Make Your Own Outdoor Fire Starters
An empty egg carton proves a useful tool when it comes to making fire starters. The carton must be the cardboard type but that’s the only requirement. It can hold six or eight eggs, originally. Stuff each compartment of the egg carton with dryer lint, then grate a candle over the top of the lint. Place in microwave until the wax melts then allow to cool on counter or in fridge. When you’re camping, just tear off a compartment or two of the egg carton and light. The rest of the compartments can still be covered with the lid, even though several sections have been used.
Instead of dryer lint you can also use mulch, shredded paper, bits and pieces of dry leaves and twigs, old potpourri, tiny pieces of cardboard, small pieces of paper plates (no waxed or plastic types), and similar combustible items.
Another way to make a fire starter – for fireplaces or outside – is to start with a bathroom tissue or paper towel roll. Stuff it with shredded paper, old potpourri, twigs and such, or other easily-burnable items. Wrap the roll with wrapping paper ( no foil types), printer paper, newspaper or other paper. Tie the ends shut so that it looks like a huge piece of candy. Light the wrapping paper and you’ll have a fire in no time. Add pieces of wax to the roll, along with the other contents, but only if you intend to use it outdoors. The wax will make one horrible mess in the fireplace!
Box cigarette packs can be packed with everything from wax and dryer lint, to potpourri and twigs. The lid simply folds down over the pack and a small piece of tape can be used to keep the lid closed. Actually, any small box with a lid can be used to hold burnable items that make great fire starters. These small boxes pack are great for backpacks or even motorcycle saddle bags.
Brown lunch bags are just as good as the small boxes, and can take up even less room when packing. Fill them full of non-bulky, burnable things and fold them flat. Or, fill them full of potpourri or other previously mentioned items, and twist the top to form a sort of wick.
Assorted containers from the kitchen or bathroom cabinets can be the start of the perfect fire starter. Spaghetti boxes (ones without plastic the plastic window), serving size cereal boxes, corn starch boxes, powdered sugar boxes, and similar containers can all be used as the container for the fire starters.
Look around your own house and see what you can use to make fire starters. All you need is a container that contains only paper or cardboard and something to fill it with. Stop and think before throwing away any paper item and you might have one of the ingredients to making your own fire starters.
