How to Start A Fire In The FirePlace

Winter is coming
Your chilled to the bone
Want to start a fire
But hubby's not home
You've gone through the paper
You used all the kindle
You sit in despair
As you watch the fire dwindle
You can begin now
Before winter sets in
To make these fireplace starters
For you and your friends
Wrap them up pretty
And tie with a bow
Get your things together
Let's give it a go.

I have the worse time getting a fire started. But with these fun little cupcakes, fire making is a breeze. Before learning to make these fireplace starters, I just could not for the life of me to get the fire going, and if and when I did get it going it would soon die out, But now I can get a fire started in no time , no more waiting for my husband to get home

To begin you will need the following

Paraffin...melted ( paraffin can be found where canning products are sold)
Cedar shavings (these can be purchased in a pet store or any place where pets supplies are sold)
Cupcake papers
an OLD muffin tin..(why risk using your good muffin tin)
an OLD saucepan.. (used muffin tins and saucepans can be purchased for a very little amount of money at your local thrift shop or a garage sale).

Be sure to use newspaper to cover your work surface.

1.Line muffin tins with cupcake papers fill with cedar shavings.

(pack the shavings in as tight as you can)

2. Melt the paraffin in the saucepan over medium heat until liquefied. Remove from the heat.

3. Pour or ladle melted paraffin over shavings.

4.Let set until hardened (can be placed in refrigerator or freezer to speed up the setting).

5.Remove from muffin tin.

To remove paraffin from you utensils, place in freezer to harden . It can then easily be scraped off.

All though the above version is really not very expensive at all, the following version is practically free.

Why not include the family...take the children out for a hike and have some fun while collecting things of nature to put into your fireplace starters.

Use paper egg cartons (do not use the Styrofoam cartons) and fill with pieces of pine cone, dried leaves, flowers ,nut shells etc. Ladle paraffin into each egg compartment, allow to harden.
.When ready to use just tear or cut apart and use one compartment at a time.

When melting your paraffin you could add any leftover bits of used up candles...Add some color, and put in your broken crayons.

Another idea is to dip small pine cones into the paraffin...As the days get colder it can be really nice having a toasty warm crackling fire going to take the edge off the longer winter nights...Why not take the little ones out for a nice walk, bring along a basket and let them fill it with pine cones.. Small children will really enjoy getting out of doors, and will be able to burn up some of that pent up energy with pine cones.

Your pan will need to be deep enough and have enough paraffin inside to cover the pine cone..

THE MOST FRUGAL

Save the inside core from your roll of bathroom tissue . Stuff it with the lint from your dryer screen. Place roll on the bottom of your fireplace . Light lint roll, add your kindling and proceed to build your fire....

These ideas could also be used when building a beach bonfire or on a camping trip.

Fireplace starters are first placed under grate, and will need to be lit. Then start layering your kindling , as the kindling begins to catch fire, slowly begin adding your logs. The fireplace starters will stay lit for quite awhile giving you plenty of time to get a nice fire going.

These work perfect for me every time....

Wrap them up pretty
And tie with a bow

They make a great gift packaged up in a cute box or bag for gift giving.