using newspaper & loo roll inners as firelighters

surfsister

hi guys now that the colder nights are here I'm glad that I collected the inners from loo and kitchen rolls all summer and rolled them inside each other to make free fire-lighters. (add a small piece of fire-lighter if needed). With kids also collected bags of pine cones as they light the fire really well when dry.

also that i made newspaper bricks to supplement my wood supplies.

any other ideas??

Need2bthrifty

I remember - oh some 40years ago - as a child sitting helping my mum to roll and twist sheets of newspapers for the fire and cut down on the amount of kindling needed to get it going.

I also remember her wrapping up potato and vegetable peelings to burn on the fire, dont know if that was just her way of reducing the amount of household waste or if they were used when coal was getting a bit short

valk_scot

I used to make these with my mum...stuff the loo roll inner with torn up newspaper then finally roll it in a half sheet of newspaper (this was broadsheet stuff) and make a Christmas cracker type shape by twisting the ends shut. Mum said it was easier to light the end frill part than the actual roll. She also used to make folded paper bags from double sheets of newspaper and fill them with the small bits of kindling. One bag, two crackers and our (coal) fire was fully lit.

When we were still allowed bonfires on the allotment I used to make something similar as large lighters...I'd stuff cereal packets with smaller items of cardboard packaging then wrap a but sheet of newspaper round with the ends left loose to light. Maybe a bit big for a fireplace though, but if you had any small boxes?

SailorSam

Now that we're in the middle of the Conference season for the political parties, there are going to be tons of papers and magazines which they've all had printed to tell us how good they are and what they do for us. What better use than starting a fire.

Ida_Notion

I have never had an open fire (not since being a kid, anyway), but going back six years ago when we had a bigger garden and enough room for barbecues I used to save toilet roll tubes and stuff them with the lint fluff from the tumble dryer to use as lighters. I have no idea how effective they were because my husband would light the barbecue while I was indoors sorting out other stuff, but I don't remember him complaining.

zippychick

Here's some links i found from an old post by Pink Winged

Tip for those with an open fire to save fuel!

Laying a fire

Looking after the fire

Wood burning fire

OS firelighters

Making Paper Bricks

Pine Cones on the fire?

Cheap Fire Kindler wood

Ill merge this later

Zip

spike7451

Don't forget to use all that junk mail/envelopes that are pushed thru our letterboxes every week!