How to Make Wax Fire Starters For Your Wood Burning Stove

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By lilacone
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Article Rating: (4 Ratings)

Make Wax Fire Starters For Your Wood Burning Stove

I love the smell of a wood burning stove in the winter time but I hate trying to get the fire started. If your wood isn't seasoned just right it takes forever to get the fire going and requires a lot of babysitting till it takes off. I finally learned how to make my own fire starters in my own kitchen, which is a whole lot cheaper than buying those commercial fire starter logs just to get the fire started. Follow the easy instructions below and get your wood burner up and flaming in no time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Cupcake papers
Wax (from craft store)
Pine cones
Old newspaper
Saw dust or cedar shavings
Double boiler (for crafts)
Big spoon or ladle
Stove top

Step 1

First you will want to cover your table or island with newspaper to help catch any wax drippings or dropped cedar shavings. After you are done it is so easy to just roll your paper up in a ball, take a damp cloth and wipe your island off, presto your clean up is done.
Step 2

Now you will want to set out your cupcake papers for how ever many fire starters you want to make. Remember these fire starters make really cool holiday gifts for that special someone who has everything.
Next you will fill your cupcake papers about ½ full of cedar shavings, there is no exact amount so no need for measuring.
Step 3

Now you want to take your double boiler (water in the bottom pan and wax in the upper pan) and start melting your wax on low heat, it doesn't take long for the wax to melt. You DO NOT want to use high heat, remember wax is very flammable. After your wax is melted you will move your pan to your counter top start pouring a small amount with your ladle in each cup. I like to use just enough wax to cover my cedar shavings. If you are making a large number of starters only pour the wax in a few cups, move to the next step then come back and finish the remainder of your cups. The wax starts cooling very quickly which you will use to your benefit with the next step.
Step 4

Now with the wax poured you will place a pine cone in each cup, if your cones are large you can cut them in half. As the wax cools you can position your pinecone anyway you like. I then like to take just a dusting of cedar shavings and sprinkle on each pinecone then pour a little bit more wax over the pinecone and cedar shavings to hold everything in place once the wax dries. If you notice your pan of wax is starting to harden place it back on the boiler and reheat, add more wax if needed.
Step 5

That's all there is to it, your wax fire starters are done, you can store them in a box or basket for future use. When lighting the fire starter you only have to put fire to the paper cup and the starter does the rest. Believe it or not there is not wax residue left in your stove from these fire starters, your stove burns extra hot and melts all the wax and any residue from the bottom of the stove. I see many warm fires in your future.

Comments

fyrehawg said

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on 12/17/2009 Super article. I m going to try and make some of these for my wood burning fire place. Definitely five stars and a rec!!!

lilacone said

on 11/18/2009 Great gift ideas, thanks for the suggestions.

steacher said

on 11/17/2009 Wow! I have never heard of anything like this, but it would make a great Christmas present! You could even put some in a basket with some hot chocolate or wine and some other goodies to make a "stay at home and snuggle" present! I like it!