Pinecone Fire Starter

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Pinecone Fire Starter

Martha and Suzy Allen-Wuttke craft pinecone fire starters.

Pinecone Fire Starter

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Get a cozy -- and colorful -- fire going in your fireplace using homemade waxed pinecones with this easy how-to.

Tools and Materials

White beeswax
Double boiler
Wire
Dry pinecones
Drying rack
Salt of choice (Epsom salts, table salt or salt substitute)
Raffia

Pinecone Fire Starter How-To

Melt wax in a double boiler to between 150 and 175 degrees.
Hook a length of wire onto top of pinecone and, holding wire, carefully dip pinecone into hot wax.
Set pinecone on drying rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Dip pinecone into wax again and immediately coat with salt. Depending on the salt used, the flames of the starters will burn a certain color (Epsom salts, white flame; table salt, yellow flame; salt substitute, violet flame).
String five pinecones together with raffia.
When lighting fire, place string of pinecones on top of newspaper in fireplace before lighting. Once lit, starters will burn slowly (in desired color) to guarantee that logs light.

Resources

Most salts available at your local grocery, drugstore, or hardware store.

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