My mother has always been a resourceful person. She keeps almost everything and finds a darn good use for the rest. A few months ago she called me while she was on a walk collecting pinecones to make some thrifty fire starters out of them for me.
It's kind of country-geek but I was really excited about them! In our home we burn at least a cord of wood each winter. We love a roaring fire. But, after a long day at work, getting a fire started with damp wood and an active child can be, at the very least, a pain in the neck. In the past we've used Duraflame Firestart logs to get things going in a pinch. My husband still prefers doing it the old-fashioned way: blowing embers 'til they catch, wait, and repeat.) I have zero patience for this, which is probably why most of my fires end in half-burned logs.
I LOVE this quick and dirty pinecone method and hope you will too!
Based on my mom's loose instructions, I attempted to make one last week when our propane tank was empty, our wood was wet (of course,) and we were freezing. With the help of a few pieces of crumpled up junk mail, our fire was started in less than 15 minutes and we were much, much warmer. Thanks, Mom!
1. Take one of the pinecones you have collected
2. Stuff the open spaces with dryer lint (my mother also collected some for me - big thanks here, Mom)
3. Take candle drippings or whatever is left over in the bottom of your tea lights, heat the wax in a double boiler and dip the pinecone. One side will do the trick. (I did not do this step, but I recommend that you do.)
4. Let it dry on a piece of wax paper and you're ready to go.
Pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy your roaring fire!
