Homemade Fire Starters

Not pretty but does the job

Hey Firestarters,

During my recent Ladies Craft Night: Poured Candles I squeezed in a second craft that has been on my crafting bucket list for years. Fire starters!

I make quite a few bonfires during the summer months and my ability to forget what I need to start a fire is unmatched (Get it? Matched?) I was inspired by The Art of Doing Stuff's Homemade Firestarters post. From top to bottom, the whole craft is very simple. Just keep a few candles that have burned out for their residual wax, an old paper egg carton, and your dryer lint (other more ambitious option include wood chips, paper towels, cotton balls, pine cones, and sawdust). I used them on an overnight trip to a few WI State Parks and they worked like a dream! Just cut them apart, stick under your future fire and light.

A few tips for prepping this project:

• The original blog post suggests that you can melt your wax in an old can on the stove. I just put my wax in a Pyrex and stuck that bad boy in the microwave for a minute and a half or until it melted.
• Take the metal wick holders out of your old candle wax before you put in the microwave.
• Place your carton on a surface that you don't mind catching wax that has seeped through. Maybe lay down some paper grocery bags first.

Fanning the flames of my heart, BK

Ladies Craft Night: Poured Candles

Hey Crafters,

I just had an amazing Ladies Craft Night.

I offered my services to a organization near to my heart for their silent auction. The deal was I would facilitate and gather all supplies for an evening of crafting if the winner hosts and  invites guests. A friend bought the package and we decided to make pour candles. We played some late 90's boy band tunes and danced in the kitchen. We ate some great dips (artichoke onion garlic dip!!). We made some candles. It has been a long time since I've been able to host a Ladies Craft Night and this one was a tremendous success.

I used a mass DIY Survival Candle recipe from Teowawki Blog and figured out how to add fragrance. We made the candles individually in a Pyrex measuring cup so we could change the fragrance by guest preference. It was so easy and a real big blast.

BK's Slightly Adjusted Soy Candle Recipe

Supplies:

• Soy wax, flakes or chips (est. 3 8oz. candles per 1lb. of wax, so do the math!)
• Wicks with metal base
• 8oz. Ball jars
• Candle fragrance
• Pyrex measuring cup (at least 8oz.)
• Spoon
• Microwave
• Pot holder

Optional: pot with cold water and butter knives

Instructions:

1. Pour soy wax up to the 8oz. line of your Pyrex, microwave for 1:30 mins.
2. Pour a finger's width of wax in the bottom of each jar. Put in a wick and let cool. Use your butter knives to keep the wick up right by laying them across the top of the jar. This will keep your wick in place as you fill. *This is also where you may place the jars in your pan of cold water to speed up the cooling process.
3. Pour soy wax up to the 8oz. line, microwave for 1:30 mins.
4. Stir in three drops of fragrance and fill to 6oz. with more wax. Microwave for 1:30 mins.
5. Stir and pour into jar.
6. Wait for the candles to cool before cutting the wicks to a half inch.

**To make large batches follow the original Teotwawki Blog link.

Keeping the light on for ya, BK