Materials:
- Egg cartons, the grey recycled-cardboard kind, NOT the foamy plastic kind
- Dryer lint, enough to fill the number of egg cartons you are using
- An old candle (you know, the ugly half-burned kind– or buy a new one at the dollar store)
- Some kind of double boiler suitable for melting wax
1. Melt the candles over a medium heat on the stove using some kind of a double boiler. I don’t have a real double boiler, so I use a medium sized metal mixing bowl set inside a large pot. A small pot inside a large pot will also work. Fill the large pot with a few inches of water, then set the bowl or smaller pot into it. Put the candles in the inner bowl to melt. (Do NOT try to melt wax in the microwave– you will regret it.)
2. While you’re waiting for your candle to melt, pack each compartment of your egg carton with a blob of dryer fuzz. Cram it in fairly compactly, but there’s no need to be too fussy.
3. When the candle wax is completely liquid, pour the wax carefully over the lint in each compartment of the egg carton. Use just enough wax to moisten the lint. You don’t want to completely submerge the lint in wax, just wet it down with the wax– I’d guess it takes a couple of tablespoons of liquid wax in each compartment.
4. Let cool. Store away from heat. To use, tear off one compartment at a time, light with a lighter, and set under wood in fireplace.
Disclaimer: I am assuming all y’all are smart and are going to use normal precautions around hot wax and fire. OK? Good.
Getting a fire started is sometimes tricky, especially if you don’t have much kindling handy, and these things work great. Light an edge of the egg carton, stick it under a heap of wood in the fireplace, and it will burn for 3 or 4 minutes, plenty long enough to get most fires going.
Me: Okay, this one really works! My boys have taken them on Scout camps and they are perfect for getting the fire going. The leaders also have fun playing with them!
But I found an even easier way.
Have you heard of Scentsy? They are a wickless candle system, where you melt the wax in a warmer and it releases the scent without the danger of a flame. I love it!
Anyway, after the wax has released all it’s scent, I used to just dump the wax in the garbage. Not anymore. I keep the egg carton filled with lint on top of my refrigerator and when it’s time to change out the wax, I pull the egg carton down and pour the melted wax into one of the compartments of the egg carton. It’s a win-win!
Also, because they light easily and burn for quite a while, to give you time to get your fire going, they are great to put in your emergency kits.
I highly recommend doing this.
All the girls know how to do this because we do it for camp certification each year, but using my old scentsy is a great idea.
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