Looking forward to the first winter fire and lucky enough to have a fireplace? Here are three simple kindling options that are easy to make and do not depend on the use of chemicals to ignite the flame.
1. Make your own herbal fire starters with this DIY from Whole Living. Wrap small pinecones and dried herbs (think rosemary, sage leaves, and cinnamon sticks) in newspaper, and tie the ends with cotton string or twine.
2. Use dried orange peels. The oil in the skin fuels the fires and it releases less creosote than traditional paper.
3. Make waterproof dryer lint fire starters. According to Instructables, all you need is some dryer lint, a paper egg carton, canning wax (or beeswax), and string, and you can make your own fire starter. The wax seals the fire starter and makes it waterproof, so it's a good option if you want to take it camping or backpacking.
MORE FIRE STARTERS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• A Better Way to Start Fires: Firestones
• Alternatives to Lighter Fluid: Biomass Firelighters
(Image: Whole Living)
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Which ever fire starter you choose I would caution to never utilize saw dust in any form as part of your starter bundle. As surprising as it may seem, SAW DUST EXPODES when it comes in contact with fire.
Stacking the logs and criss crossing them as you go up then place paper on top with one starter log on top of that. Works like a charm every time and should burn clean down if you stack evenly.
I was thinking "this sounds nifty, I have a fireplace!" and remembered I have a gas fireplace with a pilot light so I don't have to do this.
The dryer lint thing works great. I use paper egg cartons, fill each of the sections with lint, drizzle leftover wax from mostly spent candles all over it and then cut it into the 12 sections. Sometimes you need 2 or 3 (different fibers burn at very different rates, so depends on what is in the lint!) but they are free and work well.
Is this more environmentally-friendly than using wood logs? Could these be used in place of wood logs?
When one uses the dryer lint..do you get a burned hair smell? I Do see hair in our home lint.
How about putting all the " ingredients " in an empty toilet tissue tube...use 3 at various places in stacking the kindle and wood.
Thanks for the saw dust hint...does that happen even when wax is poured over it?