First of all… is it ‘pinecone’ or ‘pine cone’? I think it can be written either way but I’m never sure which way to choose! I think I’ll go with ‘pinecone’ for now (please feel free to let me know anywhere I’ve written it as two words before my dad does!).
My pinecone firelighters have proved to be such a hit at craft fairs over the last few weeks that I’ve finally decided to add them to my website shopping page and give you a brief overview of what goes into making them.
First of all, finding the pinecones:
Myself and my family have been known to wander the Kentish countryside in search of just the right kind of pinecones. Dog walks are often centered around woods which may contain pine trees; mum and her friends have been out hunting and at times we’ve been known to stop and ask homeowners with lovely pine trees on the driveways if we can gather the cones!
Adding wicks:
The wicks I use for my firelighters are made of hemp and beeswax and are carefully wrapped around the cones by hand (it’s a perfect job to do while watching a bit of TV in the evening!)
Adding the scent:
All of the pinecones are hand-dipped into the pure soy wax scented with cinnamon, clove and sweet orange essential oils to provide a real festive scent. I love doing this bit as it leaves my whole house smelling like Christmas!
Orange slices:
Recently I bought myself a dehydrator to dry orange slices to add to my bags of firelighters which has been working out brilliantly and means I no longer forget they’re in the oven and burn them! I’d love to use it to make some yummy snacks (which who knows, my children might even enjoy?!) but i’ve been pretty unsuccessful so far! Has anyone else got a dehydrator? what do you use it for? my banana chips didn’t look great but I’d love some ideas for other things I could have a go at. Anyway, back to firelighters…
Packaging:
The packaging for my firelights is 100% plastic-free. The bags I use are a type of greaseproof paper, tied with ribbon with a paper tag. I’ve also just ordered some black ribbon made from wood pulp cellulose which I’m super excited by and can’t wait for it to arrive so I can get using it. My aim is always to make my products as environmentally friendly as I possibly can, and if you have any ideas or comments for ways to do this, I’d love to hear them!
If you’re interested in getting hold of a bag of my pinecone (or pine cone!) firelighters (or could it be fire lighters?!) head over to my shop where you can order yourself a bag and find out how to use them!
