I’ve been wanting to make homemade fire starters for quite some time, and finally set aside time to do so. Guess what? They don’t take much time at all to make, and are a cute little gift idea to boot!
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
There are quite a few different ways to assemble fire starters, but I was drawn to ones that were made using cupcake/truffle candy liners. Pictured are the materials and utensils I gathered –
- mini cupcake pan and paper liners
- an old candle (I used a knife to cut it into meltable chunks)
- an old pot and a tin can (my makeshift double boiler)
- tongs (for grasping the tin can when pouring the melted wax into the liners)
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
My choice of ignitable material was pine pet bedding pellets, excelsior (aka wood wool), dried rosemary, whole dried cloves and mini pinecones.
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
Toss some candle chunks into a tin can and place the can in the pot. Add an inch or so of water into the pot and simmer until the wax melts. In the mean time, pack your ignitable material into the paper liners, then use your tongs to grasp the tin can and pour the melted wax into each liner. Let the wax harden (all of ten minutes), and you’re done! It’s that stinkin’ easy.
Now, for the “strikingly” creative part. Purchase a box of kitchen matches, decorate the matchbox, toss everything in a little tin pail, and…… Voila! Gift making accomplished!
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
Now, do you need to add some final touches to your holiday decor? Then, just add candy canes.
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
Seriously. Don’t you just want to dive in there? It reminds me of the game Candy Land, or something out of Willy Wonka Land.
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
I purchased the holiday print straws and baking cups from the Dollar Store purely as eye candy props. It evokes that vintage kitschy “thing”, and I like that.
Here’s another idea for adding an extra sparkle to your holiday decor –
🎶 La, da, da, da, da, da, da… put a ring pin on it!
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
And finally, I just have to share with you this absolutely darling little gift I received from a very special friend –
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| ©Linda Nelson 2016 |
It is NOT getting packed away after Christmas. Nope, this will be my kitchen sink window ornament and I want it to hang out with me all year round.
Happy Holidays, my fellow bloggers and readers!
LOVE the garden shovel ornament! Great gift ideas…. Merry Christmas!
Thanks, Gail. Merry Christmas to you!
Hi Linda!! I love the fire starter gifts! What a clever idea and soooo cute! Thank you for coming over and leaving a sweet comment for me. You are right… sometimes we need to step away for a while. I feel like 2017 is going to be a great year! I hope it is for you too! Merry Christmas!
xo
Thank you, Karen, and a Merry Christmas to you!
Even easier than the double boiler – put the wax in a mason-type jar and put in a low oven…
Yes, that would work, too. I found the double boiler method convenient because the assembly took place upon my countertop, right next to the stovetop burner.