Waterproof Dryer Lint Fire-Starter

How to make your very own waterproof dryer lint fire-starter, for free.

Using only household items you can make a 1 oz waterproof fire-starter that burns for 15 minutes. It's perfect for camping, backpacking, or even your backyard fire pit. No need to buy fancy fire starter logs, here you'll need to gather a few household items that would have otherwise been thrown in trash.

Step 1 - Gather Materials

First, gather a few materials from around the house.

1. Dryer lint
2. An empty egg carton
3. Old Candle Stubs (or in my case, a box of canning wax - $3*)
4. Dental floss
5. Scissors
6. New Belgium beer (not required, but hey, that's how it happened)

*Available at your local hardware store

Step 2 - Cut the Wax

Whether using old candle stubs or bars of canning wax, cut them into small strips/chunks so they can be more easily melted.

Step 3 - Fill Egg Carton With Dryer Lint

Take your dryer lint and fill each compartment. Stuff a fair amount into each as it will prolong burning time.

Step 4 - Cut and Fold Compartment

Using the scissors, cut each compartment and fold the ends of each on top of each other.

Step 5 - Tie Each Compartment With Dental Floss

Using dental floss (or any disposable string), tie each fire-starter allowing for a few inches of additional length.

Step 6 - Melt Wax

Drop your wax pieces into a disposable glass jar (or empty aluminum can) and place it into a boiling pot of water. Keep the water level low enough so the jar or can doesn't tip over. Once the water boils, you should have fully melted wax in a few minutes.

Step 7 - Lower Fire-Starters Into Jar or Can

Turning off your burner, you can now lower the fire-starters into the jar or can of melted wax using the length of dental floss. Make sure the fire-starters are fully submerged until bubbles stop rising to the surface. Note - It may help to use an additional utensil to push them below the wax line.

Step 8 - Let Fire-Starters Dry

Drizzle any remaining wax onto the fire-starters. This will help ensure waterproofing. Let the fire-starters fully dry. I placed them on a paper towel to prevent a messy cleanup. After about an hour or two, they should be rock solid.

Step 9 - Light Your Fire-Starter

Now that they have dried, your fire-starters are ready to go. Just light a corner and bask in the glory. My initial test had a burn time of 15 minutes.

I'm a long time lover of this site and it's my first post.. The goal here was to take items around the house that would have otherwise wound up in a landfill and turn them into something useful. Hope you enjoy.