Pinecone Fire Starters Are Kind of Amazing

Katie Brown
·Editor in Chief

Keep a pail of these fire starters next to the fireplace and you’re sure to create sparks at a moment’s notice.

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Materials:

  • Pine cones

  • Roll of candle wick

  • White paraffin wax

  • Strike anywhere matches

  • Sandpaper

  • Short piece of copper or metal pipe

  • Oasis

  • Empty paint can or tin

Tools:

  • Hot glue gun

  • Metal bowl

  • Tongs

  • Scissors

Instructions:

1. Bring 2 or 3 inches of water to a simmer in a pot on the stove. Place your metal bowl into the pot and add your paraffin wax blocks to the bowl. Allow them to melt completely.

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2. While the wax is melting, wrap each pinecone in candlewick, leaving 2-3 inches overhang at the top.

3. Dunk each pinecone in the melted wax and place on a drying rack.

4. Once the wax has dried for about a minute, dunk the pinecones again to create a wax build up. Allow them to dry completely.

5. Cut a round of sandpaper and glue it to the bottom of your pail.

6. Fill the piece of pipe with a little oasis, wrap it in sandpaper and glue it to the side of your pail. Place in the matches and you’ll be able to start up a fire in no time!

“One of my favorite, all time, outdoor finds: The pinecone. I often joke I arrange pinecones for a living. Yep, I have always admired the simple design of the pinecone. I collect them, I hang them, I display them - I am always trying to think of new ways to use them. Today I am going to transform a pinecone into a fire starter.

To begin, cut a wick approximately 3 feet long.

Wrap it in and around the cone, leaving a tall tail at the top to form the wick.

Dip it several times in melted paraffin.

Place a collection of your dried, paraffin dipped, pinecones in an unused metal paint bucket.

Cut out a circle of sandpaper a bit smaller then the bottom of your paint can and attach it with hot glue.

Take a small piece of pipe and push it down into a thin brick of floral oasis. Surround that with another piece of sand paper - the sand paper is the perfect surface to use when striking a match. Hot glue the pipe match caddy to the side of the paint can.

Not only have you just created a quick, easy, decorative way to start fires, you have also created a way to set the stage for many a great gathering of friends and family, whether it be the holidays, a romantic evening, or simply a fireside chat. And to think it all started with the pinecone.”

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