A Fire Starter With Flare

We've used pine cones as kindlin' for quite awhile now and I just have to say...they work great!  There's just one problem---they go up quick!!  Some times that leaves you with a nice red glowing mass of what was once a stack of the little dudes but without a burning fire.  Solution:  Just add wax and a wick.  Voila!  You now have something that not only starts and burns easily but also has some staying power.  These wax- powered wonders are easy to make and make an awesome addition to your fire-starting arsenal.

1.  Pick up cones in mass.  If you don't have access to them check with friends and family.  If anyone you know has a few pine trees in or around their yard they will more than likely be happy to let you pick them up.  This saves wear and tear on their mower and you'll walk away with bags and bags of cones since pine trees produce and then drop a ton of them every year!

2.  Melt down a candle or two.  The ones that never burned right to start with or the ones whose wicks have given up the ghost are the best ones to sacrifice here.  You might also be able to pick up some spent candles at your local thrift store.  They can usually be bought on the cheap if you can find them.

3.  Make yourself a hook fashioned out of a piece of wire of some sort so that you can safely dip the cones into the hot wax and retrieve them.

4.  When you have your cones ready for dunking and your wax hot there is just one last step--Tying a bit of wick around a portion of the cone. This will give you a fuse to get the little guy started when you're ready for it to do its thing.  Wick material is relatively inexpensive.  It goes a long way, and it can be found at almost any hobby or craft store.

5.  Once you've tied your wick off you are ready for the deed.  Simply hook your wire around the cone and dip it into the hot candle wax.  After a few seconds, carefully pull your now wax-covered pine cone out of the wax and sit it on a safe drying area to cool.  You may find that you will want to do multiple dunks depending on the amount of wax that you want on each piece.

That's it!  Once the pine cones have dried you are ready for action.  Whenever you have the need for a fire starter with a little extra oomph, these guys will fit the bill!!


Fire starter with some kick

You Have to Craft!

If you like to give gifts, one of the best ways to do it while Runnin' Lean is to make them yourself.  By making gifts you can often personalize them more than store-bought ones and it gives of yourself, too. Often times if you stop and think for a moment, you can make something using supplies you already have on hand or you may be able to pick additional materials at local thrift stores. For a little girl, I made my first teddy bear out of a sock and then crocheted a bright colored scarf for the bear too.  She named the little guy Cocoa Bear.  A loaf of homemade bread with some wild violet jam was the perfect birthday gift for another friend.  Homemade bread is a rare treat for most people these days!

Look around your house and see what you can craft today--maybe a birdhouse for a bird lover, a scarf for a friend or two, homemade cookies for those with a sweet tooth?  You'll be giving a gift that both comes from the heart and stays out of your wallet:)

LaRynda