Valentine Fire Starters
These make perfect gifts for: That person who has everything, Outdoor enthusiasts, Wood stove owners, or ANYONE who enjoys summer BBQ's but doesn't like the hassle of getting the grill going. They are very simple to make and require very few supplies. Who doesn't like, easy,thrifty, and practical gifts?
Supplies
The quantities will vary depending on the size and number of starters you want to make.
For this project you will need:
*Some wax in any color you want. (recycled candles are perfect and inexpensive, and you can use a small piece of crayon to alter the color if you would like)
*Some paper shreds (I wanted mine to look nice so I bought Red shreds from a dollar store, but you can just as easily use some from home)
* Some tissue paper (you will need at least 1 sheet per fire starter you would like to make)
* A heart shaped cookie cutter or ice cube tray ( Any size will work but keep in mind small ones won't burn as long, and large ones require more wax. Mine is about 3" wide.)
* some wax paper to protect your counter top.
TOOLS:
Rice cooker or double boiler to melt wax in.
Butter knife
For this project you will need:
*Some wax in any color you want. (recycled candles are perfect and inexpensive, and you can use a small piece of crayon to alter the color if you would like)
*Some paper shreds (I wanted mine to look nice so I bought Red shreds from a dollar store, but you can just as easily use some from home)
* Some tissue paper (you will need at least 1 sheet per fire starter you would like to make)
* A heart shaped cookie cutter or ice cube tray ( Any size will work but keep in mind small ones won't burn as long, and large ones require more wax. Mine is about 3" wide.)
* some wax paper to protect your counter top.
TOOLS:
Rice cooker or double boiler to melt wax in.
Butter knife
Let's Do It!
1. Lay out a sheet of wax paper onto your counter top.
2. Lay a piece of tissue paper on top of your wax paper (This helps prevent the wax from flowing out under the cookie cutter. If you are using and ice cube tray then this won't be necessary)
3. Place your cookie cutter on top of the tissue paper.
4. Fill your cutter with your paper shreds (I packed mine in tightly and gathered in any stray shreds)
5. Melt your wax in the Rice Cooker or Double Boiler you have chosen
6. Remove wax from the heat and wait for the melted wax to cool slightly so it's not so runny. (about 3 minutes)
7. Carefully fill your cookie cutter with the wax. (I pressed the cutter down while filling to ensure there were no leaks from the bottom)
8. Gently press any dry shreds into the wax with the butter knife.
9. Let the shape cool until the wax has all solidified.
10 Gently peel it from the tissue paper and push the wax shape out of it's mold.
TA-DA! A Valentine Fire starter!
Repeat these steps until you run out of supplies or have the quantity you would like. If you have multiple molds then the process will go rather quickly. I only had 1 so I had to wait about 15 minutes between each for it to dry.
2. Lay a piece of tissue paper on top of your wax paper (This helps prevent the wax from flowing out under the cookie cutter. If you are using and ice cube tray then this won't be necessary)
3. Place your cookie cutter on top of the tissue paper.
4. Fill your cutter with your paper shreds (I packed mine in tightly and gathered in any stray shreds)
5. Melt your wax in the Rice Cooker or Double Boiler you have chosen
6. Remove wax from the heat and wait for the melted wax to cool slightly so it's not so runny. (about 3 minutes)
7. Carefully fill your cookie cutter with the wax. (I pressed the cutter down while filling to ensure there were no leaks from the bottom)
8. Gently press any dry shreds into the wax with the butter knife.
9. Let the shape cool until the wax has all solidified.
10 Gently peel it from the tissue paper and push the wax shape out of it's mold.
TA-DA! A Valentine Fire starter!
Repeat these steps until you run out of supplies or have the quantity you would like. If you have multiple molds then the process will go rather quickly. I only had 1 so I had to wait about 15 minutes between each for it to dry.
Packaging
When you package your Fire Starters be sure that you include 1 sheet of tissue paper per starter.(The purpose for this is explained in the instructions for use) If you did several smaller ice cube sized ones you can include maybe 1 sheet per 3 small starters etc.
TIP: If you want to conserve room. Don't unfold the tissue paper leave it neatly folded then fold them down to a more manageable size.
You can bundle them into a nice tin or a decorative bag, and include a card with a clever/ corny saying.
Here are a few:
"Your just a hunk, a hunk, of burning love."
"You warm my heart."
"You set my heart a blaze."
"Let's keep our romance/ friendship kindled"
"Let's heat things up"
"It may be cold outside, but when your around I'm always warm"
I'M SURE YOU HAVE A FEW OF YOUR OWN IN MIND TOO.
If the recipient has never used fire starters before you'll want to include instructions for use as well. (see next step)
TIP: If you want to conserve room. Don't unfold the tissue paper leave it neatly folded then fold them down to a more manageable size.
You can bundle them into a nice tin or a decorative bag, and include a card with a clever/ corny saying.
Here are a few:
"Your just a hunk, a hunk, of burning love."
"You warm my heart."
"You set my heart a blaze."
"Let's keep our romance/ friendship kindled"
"Let's heat things up"
"It may be cold outside, but when your around I'm always warm"
I'M SURE YOU HAVE A FEW OF YOUR OWN IN MIND TOO.
If the recipient has never used fire starters before you'll want to include instructions for use as well. (see next step)
Instructions for Use
Always include a warning that these are FLAMMABLE they are NOT candles.
To use your Valentine Fire Starters:
1. Take 1 sheet of tissue paper and crumple it up into a cozy nest.
2. Place a fire starter in the center of the nest. (or 3 if they are small)
3. Light the tissue paper under the Fire Starter.
4. The paper will light the fire starter leaving a long lasting burning heart for you to build upon.
It is that EASY!
My starters were 3" wide and supplied about a 10 minute burn by themselves. Plenty of time to get the perfect blaze going.
To use your Valentine Fire Starters:
1. Take 1 sheet of tissue paper and crumple it up into a cozy nest.
2. Place a fire starter in the center of the nest. (or 3 if they are small)
3. Light the tissue paper under the Fire Starter.
4. The paper will light the fire starter leaving a long lasting burning heart for you to build upon.
It is that EASY!
My starters were 3" wide and supplied about a 10 minute burn by themselves. Plenty of time to get the perfect blaze going.