100% Recycled Fire Starters
It’s that time of year to make a season (or two) worth of 100% recycled fire starters. Indeed!
While helping to make a campfire easily, you’ll save money, and keep waste from the landfill.
These fire starters also work in wood-burning stoves.
Save:
- Egg cartons (cardboard, not styrofoam)
- Dryer lint
- Shredded paper
- Wax from leftover candles and melts
Other Tools:
- Fire grate
- Old pan
- Metal coffee pot (if available)
- Potholders
- Wood for a fire
Let’s Make 100% Recycled Fire Starters!
- Build a Campfire and then put a grate over the fire.
- Use an old pan to melt the wax from jar candles:
- Add 1-2” of water to the pan, add the jars, and then place over the fire.
- Place loose wax (such as votives, pillars, and chips) in the coffee pot.
- Do not add water to the coffee pot. Place over the fire.
While the Wax is Melting
- In the first place, line up the egg cartons. It works best and consequently takes up less room to put the egg side of the carton in the previous carton’s lid.
- Secondly, add shredded paper to each egg side of the carton. I just sprinkle it on until it’s 1/2-1” thick.
- Press about a quarter-sized pinch of dryer lint to each egg well. Just jam it in there.
Finish the 100% Recycled Fire Starters
- The wax should be melted by this time.
- Using the coffee pot, pour a thin stream of wax back and forth over the rows of egg wells, making sure to drizzle wax on each wad of lint. Additionally, If you don’t have a coffee pot, you can use a metal coffee can bent to form a spout. In fact, pour the melted wax from the glass jars into the coffee pot for an easier pour.
- That’s it. Close each egg carton, and you are ready for campfire season.
On a side note, I used recycled citronella wax on some of the fire starters to be used at the campfire. Hopefully, they will help keep bugs away as a bonus!
To Use Fire Starters:
- Divide the egg carton in 1/2 (6 egg wells) or 1/3 (4 egg wells) to make 2 or 3 fire starters from each carton.
- Place the 100% Recycled Egg Carton in the fire ring.
- Add kindling (twigs or bark) then add a couple logs on top.
- Light the fire starter, and there you go… By the time you grab graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate, your fire will be ready for s’mores!
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