Homemade, low waste, all natural...fire starters!

Why make your own fire starters? Those that know me will know what I would say to that…"Why not!" 
​Summit Valley Farm motto - make your own whenever you can!

Honestly though, they are super simple to do with items you may just already have lying around.  There are so many ways to make fire starters but I chose this way due to the resources I had!  This is a great example of low waste and minimalism for the real person!

All natural fire starters are fun and super easy to make!  There are many options for materials that are eco-friendly and use up stuff you may already have or can get from friends, neighbors or family members.  In my case, a family member who had an overabundance of pinecones in their yard this year asked if I could use them for something; of course, I snagged them!  I took them home, lay them out for a few days to dry completely and then got to work!

I happen to have leftover soy wax from when I was making candles but if you have some candles hanging around that have very little left in the jars, feel free to use that!  Try to keep it all natural and avoid using paraffin and artificial fragrances.  I do not add any essential oils as I feel it is a waste because you cannot really smell it anyway and the point is to get your fire started. The little add-ons we tend to see look cute, but can get expensive.  I like to keep it simple but you do what you like!

A good fire starter will have a wick and a way to stay lit long enough to catch your wood on fire with no need for paper bunches or kindling.  For me, I have this super cute cast iron stove so I used one of my little fire starters and added my wood and I was good to go.  You can use these in your wood stoves, fire pits, fireplace, etc.  These are not candles so please do not use them that way, be safe and know what you are doing before you use them.

Gather your materials and any helpers you may have and have fun!!!

Here is how I made mine! Let me know how you make yours!

Materials:

• Dried pinecones
• Wax (soy, beeswax, leftover candle wax from non-paraffin candles, try to keep it clean and natural!)
• Natural cotton or hemp wicking

Instructions:

1. Melt your wax and let cool so it hovers around 140*.  You do not want it too hot or it may not adhere well to your pinecone on each dip.
2. Wrap your wicking around the inside of the cone, leaving some to stick out for dipping, then later for lighting
3. Dip your cone into your melted wax then set on wax paper or silicone sheet. Wait about 30 seconds in between dips so the wax has time to solidify.
4. Dip each cone 4-5 times so that you have sufficient wax to keep a burn going. Feel free to add dried herbs, flowers and essential oils if you'd like.
5. Dip the extra wick end in the wax
6. Let cones dry a few hours
7. When ready to use, lay the cone down in your stove and light the wick, slowly adding your wood and there you go!