Fire Starter for Fireplace/Campfire - Quick & EZ

Give your brown paper shopping bags, paper towel tubes, and even cotton-only dryer lint a second life! Turn these everyday recyclables into handy, eco-friendly fire starters for your fireplace, firepit, or campfire. Once assembled, just tuck them loosely in a storage bin or hang a bundle nearby so they’re ready whenever you need them.

Materials

• Brown paper shopping bag

• Cardboard tube from a paper towel roll

• Cotton‑only dryer lint

• Scissors

Instructions:

View the image above in conjunction with the below steps:

Prep the bag

• Open the brown shopping bag.

• Cut down both vertical sides so the bag opens into two large panels.

• Trim off the thick, reinforced bottom section and recycle that piece separately.

Roll up the half bag

• Lay one half of the bag flat, with the handle pointing to the left or right side.

• Starting at the bottom edge, roll the paper upward into a tube

  • Roll tight enough to slide into the cardboard paper towel tube.

  • Yet loose enough to allow airflow which helps it ignite better.

Insert the Rolled Paper

• Slide your rolled paper bag into the empty cardboard paper towel tube.

• The handle should stick out from one end, as shown in the image.

Stuff the Lint

• Take small pinches of cotton-only dryer lint (example: lint after laundering 100% cotton towels)

• Gently stuff a bit of lint into both ends of the paper towel tube.

  • Don’t overpack it — airflow helps it ignite more easily.

Store for later

Keep your finished fire starters in a bin, basket, or hang them a safe distance from your fireplace or with your camping gear so they’re always ready to grab.