Homemade Fire Starters

Homemade fire starters are fun and easy to make.  

Sure, you could just go out and buy some from the store, but making them yourself will save money and give you a feeling of ownership when you light your next fire.

If you have ever built a fire before, chances are you have used countless pieces of crumpled up newspaper to light it.

Feeding a pile of wood with piece after piece of newspaper can be a daunting task.  

In fact, I have vivid memories of my dad doing this time and time again as I was going up.

Fire starters can make building a fire much easier but buying commercial fire starters can be expensive. 

To save money, most people choose not to purchase them and resort to newspaper, junk mail or whatever scrap paper they have laying round.  

But there's a better way to light a fire and save yourself money at the same time.......make your own fire starters!

Homemade Fire Starters

If you've ever wanted to make your own fire starters you've come to the right spot.

We've included step by step instructions with pictures to make the projects fun and enjoyable.  

To learn more about the project and how to make the homemade fire starters just click on the link!

Pinecone Fire Starter - This project uses pinecones found around your yard to make fun and decorative fire starters.  

By collecting pinecones, they won't cost anything and they make amazing fire starters.

Put them in a box or basket and you have a great Christmas present!

Cedar Kindling - Cedar kindling is one of the best natural fire starters available.

However, not everyone has access to cedar trees growing on their property.

Find out how to purchase a low cost cedar post and turn it into a years supply of kindling for a very reasonable price.

Egg Carton Fire Starter - This project uses a paper egg carton, wax and sawdust to create a useful fire starter.

Whether you have excess sawdust left over from running your table saw, or you just cut up some firewood leaving behind a pile of sawdust and small wood chips, you can utilize this leftover material by making homemade fire starters!

These small fire starters burn great, they're easy to make and would be a perfect addition to your survival kit.

Lint Fire Starter - Combine some dryer lint, a toilet paper cardboard tube and wax to create unique fire starter.

Let's face it, everyone has dryer lint so why not turn this excess lint into a really unique fire starter?

Plus, this idea will utilize those left over toilet paper rolls you have!

Cotton Ball Fire Starter - A favorite among survival experts, cotton balls combined with petroleum jelly burn great.

The great thing about these homemade fire starters is the fact you can place multiple petroleum jelly cotton balls inside a ziplock baggie for future use.

They light really easy while using a ferro rod, which is why so many people use them in survival kits.

Cedar Fire Starters - Make a standard piece of cedar kindling even better by dipping it in paraffin wax!

Cedar is a great natural fire starter. 

In fact, many will agree it's the best firewood type for quickly lighting a hot fire.

To make lighting the cedar kindling even easier, we'll show you a unique method of adding paraffin wax that you're sure to love.

What's The Best Homemade Fire Starter?

Ultimately, only you can decide the best homemade starter for your needs.

It really just depends on what supplies you have access to, and whether you want a decorative fire starter for your mantel, or a more functional fire starter for your survival kit.

The good thing about making your own fire starter is the price, since all of the options mentioned above are very cheap and simple to make!

Overall

If you like do it yourself projects, making your own fire starters can be fun and rewarding.

Saving money and making your next fire easier to light.......sounds like a win win situation.  

So go ahead and give it a try!

About the Author

Nick Greenway

Obsessed with firewood, Nick is behind over 350+ of Firewood For Life's articles, as well as countless reviews, guides and YouTube videos to help readers like you reduce heating costs and create the perfect fire.