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–+ servings
Carton of homemade bees wax fire starters with wicks and cinnamon image.

How to Make Beeswax Fire Starters

Charlotte Anderson @ Carolina Honeybees, LLC
Recycle used cardboard egg cartons with dry pine cones and beeswax to make natural fire starters. A great wax fire starter for your fireplace or fire pit.
5 from 4 votes
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Tools

Supplies
 

Instructions
 

  • Melt beeswax: Melt approximately 9 oz (net weight) of beeswax in a double boiler.
    Beeswax is relatively easy to melt and only needs to reach a temperature of about 147 ° F.
    It will flame if it gets too hot so watch it closely. Yes you “could” use the microwave but a double boiler is much safer.
    Beeswax bars melting in a pot image.
  • Prepare egg carton: Open the empty cardboard egg carton.
    It should be relatively clean but a few stains or spots in the bottom of the cells is no cause for concern. We are going to cover those up anyway!
    Empty egg carton and materials for wax fire starter project image.
  • Fill cavities with shavings
    Fill each section of the empty egg carton with wood shavings (or sawdust-if that’s what you have).
    Pack the shavings down gently into the bottom. They should be about 1/2″ to 3/4″ of shavings in each section.
    Cardboard egg carton with shavings image.
  • Put a 7″ section of wick in each section of the carton.
    The wick should lay across the shavings but stick out a bit. – Later this will be the part you will light with a match.
    Short length of candle wicking in fire starter image.
  • Assemble the beeswax fire starter: Pour wax into each section of the egg carton – it is best to do this one section at a time.
    Your wick may start to float so place a medium sized pine cone into the section. Hold it down until it stays-if necessary. The wax will cool relatively quickly.
    Once the pine cone is staying in place, add a 3″ piece of cinnamon stick to the section. You can use other herbs, pine needles etc to beautify your starter.
    Press it down firmly into the wax and shavings.
    Assembly of pine cone, beeswax and wick image.
  • Check wick location: Be sure the open end of the wick is sticking up out of the wax surface and wrap the wick around the pine cone.
    Wax fire starter with wick around pine cone image.
  • Now, pour a small amount of beeswax on the top of each pinecone/wick section. This helps attach the wick to the cone.
    Pouring melted beeswax on pine cone fire starters image.
  • Let the wax cool completely. Then, use scissors to trim the wicks to a uniform length of an inch or 2.
    When it is time to use them, use scissors to cut the sections apart and use one for your campfire or in the fireplace.
    Carton of beeswax firestarters with wick trimmed image.
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