Make your own eco friendly fire lighters to give as a gift.
Kindle cones are much more efficient than paper and 100% greener than chemical fire lighters.
And to top it all – they are fun, quick and easy and you can create these in minutes with your kids (just watch and be really careful with the hot wax)!
You will need:
Natural pine cones (if you pick them wet and un-opened, place in the oven for a few hours at 80c (and add a bit of cinnamon and aniseed, the house will smell gorgeous and very seasonal) and just watch them pop, such a satisfying thing to do. A bit like popcorn!
Any candle stumps, tea-lights or new candles can be used too (use soy or 100% wax candles).
Fairy cupcake cases (small cupcake cases).
Oven and a baking tray (ideally a cupcake baking tray though flat baking tray will work too).
Optional: You can scent your cones with either real lavender, cinnamon or scented oil.
Instructions:
- Take your candle ends and tea light remnants plus any larger pieces of candles (often the last bit in a glass does not get used nor does the bottom of pillar candles, most likely producing plenty of wax) Place these either in an oven proof container and melt in the oven at 170c or over a pot of boiling water. I use a coconut bowl for this, it’s also where I gather and keep wax remnants ongoing.
- Make sure you remove any wicks, but keep these aside as they will come in handy for lighting the kindle cones (but are not essential).
- Wait for the wax to melt and then place the cup cases in a cupcake baking tray or placing them on a flat tray will work too, though cupcake tray helps to hold the shape better.
- Now add a pine cone, bottom down in a cake case.
- Take the wicks and snip off any metal circles at the bottoms and cut into 2cm pieces.
- Remove the wax from the oven or the water it’s been ‘sitting’ on top of, but be super careful and watch the wax as this is now very hot.
**If children are involved, we suggest they do not get involved in this part and the pouring** - Wait for the wax to cool down a little and if you are adding lavender or other scent, add these to the melted wax once its cooled a little but not so cool that it is starting to set.
- Pour a small amount of wax over each pine cone and enough so that they sit in small pool of wax.
- As the wax begins to set, add the wicks to the wax by the side of the pine cone.They just need to be submerged approx 4-5mm so that they sit in the wax and you will be able to use this wick to light the kindle cones. If you haven't got any wicks, just add a sprig and this will act as a sprig too.
- Wait for wax to set completely and then wrap beautifully in a Kraft box!
- Perfect eco – friendly and home made Christmas present.