Nothing beats toasting in front of a crackling fireplace on a cold winters day or night. Ok, ok, include a steaming cup of hot chocolate, a sweet, hot glass of Glühwein or a strong, comforting cup of tea and now we’re talking.  If you’re like me however (ie not an expert at making fires), you always need a couple of firelighters to get going. Needless to say, at this rate you will quickly run out of firelighters especially if you’ve really been using your fireplace to the full this winter.

Well here’s a nifty way to make your very own firelighters and all you need are some used teabags and leftover candles.

Step 1 : Save your used teabags and dry them out on a drying rack.  This only takes 1-2 daysStep 2 : Collect some used candles and melt them in the microwave until liquified.  Make sure there are no silver bits and be careful as the glass container gets super hot

Step 3 : Dip the dried teabags into the hot melted wax and leave to dry.  The dipping is really quick and the drying only takes 1-2 hours

Step 4 : Store, ready to use for your next fire

And that’s how incredibly easy and inexpensive it is because you’re making the most of your teabags.  And by the way, get the kids to do the dipping – it’s fun!