Campfire Starters

     I'm always on the lookout for ways to turn trash into useful items.  I recently made campfire starters out of some old, faded cupcake papers, cotton yarn, woodshavings, and candle wax.

I found these faded pastel cupcake papers deep in the pantry.  

I also found two small balls of cotton yarn.  Cotton is great for making wicks.  Don't use synthetic yarn because it will melt instead of burning.  I laid cotton strands in the empty cupcake papers.  I experimented with the wicks, placing some across the cups so that there were two wicks - one on each side.  I also coiled the strands in the bottom of some of the cups and centered those wicks.  It took more time to fill the cups with the centered wicks, but the finished product was prettier. 

I filled some wide mouth jars with candle wax.  I had a block of wax from a candle making project.  This was a great way to get rid of the leftover wax.  It is even better to save old candle stubs for making campfire starters.  I placed my jars of wax in a pot of hot water that was simmering just below the boiling point.  It takes a while to melt the wax and you shouldn't walk away from it while it's heating on the stove.

I filled the cupcake papers with wood shavings.  Then I poured melted wax over the shavings until the wax reached the top.  I let this sit overnight to dry. 

They look almost good enough to eat.

     These fire starters worked like a charm, unlike crumbled newspaper that may or may not burn long enough to allow larger pieces of wood to catch fire.
     There are other ways to make campfire starters.  The finished product might not be as cute, but it functions just as well.  You can replace wood shavings with dryer lint, sawdust, shredded paper, or some combination of these things.  Instead of cupcake papers, you can make the starters in the cups of a paper egg carton.  If you use an egg carton, place a barrier under the carton before filling the cups with melted wax so you don't get oily stains on the underlying surface.  Once the wax cools, cut the egg cups apart. If you use egg cartons, there is no need for wicks.  Just light the paper edges.
     I made my campfire starters inside.  I was very, very careful, and I did not make a mess.  However, accidents happen.  Working outside or in a garage, using a hot plate rather than the kitchen stove, would be ideal.  If you drip a little wax or make an oily stain, it won't be the end of the world if it happens on the garage floor or the picnic table.  Dedicating an old pot for the task is also a good idea.