6 beautiful, easy DIY fire starters for home, cabin, or gifting
DIY fire starters come in handy for lighting the fireplace at home or at the cabin. Make them from candle stubs, egg cartons, and cotton pads.
1. Fire starter hearts
Fire starter hearts are made from candle stubs, cotton pads, and paper napkins. Use melted wax to attach the patterned layer of the napkin to the cotton pad. If you’re making them as a gift, choose napkin patterns and colors to match the recipient’s taste. See the tutorial for fire starter hearts!
2. Log bundles
One piece of firewood yields several starter bundles when you split the log into mini logs and tie them with twine into handy sets. Splitting works best with the same axe you’re used to for chopping wood, though making mini logs may take a bit of practice. Check out the tutorial for starter bundles!
3. Fireplace elves
Logs dressed up as elves make a fun gift: you can set them on the mantel and, after the holidays, use them as fire starters. All the materials used for the elves are flammable. Find the fireplace elf instructions here! [in Finnish]
4. Fire starter chips
Playful fire starter chips are made from cotton pads and melted candle leftovers. If you’re giving them as a gift, pack them in a small Pringles can covered with wallpaper or gift wrap. Grab the fire starter chip tutorial here!
5. Onions and rolls from bark
These striking fire starters make it a joy to light the fireplace at home or at the cabin. The onions, rolls, and little parcels are twisted from strips of deciduous tree bark and tied into bundles with twine. See the instructions for bark fire starters!
6. Charming fire starter roses
Leftover candles and egg cartons turn into beautiful fire starter roses. Tear the carton into strips, twist them into the core of a rose, and dip in wax a couple of times. If you like, you can tint the wax with candle dye. See the tutorial for fire starter roses!
