
WitchCrafting: Pinecone Fire Starters
Merry meet!
This time of year pinecones are fairly easy to find, and Yule is celebrated with bonfires and Yule logs. Combine the two by making fire starters from pinecones. It’s an easy, quick craft.
Begin by collecting pinecones. They must be completely dry. If they are damp from being on the ground, you can put them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and leave them in a 150-degree oven for an hour, or until any sap has melted and the cones open fully.
If you are doing many, you’ll want to melt wax – preferable bees wax because it burns the cleanest – in a metal or ceramic bowl that fits on top of a pot, making it a double boiler. A pound of wax can do up to a dozen medium-sized cones. You’ll also need about six inches of braided candle wick per cone, and a parchment- or foil-lined pan to dry them on.
Tie the wick about one-third of the way down the pinecone, leaving a long end for holding and lighting, and a short end that will tuck among the scales.
When you dip, the goal is a thin layer of wax covering the cone and the wick up an inch or two. Place on the parchment paper to dry for several hours or until the wax is no longer soft.
If your pinecones are smaller, you could make them into fire starters in a muffin tin in the oven. You’ll need a cupcake liner and a tea light for each pinecone. Remove the candles from their cups, place them into the cupcake liner, and place into the pan. Place the pan in a 200-degree oven. Watch closely. As soon as the wax is melted, remove the pan. Now would be the time to add essential oils or other items associated with Yule, such as cinnamon, rosemary, frankincense, myrrh, nutmeg, cedar, bayberry, and holly.
Using tweezers, move the wick to one side of the liner and place the pinecone in the center of the muffin cup. This will get the wax to cover the lower part of the pinecone. Be sure the wick sticks out above the wax. Let them cool completely. If you wish, peel away the paper before using.
To incorporate more magic into this craft, you can write your wishes for the new year on small slips of paper, roll them up, and tuck them into the scales so the wet wax will hold them. You can also sprinkle on the spices and botanicals associated with Yule.
Whether you light fires to usher back the light of the sun or to keep evil spirits away, these are sure to start them.
Merry part. And merry meet again.
About the Author:
As an eclectic solitary practitioner, I travel the country in a converted school bus and share magick with those I meet. Find me at https://thewitchonwheels.com/ and on Facebook.

