You may not always have flint or other fire starters stocked in your camping gear. Knowing how to make some easy homemade fire starters is a great (and affordable) way to always be prepared.
Lighting a fire isn’t always as easy as you’d hope. Whether you’re starting a fire in your fireplace or enjoying nature around the campfire, sometimes we could all use a little help.
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Have you tried rubbing sticks together? It may work, but it takes way too long. When you’re cold or have food to cook, you don’t have to time to spend 15+ minutes trying to create a few sparks by rubbing sticks together.
Or perhaps you’ve gone camping and forgotten your store-bought fire starters? Been there, done that…and it’s terrible. That’s why when I came across ways to easily make my own campfire starters I knew I wanted to learn more.
I learned a lot in a short period of time because there are so many DIY fire starter options available!
Now that I know how easy they are to make and have on hand all the time, I’m sharing some of my favorite homemade fire starters. They’ll help you get a fire blazing in no time (and for a lot less money)!
While many of these ideas can be used both indoors and outdoors, read the directions carefully just in case one is too dangerous for an indoor fire. We want you to stay safe and warm.
Related Post: Tend Camping Hacks You’ll be Thankful to Know
How to Make Fire Starters to Light Your Fire
Making DIY fire starters is easier than you may think! And this collection of homemade campfire starters provides enough variety that you will most likely have everything you need on hand for at least one of these ideas!
Use an Egg Carton + Dryer Lint
Who knew you could make a fire starter from an egg carton and dryer lint? Just add a little beeswax to slow the burn time, and you have a portable fire starter you can take anywhere.
DIY fire-startersTry These Pretty Holiday Wax Fire Starters
These gorgeous holiday wax fire starters would make a wonderful Christmas gift for the outdoorsy person in your life. They are also great for adding a little festive decor to your tabletops.
Holiday Wax Fire StartersThis Frugal Solution Uses Free Household Items
You don’t need to get too fancy with a fire starter. Sometimes simple works as well or better than complicated. You’ll do just fine with some dryer lint stuffed in a toilet paper tube.
Make Your Own Fire StartersMake a Fire Starter with Pine Cones
Pine cone fire starters are a cute option for winter wedding favors, but they’re practical, too. It smells great, so it’ll not only work as a campfire starter but also make any toasty fire even better!
Learn how to make your own Pinecone Fire Starters!Fire Starter Pokemon
Wine Corks Make Great Fire Starters
Soak wine corks in rubbing alcohol for a fire starter that’s super easy to use. Store them in an airtight container like a mason jar to ensure the alcohol doesn’t evaporate (or smell).
Wine cork fire startersPencil Sharpener Fire Starter
Keep a pencil sharpener in your camping gear for those times you forget to bring a fire starter. Create wood shavings and use them to start your campfire simply by sharpening a stick. Genius!
23 Items Under $5 That Can Save Your Life!DIY Fire Starter in a Tin
Backpackers use this tip all the time: coat some cotton balls in Vaseline, and store them in a plastic bag or a metal container. They light up really well, making them excellent campfire starters.
Vaseline-Soaked Cotton Balls
Orange Peel Fire Starter
Save your orange peels! Not only will they make your home smell great as you dry them, but you’ll get a nice citrus aroma when you light them, too.
51 Ways to Use Orange PeelsSaw Dust “Hot Cakes”
If you’ve been working on a DIY project recently, the sawdust can come in handy. Pack it into a muffin tin, and fill each of them with wax. Those little sawdust cakes work magic in the fireplace.
DIY Sawdust Fire StartersCover Cotton Pads in Wax
These cotton pad fire starters are based on the same principle as the cotton ball trick above except the pads are dipped in wax and then dried.
Homemade Fire Starters
DIY Fire-Starting WafersSmudge Stick Fire Starters
Herbal smudge sticks are really made to cleanse the air as they burn, but dried herbs – like most dried vegetation – make great fire starters, too. The fresh, clean air is an added bonus!
Homegrown Herb BundlesHeavenly-Smelling Herbal Campfire Starters
Wrap cinnamon sticks and herbs in pieces of newspaper, and tie with twine to make these delicious-smelling herbal fire starters. They’re easy to make, great at starting a fire, and smell heavenly.
Friday Favorite HacksDIY Fire Starter Kits
These diy fire starter kits would make nice gifts for the holidays, too. Put some matches, a striking surface, tinder (pine needles, dried leaves, etc.) and some sage (to keep the bugs away) in a mason jar, and decorate it nicely.
Aren’t they gorgeous?
DIY Fire Starter KitWaterproof Fire Starters
Make waterproof fire starters for your survival bag. These are simply sections of straw stuffed with cotton and sealed at both ends.
Easy peasy and you don’t have to worry about it drying out or moisture getting in!
Waterproof Fire StartersHomemade Fire Starters in Under 10 Minutes
These DIY fire starters can last for up to 10 minutes! The cotton is soaked in rubbing alcohol and placed inside cardboard tubes that are dipped in wax. That’s hardcore!
DIY Fire StartersFire Starter Kit
Aren’t these ideas amazing? I love that you don’t need expensive tools in order to start a fire when you go camping.
With these recipes and projects, you don’t need to spend tons of money on buying expensive fire starter supplies – or need to worry about running out of your supplies again.
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Instead, you can simply use common, everyday materials that you already have to make your own campfire starters and always have reliable homemade fire starters on hand.