These DIY fire starters work amazing (but they’re a little gross)

If you love a bit of DIY then check out these DIY fire starters for a long lasting starter that gets the blaze going first time every time.

DIY fire starters

September 6, 2022

DIY fire starters

I love a good DIY caravan and camping hack so when I came across these DIY fire starters recently, I had to see if the hack actually worked. Well, low and behold, it turns out these are the best fire starters I have ever used in my entire life.

Eight. Whole. Minutes. That’s how long just one of these DIY fire starters burned for. This is officially five minutes longer than my store-bought fire starters. More than enough to get a kindling teepee roaring without any tinder whatsoever and more than enough to get the larger logs going on the first attempt.

So if like me, you love a bit of DIY (or maybe you just want a fun project to do with the kids), give these DIY fire starters a go. However, I should warn you, they’re a little gross.

Why are they gross? Well, it’s because of the magic ingredient…..dryer lint. Even though clothes are technically clean when they’re chucked in the dryer, playing with and keeping wads of dryer lint still feels plain wrong. But hey, it was only going to get thrown in the bin anyway.

Here’s how to make DIY fire starters that work better than any bought from the store

Step #1: Gather your supplies

  • A few wads of dryer lint (the magic ingredient to DIY fire starters)
  • Empty egg carton
  • Cheap candle from the two-dollar store
  • Old pot to melt the candle in
  • Scissors
DIY fire starters

Step #2: Prepare your DIY fire starters

Start by opening up your empty egg carton and cutting off the top so you are left with the side that the eggs usually sit in.

Next, grab your wad of dryer lint and rip off a piece. Squish and roll this in your hands and then plonk the gross wad in one of the egg slots. Keep doing this until the whole carton is full of dryer lint.

Step #3: Melt your candle

You now need to melt your candle to a complete liquid. How you do this is up to you but I grabbed a small saucepan that hasn’t been used for years, chucked the candle in the bottom and proceeded to heat it up on my camper’s external gas cooker.

No stirring is required.

DIY fire starters

Step #4: Tip the melted wax into your egg carton

When your candle has turned to liquid, carefully transfer it to your egg carton stuffed full of dryer lint and pour the wax over each wad.

I recommend doing this on the grass as the wax will leak out of the bottom of the egg carton a little bit. After all, egg cartons aren’t waterproof but they are flammable.

Your DIY fire starters are nearly finished!

DIY fire starters

Step #5: Wait for it to cool down

You don’t really need to do anything now except wait for your DIY fire starters to cool down and set. Once the wax has dried, go ahead and cut out each individual waxy wad of dryer lint.

You don’t need to remove the egg carton from the wad as this is what you actually light to get it started. You’ve probably realised by now that these DIY fire starters do not look pretty. In fact, they look downright gross.

DIY fire starters

Step #6: Test out your new DIY fire starters

Guess what? You’re ready to light the easiest fire you’ve ever lit.

Grab your brand new DIY fire starters, plonk one in the middle of your firepit area and built a kindling teepee around it. Once you’ve added your second layer of larger logs, reach in and light the egg carton.

DIY fire starters

Step #7: Sit back and relax

Woohoo, you’re all set for the night!

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Jessica Palmer
Jessica Palmer

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