10 Homemade Fire Starter Ideas To Keep You Warm In Winter

Curling up in front of the fire with your family or a furry friend is one of the best ways to spend those long, cold winter nights. Not only does a fire provide warmth, but The Crimson White reports that spending time by a fire also has a positive effect on a person's heart rate and blood pressure. This makes sense when you consider that our ancestors found safety, comfort, and food around their campfires. Although we generally do not need our indoor fireplaces for safety, they still provide warmth and relaxation and are a focal point for many rooms. 

Wood-burning fireplaces and wood stoves need a little more help getting going than their gas counterparts — in fact, you may find that your fireplace has the opposite effect on your blood pressure if you can't get the darn thing started. Save yourself some time and frustration with these fire starter ideas, which should help to get the flame flourishing in no time.

Most people know that oil burns well, but did you know that Vaseline is an oil-based product? Vaseline is made of petroleum jelly, a combination of oil and wax, which explains why it burns so well. The oil helps it catch quickly while the waxes keep the fire going, explains the Appalachian MTN Club. Dip a cotton ball in a generous amount of Vaseline and place it with your kindling for a quick and easy fire starter.

If you use your fireplace or wood stove often, consider saving up your toilet paper rolls and dryer lint and making a bunch of firestarters ahead of time. Cut the toilet paper rolls in half, then stuff them with the lint. Kroger suggests going a step further by wrapping it in wax paper and twisting each end like a piece of candy. Just light one end of the wax paper, which will help the starter burn longer, giving your kindling and wood more time to catch fire.

Get your fire going and add a touch of winter scent by using dry pine cones. In farmhouse, rustic, or BOHO-styled spaces, you don't even have to hide your fire starters –  pine cones make a lovely addition as an ornamental filler for bowls and baskets. While pine cones alone help get the fire going, My Garden Life recommends dipping them in wax to make them easier to start.

Those who still read newspapers can skip the recycling bin because those large, lightweight sheets make excellent firestarters. According to Woodheat.org, the simplest way to use newspaper to start a fire is to lay two pieces of firewood a few inches apart, fill the space between with crumpled newspaper, and top lightly with kindling. Once ignited, the fire will spread to the kindling and then onto the firewood.

This method takes a little effort, but you do get the benefit of extra vitamin C in your diet (if you actually eat the oranges!) Dried orange peels make an effective and aromatic fire starter. Little Eco Footprints states you can simply dry your orange peels outside on a tray on a sunny day. Alternatively, you can also use a food dehydrator to remove moisture from orange peels – a process that will make your house smell amazing. Add dried orange peels to your kindling to speed up the fire-making process while freshening the air.

This is another project that you can make ahead of time. First, and most importantly, you must use cardboard egg cartons only — never use plastic or Styrofoam since these products will melt and release toxic fumes. Firewood For Life recommends simply melting some candle wax and pouring about a tablespoon into each compartment. Cut the carton into squares and store them in a dry place for quick and reliable fire starters.

No one likes junk mail, but at least you can put some of it to use by shredding it for fire starters. Shred paper or envelopes without plastic and use them to help fuel your fire safely. If you shred your bills for privacy, you can also use them in your fireplace. However, according to Remodel or Move, you should avoid burning glossy paper because the ink may cause toxic fumes.

For gardeners who have more herbs than they can use, bundling them together is a wonderful way to make a fragrant firestarter. Sage, rosemary, oregano, mint, lavender, or whatever woody herb you grow can be dried, bundled, and wrapped with twine to help get your fire going, suggests Hearth & Vine. Make sure your herbs are completely dry before bundling to prevent mold and rot, and only use natural fiber string or twine to prevent any toxins from being released into the air.

Ok, hear us out on this one. If you just cannot get your fire started and you do not have any other of the supplies on this list on hand, try chips. Yes, snack chips. It may be a bit unconventional, but chips are oily and dry, so they burn quickly, states The Creek Line House. The higher the grease content, the better and longer chips will burn. And, once you've got that fire blazing, you will already have your snacks nearby.

Everything on this list is flammable, so why not take what you already have and make something unique? Tales of a Mountain Mama says you can use the ends of candles, paraffin, or even melted crayons, along with cardboard egg cartons full of dried herbs, pine cones, or dryer lint. No matter what you use to start your fire, be sure to adhere to proper fireplace safety standards, and keep a fire extinguisher available.