Easily Start Up Your Fireplace With This Empty Egg Carton Trick

When cooler temperatures arrive, many of us desire the warmth of an indoor or outdoor fire. If you find getting your fireplace going to be a royal pain and you go through fire starters so quickly you might have to create a savings account just for those useful items, then maybe it's a good idea to make your own from a few products you likely already have around the house. You don't need to keep your local shops afloat in fire starter money: all you need are some egg cartons, dry flammable materials like sawdust, grass, or even dryer lint, and some wax. Combine these to make easy at-home starters that will get your fireplace or outdoor fire pits roaring with toasty flames.

Store-bought fire starters are actually just made from high performance wax that's been combined with renewable, recyclable fibers. While you probably don't have access to these in your everyday stores, you do have similar ingredients to create your own starters, and they will keep you stocked and ready for winter while also clearing out your home from waste. To prep your DIY items, make sure you hold onto at least one empty egg crate (or you can use a cardboard cup carrier), then start collecting your dry materials. Repurpose unwanted dryer lint for this hack, or use grass shavings from your yard (just ensure they have been dried out completely). You can also use pencil shavings from your home office or sawdust from your work space as well.

You can purchase paraffin wax, but if you have candles that are nearly finished, why not boil these to melt the wax and use them instead? If you have other wax sources, like broken crayons, these can be melted down, too. Take your dried materials and fill each egg "cup" with enough stuff so that the divots are full, but don't worry about packing too much in, as this could prevent the wax from getting into the crevices. If you replaced an egg crate with a cup carrier, ensure there's something disposable and solid underneath that's covered by wax paper so the paraffin or candle wax doesn't get on your home's surfaces. 

You want the wax to melt down into the cups so it will help the fire grow when lit. Boil water and either place your old candles in the pot or melt your paraffin according to the directions on the package. Carefully add your melted wax to each cup, covering the dried materials. If you're worried about wax dripping or flowing through any weak spots in the crate, make sure to put a piece of cardboard or disposable mat underneath to catch any excess. This can then simply be thrown away once you've completed your DIY.

Once your egg carton is full of wax, allow this to dry for at least 45 minutes or until the wax is completely hard. Then, when dry, cut each individual "cup" so that you have small fire starters ready for your fireplace, pit, or any bonfire you plan to have. You can use one or several of these to get your flames going, and the dried materials plus the wax will give you a good base to start with. Use this among dry tinder and wood so that when everything catches, your fire keeps roaring as long as you need it. You can always add more of your cups if necessary. While there are a variety of homemade fire starters you can make, including ones from cardboard toilet paper tubes, this is one of the most clever and compact ideas.

Because these are made up of flammable materials, storage is important. Keep them in a cool, dry area of your home, away from heat and other flammable objects. Protect your pets and curious kids by keeping them away as well. Just because they are homemade doesn't make them less dangerous than standard fire starters. You could also place them inside a plastic container to keep them organized and safe from moisture.