How to Make a Pine Cone Fire Starter

Dry pine cones make great kindling or fire starters because they burn really well. When wax and a wick are added to the pine cones, they burn even longer, making them ideal for your own fire or as a gift for someone else. Read on to learn how to make a pine cone fire starter.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Borax
• Table Salt
• Paint Brush
• Double Boiler
• Pine Cones
• Waxed Wicks or Twine
• Wax
• Epsom Salts
• Cooking Oil
• Salt Substitute
• Muffin Tins
• Glue

1. Find pine cones for your fire starters. You can find pine cones at craft stores and during the holidays even at the grocery store. Save money by gathering the pine cones yourself or asking a friend who may have pine trees in their yard or area.

2. Prepare a muffin tin. Grease a muffin tin lightly with cooking oil and place a 4-inch length of waxed wick or some thick twine in the bottom, draping it over the side of each cup. This will be where your fire starters set up.

3. Melt wax in a double boiler. Almost any type of wax will work. Paraffin wax can be purchased at any craft or hardware store. For a little more color, try using leftover candles or even crayons. Your double boiler can be as simple as a coffee can sitting in a larger pan full of boiling water. Don't add too much wax. You don't want it to overflow into your boiler.

4. Pour wax into the muffin tin. Using a hot pad to hold your pan, slowly pour wax into each muffin cup until they are half full. While wax is still hot, place a pine cone upright in each cup of wax. Let the pine cone fire starters harden completely.

5. Add a little color to your fire. Certain chemicals will react in fire to create different colors. You can use your fire starters to create a very colorful fire. Simply brush a little glue on the edges of the pine cone scales and roll in one of the following chemicals: Borax for a green flame, table salt for a yellow flame, salt substitute for a violet flame and Epsom salts for white flames.

6. Use your fire starters. Fire starters should be placed in your fire in a manner similar to kindling- with other larger pieces of wood and kindling around it. Light the wick or string on your fire starter and it should burn for close to 10 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Essential oils can be added to your wax to add different scents to your fire starters.

• If you wish your pine cone fire starters to burn even longer, dip the entire pine cone in the wax and let dry with a wick wrapped around its base.

• Place several pine cone fire starters in a basket with ribbon on the handle and give as a housewarming or holiday gift.

• Hot wax can be extremely dangerous. Take extra precautions when handling and using it in any project.