Fire starters

Author: Dr. Kathleen Wild
Lesson Plan:

Materials Needed:1, One large to Medium pine cone.2. About three pounds to 4 pounds of wax that is used for candle making.(Can be found in most Craft Stores.) 3. CANDLE COLORING found in the candle wax Dept. 4. One 2oz bottle of your favorite Essential oil also found in the candle dept, 5. One pair of stainless steel tongs. 6. One double boiler medium in size. 7. pot holders two of them. 8. Wax Paper 9. A large cookie sheet.10. One steak knife to cut wax with. 11. One large wooden spoon to stir the wax with.

Directions: 1. Line your large cookie sheet with wax paper to cover the whole tray. 2. Fill your double boiler half way or a little more with water and sit the other pan on the top of it. 3. Now, cut the wax into about 4 inch by 4 inch squares. 4. Place the double boiler on to the stove but do not turn on the heat until you have placed all of the wax into the pan to be melted. 5. When the wax is all cut up,place into the pan. 6. Turn the stove burner on to med or a little above but not all of the way to high. 7. Have the students take turns stirring the wax up wile it melts,making sure that they use the pot holders for safety to keep from getting burned. 7. When the wax is all melted, place about 15 to 20 drops of the Essential oil that you have chosen to use in the was for the fragrance. 8. Now add the color that the student s have chosen to make the wax. This will turn the plain wax into a beautiful color ! 9. Now, one at a time place one pine cone into the tongs letting each student dip the pine cone into the wax. It  is ok for the student to open the tongs so that they use a stirring motion to coat the pine cone. After the pine cone is coated.10.  The Student will place the cone on to the wax paper on the cookie sheet to dry. Continue this process until all of the students have completed their pine cone and have placed all pine cones on to the cookie sheet to dry. Let dry over night. 11. The next day, have the student wrap the cone into the wax paper. This makes a great gift and smells so good when using in a fire place or starting a camp fire or a bonfire. This can be used during their summer vacation or even as a gift for some one. 

Suggestions:.1. The pine cones coated with the wax can also be placed in a bowl on a table and they smell so good !  2. This can also be a gift or some thing that they make to take on a camping trip. 3. This could also be used at a school Fund Raiser or a Bazaar to make a profit.

Have fun and enjoy the art of making a neat gift that is useful as a room freshener or a fire starter. Remember to be safe and only use in a bonfire with adult supervision.