RE: I think I've hit the jackpot

[firefighterjake]

So I was in Target this past weekend doing some Christmas shopping . . . well, actually that's a lie . . . I really was just tagging along with some friends who were doing some Christmas shopping . . . I was mainly there to hang out with them and for the meal at the Roadhouse.

Anyways, I was surprised to see Target selling these boxes full of pine cones dipped in candle wax for use as fire starters . . . I think they were selling 8 of them for $15.

Now I'm surrounded my pine trees at home and this year I've got a ton of pine cone drops . . . and my wife has plenty of old candles so I figure between all of the pine cones and old candles I'm sitting on a small fortune.

But wait, it gets better . . . if you go to the Target website you'll see that they're packaging these pine cones with some bows, white birch sticks (not even an entire round or split) and sticking them in a cheap box and selling these gift baskets for $20-$60. I think I've just found a way to replace all that money I lost in my 401K.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

LL Bean in Maine also does something like this. Very attractive, also pricey.

I have a source of pine cones. I had accumulated a lot of candle ends. So I made a bunch of wax- dipped cones for firestarters. I like them- a lot! As good as any other method I've tried. Go for it.

The market for these is probably somewhat limited, especially since the economy is down. I mean, do you really think they are worth what is being charged these days? But making these for yourself does make sense. The gift packs are more aimed at the folks who will buy a small bundle of firewood at the supermarket for 10 bucks. ;-)

$1.88 for one waxed pine cone? Yikes!

 

[meathead]

Now...how to resist the temptation of using one of your wife's good cooking pots and any still good candles you find around the house to melt down candle wax in bulk?

 

[MuckSavage]

I have a cheapy pot from the dollar store. My old man had an old pot he used from when he bought mom a new set. I once used one of those aluminum throw away pans.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Don't melt them over an open flame!! Double boiler or hot plate set low. The vapors aren't healthy, and they're extremely flamable (if you couldn't guess).

 

[firefighterjake]

Just for the record . . . I was kidding about turning this into a money-making business venture.

 

[meathead]

Yeah...ahem...and uh.... I was kidding about ruining my wife's good cooking pots to melt down candle wax from her good candles...ahem...


On a completely unrelated note...these things are great if you make them with scented yankee candles

 

[Cluttermagnet]

Note to self:
Next summer, remember to look for big old unwanted candles at yard sales. Prices get cheaper, the later in the day it gets. Color: irrelevant. Scent: irrelevant. Size: The bigger, the better

Ah- ahem- just kidding about the yard sales.... ;-)

 

[struggle]

While I have not used the pine cone/wax method me being ultra cheap at times I re-melt candles once the wick is used up on a hot plate that was a hand me down. Set on low in a cheap pot that we found camping once and it works great to rebuild candles in jars.

Apparently you cannot re-melt them into card board containers though as a free standing candle as they never burn right, but a new wick in an old glass candle container and bang you got a new candle and you do not throw the unused wax away. Works for us.

It was brought on buy the fact I hate to throw something away that can be saved up and reused again. We just put our used up candles that have remaining wax in a box until there is enough wax to warrant melting them into candles.

 

[firefighterjake]

Well since we're still on the candle topic . . . My mother-in-law gave my wife a candle warmer a few years back. It's basically a low temperature hot plate surrounded my ceramic. You put the candle on top, plug it in and it melts the wax -- allowing the candle to give off the aroma without an open flame. It occurred to me that when my wife isn't looking I could probably dip the pine cones in the melted wax of her candle that's presently melting away.

 

[meathead]

Well since we're still on the candle topic . . . My mother-in-law gave my wife a candle warmer a few years back. It's basically a low temperature hot plate surrounded my ceramic. You put the candle on top, plug it in and it melts the wax -- allowing the candle to give off the aroma without an open flame. It occurred to me that when my wife isn't looking I could probably dip the pine cones in the melted wax of her candle that's presently melting away.

Good call - she'd never see it coming. I can hear it now... "Jeez, I don't remember this thing going through candles so fast?"