completely melted, poor the wax into the egg crate.  You'll want to place a plastic bag under the crate because there will be some seepage through the cardboard.  Fill them with the wax until the lint is cover and saturated.

Now, let the wax cool and harden completely. 

Once they have cooled, cut apart the sections and you're ready! 

The whole process took under an hour and cost under $5 for 18 starters.  This is a fun project for families too, just be sure to have an adult or older child work with the hot wax for safety.

Now, go build a beautiful fire with your fire starter!

With our wood stove, we are building fires every day.  By using these fire starters, we reduce the amount of paper needed to "get the fire going" and much less kindling also.  They burn slow like a candle causing better burning conditions!

Have fun!

**come back tomorrow to read about our "chore chart" plan....**