I like to think that I could be prepared if the grid went down, and one thing that is definitely necessary in such a situation is fire for warmth and cooking–two basic necessities.
I got this idea from Amy’s Homestead Revival blog, if I remember correctly, but this idea is actually all over the internet and in many different forms. Since this is where I funnel all the info I want to remember, I’ll post it here so we both can find it again.
What you’ll need:
- empty egg cartons
- old candles that aren’t fit for burning, or any candle wax you’d like to use
- lots of dryer lint
- something to melt your wax in and/or pour from, like a large pyrex measuring cup (I also used a stainless steel pan)
- something to cover your table with to protect it from any wax that might be spilled
What to do:
1. Melt all of your wax.
Once it’s all melted, keep it sitting in the hot water (burner off) so that it doesn’t harden up again.
2. While your wax is melting, or sitting in the water staying warm, line up all of your egg cartons on top of a paper bag or something else to protect your workspace. Fill each egg carton section moderately tight with your dryer lint. The more lint you have in a section, the longer it will burn.
| Though it looks like I removed the lids of the cartons, I didn’t. I just nested the bottoms into each lid to reduce waste of the poured wax. 3. Pour your wax:
 Depending on how much wax you have, you may want to pour a line of wax across
the filled egg shells. You can always pour more later if you have excess. |
4. Stand back and admire your work while your fire starters cool and dry.
I had a lot of wax this time, so I poured a pretty good amount over the top of my filled sections.
5. Once they are cooled, you can close the tops and store them in a cool, dry place.
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| Here’s what they look like when they are done. |
To use: Place one or two under your firewood in your fire pit. Light and allow to burn directly under the piece of wood you want to catch fire (this piece would preferably be a fast-burning wood). Enjoy your fire!
Now–to find a tutorial on how to remove wax from a pyrex measuring cup!
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Do you have a different method of making fire starters? I’d love to hear about it!
Shared at:
Homestead Barn Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Down Home Blog Hop, Frugal Days,Sustainable Ways, Preparedness Fair
Thanks for this great tutorial! I really want to try this!
You’ll love how they work, Michelle. Just remember to use fast burning wood as the wood underneath all the slow burning wood you use in your firepit.
Let me know how you like them!
I really want to do this! Thanks for a great tutorial!
That’s a great idea! I usually send the kids out scouring the woods for pinecones to use as fire starters. Also throw a little dryer lint in there if needed. It would be great to have ready made ones like this!
I’ve seen some really neat ones made with pinecones that make me wish we had a source for them. I’d love to see yours if you make some!
Kristi, what can I use if I don’t have dryer lint? I usually hang my clothes. BTW, if you get a source for pine cones, rabbits love to chew them as chew toys to keep their teeth ground down.
Hi Laura!
I would imagine you could use wood shavings (maybe some bunny bedding, and if you get it in those huge bags, it would definitely be economical), maybe dry weeds or something like that. Those might burn quicker than dryer lint–I’m really not sure–but if I tried it, I would probably try to cover the whole top with wax to secure everything into the cups.
Hi Kristi,
I take your point, Starting a fire is essential to your survival, without a fire you can’t keep yourself warm, you can’t cook or boil water, and you cant dry out clothes and shoes that are soaked. Having a fire is also a way to boost morale especially after a catastrophic event such as the collapse of civilization. Remember before starting a fire with any of these methods it’s important to have all the available materials available. You want your logs, kindling and smaller twigs and paper beside the fire so it’s easy to grab once your fire starts, you might only have one shot at doing this. You may also need to create something called a “bird’s nest”, simply put this is a gather of dry grass, leaves, or whatever material you can find that burns very easily and can be bundled together to look like a nest, hence the name.
Great Job!
Awesome points, Steve, thanks for sharing them. Your point of view is something I hadn’t really thought about for what I ought to have available at home. I’m definitely going to make a point to gather kindling, twigs and paper to store somewhere, just in case. I’ll be looking up “bird’s nest” too.
Thanks again for adding your perspective here, I know it will be of great help to my readers!
Don’t forget all of those important details that so frequently aid people in their quest for 15 minutes of fame. Killing one’s family with carbon monoxide, or incinerating a group of houses through improper chimney maintenance is likely to put you on the local evening news, if not as an emphasis point for some syndicated talking head during their award-winning “Hidden Dangers of Blackout Survival” piece.
Thanks Chris. It is very important to be careful whenever making a fire, and I do hope that those that would use this advice would use the utmost caution.
Great way to recycle and be prepped at the same time! I’ve made my own fire starters with pine cones dipped in old candles I melted down, but the lint is even better because you would throw it away otherwise
Thanks for sharing on Wildcrafting Wednesday!
Thanks for hosting Lisa Lynn!
I love these little gems–they work so well to get things going in the fire pit. They are so good, I really don’t like lighting a fire without them!
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa Lynn!
We usually compost our dryer lint but have considered the idea of keeping some for firestarters to take on camping trips. You make it look really easy! And I’ve already started saving egg cartons for seed-starting; might as well set a couple aside… P.S. Found you through Prep Utility Vehicle’s Preparedness Fair #2.
Nicole, it IS super easy. If you set all your egg cartons side by side, you just fill them with your lint and pour the melted wax across the egg cartons. The hardest part–if you can call it that–is melting the wax.
Thanks for stopping by!