How to Make a Christmas Fire Starter
Create Christmas fire starters from pine cones and recycled candle stubs. These festive holiday fire starters make great decorations around your fireplace, or can be given as gifts. Gather several up in a basket, add a box of fireplace matches and give to anyone with a fireplace or patio fire pit. Children can help make the Christmas fire starter. Let them help by gathering the pine cones, making tiny "ornaments" for the pine cone tree, and sprinkling the glitter. When selecting candle stubs for your craft, use care when mixing colors. Its best to only melt one color at a time. Too many white candle stubs may dilute the color, such as turning red wax to pink.
Things You'll Need
- Pine cones Candle stubs Food coloring Colored paper dots Hole punch Glitter Large can Saucepan Tongs Wax paper
Instructions
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Gather wild pine cones from your yard, park or a friend's house with permission. Pine cones should be dry before making them into Christmas fire starters.
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2
Prepare colored dots by using a hole punch on bright paper. These will be the ornaments on the Christmas tree. A star shaped punch will also make great ornaments for the pine cone.
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Prep your work area. Wax is very difficult to clean off pots, so make a double boiler with a saucepan and a large metal can. You can get a good sized can from an extra large can of chicken stock or fruit punch. Place a sheet of wax paper near your work area to placed finished pine cones on.
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Fill the sauce pan with a few inches of water and put the old candle stubs in the can. Bring water to a boil to heat the wax. You will need enough wax to submerge the pine cones. If the wax isn't a bright enough color, add food coloring until you get something you like.
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Once the wax is melted, reduce the heat to keep the wax warm. Dip the cones in the wax using tongs. When removing, hold the cone over the pot to allow extra wax to drip back into the pot.
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Set the pine cone upright on the wax paper. Quickly decorate it with colored dots and glitter while the wax is warm.
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Christmas pine cone fire starters are used like any kind of kindling. Place in the fire grate first, surround it with small sticks and tinder. Light the pine cone with long match and add more wood to build up the fire.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep your double boiler filled with water; don't allow it to dry out or you could damage the pan. Add more water if it starts to get low.
- Photo Credit gingiber
