Cheap Fire Starter

For fires in the fireplace, I have a tip for a cheap fire starter. I make my own. Here’s how I do it:

– First, I collect candle nubs/stubs when the life of the candle has run out (when there’s just a little bit of wax left in the candle holder).

– Once I have collected enough to make it worthwhile, I put them in a can or an old pan and heat it up so that the wax melts.

– I then pour the wax into an egg carton (the kind that is made out of paper/cardboard), so that each of the 12 slots where the eggs go is filled with wax.

– Once the wax dries and hardens, I cut out each egg slot, giving me 12 individual fire starters.

– When I have a fire, I grab one or two of them, place them in the fireplace under the wood, and light the outside of them (the paper part) on fire. They give a nice slow burn that gives your wood time to catch and the fire to really get going.

You can also sometimes salvage the wicks and put them in each of the egg slots, and then just light the wick.