Sawdust fire starters are easy to make and incredibly useful when camping, for bonfires, backpacking or even during the winter.
If you’ve been using old newspapers drenched in a copious amount of lighter fluid to get your fire going, you’ll enjoy hearing that there is a much better way.
Sometimes a camping trip can be a rather rough experience. Especially when you’re trying to get a fire going and it has been raining for days. Having a good fire starter can be a comforting feeling, whether you make your own or you buy them.
Making your own fire starters is as easy as putting together sawdust and paraffin wax (old candles work well too). You can also use old dryer lint, toilet paper tubes, wood chips or even egg cartons. There are so many different natural options to put in your knapsack.
Sawdust is one of the easiest materials to use for fire starters, as all of your woodworking projects leave you with an abundance of the stuff. Drilling and sawing will leave your floor with a mess of it. Bag it up and put it to good use.
Not only is sawdust great for throwing over oil spills, it works great for killing weeds. I have a wonderful neighbor who is a woodworker.. he always bags up his sawdust for me, in return I trade him handmade soap. It’s a barter system that works rather well.
These fire starters are easy to DIY at home and make great gifts to share with friends and family throughout the year.
Sawdust Fire Starters
What you’ll need:
- sawdust
- paper muffin cups with tray or old cardboard egg cartons
- paraffin wax
Pack sawdust into paper muffin cups. Then melt paraffin wax in a double broiler — pour over your sawdust and allow to harden.
Find paraffin wax in the canning aisle at your local supermarket. If you don’t want to buy paraffin wax, old candles melted down work well too. The trick to using paraffin wax is melting it without burning down the house.
- Avoid using your good cooking pot. Instead use a tin can as a double broiler (an old coffee can works well).
- Slow down the melting rate by putting the tin can with wax in it over a pot with water on the lowest heat.
- Never leave the stove unattended while melted paraffin wax (or wax of any kind). If you have small children make sure the handles on the pots are turned inwards on the stovetop.
- If using old candles, go to a bargain store.
These sawdust fire starters, slow burning when lit, make great starts for a camp fire or fireplace. For an inexpensive packaging idea or if gifting, use coffee filters with a kraft label.
Make sure you note that these fire starters are for outdoor use only.
Hello I am making these fire starters now my question is why can’t we use this for indoor fireplace?
Patricia, go ahead and use them in the indoor fireplace – just use caution. I meant that more for anyone who was using inside without a fireplace. I’m certain you’ll be fine!
I use an old oblong crock pot set on low to get the wax melting then turn to keep warm. You can use the melted wax for dipping your hands into (use baby oil on your hands first so the wax comes of easy) dip them several times. Let it dry until cooled. Peel it off and your hands are soft and pain free. However, you can use a spoon or old cup to dip out the wax and poor over your sawdust.
I think I’m going to put some pine needles in mine for a nice smell. This is a great Father’s Day gift idea!
Great idea!
Great idea! Or maybe add some sage or rosemary to ward off mosquitos
I use pine shavings in mine! I buy a small package of them from my local pet store. (I don’t have access to saw dust because my husband prefers working with metal. Haha)
That’s a great idea, Nancy!