How to Make Waxed Pine Cone Fire Starters

Do you need a creative holiday gift that is inexpensive and that you can make yourself? Waxed pine cone fire starters are easy to make. Even the youngest children can help with this project. They may great gifts for anyone but especially for the people on your list who have fireplaces. Throwing one or two onto the wood before you light the fire makes it catch quickly and adds the fragrant smell of the pine woods to the atmosphere.

Things You'll Need

• Pine cones
• Paraffin blocks
• 1 large empty metal can
• 1 large saucepan
• Tongs
• Cooling rack
• Basket
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Take a long walk in the woods or to a park that has a lot of pine trees on a sunny day after the dew has evaporated in the fall. Gather as many ripe pine cones as you can find. Choose pine cones that are woody but not green, dry but not sticky, and open but not closed tight. Put the pine cones into a plastic trash bag. As long as the pine cones are dry, they will keep inside the bag until you are ready for the next step. If there is any moisture on the pine cones, allow them to dry outside the bag in a cool, dark place indoors.

2. Place a pound of paraffin into a very clean empty metal can (like a recycled coffee can). Set this can into a saucepan. Add water to the saucepan so that it rises to within 2 inches of the top of the saucepan surrounding the outside of the can with water. Heat the saucepan with the water and the can on the top of the stove until the paraffin melts. It will look like water when it is melted.

3. Grab one pine cone using your tongs. Immerse the pine cone in the liquid paraffin. Pull it out again. Hold it over the can until the paraffin stops dripping. It will begin to solidify quite quickly once you bring it out of the wax. Dip it into the paraffin over and over again until there is a thick coating of wax on the pine cone. Allow the wax coated pine cone to cure on a cooling rack until it is totally dry and cool.

4. Place the wax covered pine cone fire starters into a decorative gift basket. Use ribbon to make the basket even more festive.

5. Give the basket of wax-covered pine cone fire-starters as a holiday gift. Explain how to use them to start fires in the fireplace--just position and light one or two of the pine cones. The paraffin will quickly catch on fire and act like tinder so that the larger logs in your hearth will blaze.