Besides being easy to make, sawdust fire starters are useful for bonfires, camping, or throughout winter. These firestarters are better than any alternative method I’ve tried, store bought, or homemade, and are a fantastic way to make use of sawdust that accumulates in the workshop.

Most people typically have a stash of old candles that are half burned out; You can use that or go to the dollar store for some cheap wax pillar candles.

I am heating up a sauce pan on medium heat and pop the candles in. Keep this at a medium heat, but turn it down to low quickly as soon as the old candles start melting. You wouldn’t want to boil and burn the candle wax. Also, don’t worry about having a wick floating in the melted wax. It is easy to avoid pouring it, or removing it once the entire candle is melted.

As this melts, I am preparing the sawdust. There’s not much that goes into this; I am just filling small paper dixie cups about ¾ of the way full of sawdust.

From here all you need to do is pour the hot wax into the cups and let them solidify.

To light these you just have to rest the lighter against the exposed upper lip of the paper cup. This section of the cup will serve as the wick, which helps to light the whole fire starter into a consistent, long lasting flame.