Pinecones are perfect kindling… even better when they are dipped in cinnamon scented wax. They look great in fire starter baskets on the hearth and make nice gifts for the holidays. Start with a slab of wax and some fragrance (available in crafts stores) and score a line in the wax with a knife. Hit it on the corner of the counter or butcher block along the line to break it up into smaller pieces.

It’s wise to protect your stove area from hard to clean up wax splatters with aluminum foil before melting down the pieces of wax in an old pot on med-low heat. Brush off pinecones with a whisk broom if necessary to remove pine needles and/or dirt. Add fragrance and color (optional) to the wax when melted.

Use tongs to dip the pine cones. Submerge or roll around to cover with wax. Drain a few seconds before setting on a tray covered with parchment paper or foil. Stack the pine cones up more than one layer to cool. Extra wax that drips off can be thrown back in the pot. The lower the temperature, the more wax adheres to the cones. The photo below shows a cone dipped in freshly melted hot wax on the right versus when the wax had cooled down on the left.