BellaOnline Forums Money Frugal Living Making fire logs out of scrap paper

I've been seeing some references on some blogs about making fire bricks or logs from paper bags, scrap paper and old newspapers.

I used to just recycle my used paper and junk mail, but it became a useful resource to have around for my compost, mulch areas and in my firepit.

The problem with using it in the firepit is that paper, crumpled up, burns too quickly. So I was thinking I could mess around with some dense paper logs.

Today I had a lot of small paper bags to deal with, the kind that wine bottles come in. I started by grabbing my recycling buckets and poking through them for paper. I'd stuff each paper bag with rolled up papers - paperboard,small bits of cardboard, junk mail and sales circulars. Whatever. They looked like logs but i needed them to be more dense so they would burn longer.

I put them on a tray and poured some rainwater from my barrels onto the 'logs'. I squished the logs so they would be more dense, and to drain out the extra water. Then I put them in the sun on a large rock with flat rocks pressed on top of them to keep them log-like while they dried.

They are still drying overnight. I'll see what they look like in the morning.

There's a ton of ways to do this, and some are quite involved with using wooden forms for log drying, and tying the roles with rubber bands or twine. But I'll let you know how my easy-peasy lazy paper logs turn out.

I took a look late this afternoon. They are not completely dry, but my lazy logs are looking good! They are pretty dense and heavy, for paper.

I will admit a nice square form for them would be sweet. But honestly, making one is so far from being a priority right now.

I have made fire logs out of paper a long time ago, but I was told to be careful about using some types of paper with print as today the paper is heavily treated with chemicals.

What you do know about this? Is it a personal safety or environmental threat to burn these types of paper?

Oh, please post an article on this when you can! I always have so much old paper, and there is very limited commercial recycling where I live. I have a fire pit, too, so knowing how to make paper into fire logs, and if I could use these logs for quick heat, fire starters, or if there is a way to get good coals for cooking would be awesome to know!
Oh, my day job is working as an academic tutor in a middle school Kids are always telling me theY are going to throw their homework away. I usually tell them to save it for summer (their last day is friday) and take everything not worth saving and put it in a bonfire. I would love to have good directions on fire logs to share with them!

AKLisa, they are nice and dry and look pretty good. One is really dense - the one i used a larger paper bag on and stuffed really well. I rolled it to the size of basically the others. I think when I make more i will try to do them like that. So far, as much paper as you can squeeze down when wet seems to be key.

Lori, I think most newsprint uses soy based inks now - i am not sure. I know it's considered ok to use them in the garden and the compost. As for the colored circulars, maybe we can look at them and see if they say soy ink or something on them.

if it's an issue, i'd only burn them in the outside firepit then, and save the ones I know are safe for the woodstove inside.

Blech it is so hot out that even thinking about firewood has me wilting. I think i will wait til the monsoons come to do any more fire experimenting.

The entire region has a fire ban in effect now. Conditions are bad! How are fire conditions where you guys live?