For years we spent countless dollars on fire starters from the grocery store. The good news is, with a little pre-planning, you can make your own at home using items you may already have around.
To do this project you will need:
- Empty cardboard egg tray
- Lint from dryer
- Leftover candles
- Old pot or old Pyrex glass measuring cup with heat safe handle
- Stove or heat source for melting wax
- Aluminum foil
- Hot pad
- Kitchen Shears or box knife
- Plastic Ziplock Sandwich Bags
Step 1: I keep a used egg carton tray (paper not styrofoam, nor plastic) near the dryer. Stuff lint into egg carton as you do loads of laundry — you will want each egg unit to be completely full of lint.
Step 2: When you have a couple of trays full of lint, you are ready to do a batch.
Step 3: Begin by placing old candles in a old pot or old Pyrex measuring cup with handle and melt at a low temp over a burner.
Step 4: While wax is melting, place egg carton tray on a sheet of aluminum foil — this will keep any wax drippings from going onto your counter.
Step 5: Once wax has melted, using hotpad to stabilize the hot Pyrex, pour carefully and evenly over the lint coating well.
Step 6: Allow wax to cool.
Step 7: Once cool, cut into individual units. I placed four units into a Ziplock plastic sandwich bag to keep them dry.
Step 8: When ready to use, place one under kindling and fire will start with ease! We use this to start camp fires as well as the smoker with success each time.