Does any one know what you use on pinecones, that makes them burn blue, red, green and gold etc.? I have a yard full of large pinecones. They will be perfect to give in baskets with small amounts of our "fat wood" as Christmas presents! Thanks Debbie

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), December 06, 2000

Answers

The only color I know for sure (I have it written down someplace but that could take years to find with my filing system) copper sulfate is the green color.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 06, 2000.

I made some one year.Rainbow flame crystals was product I got on clearence at walmart.Says on the label it contains copper sulfate.I sprayed the cones with clear glue and rolled them in the crystals.

Also you can make pinecone firestarters with wax and wicking,or string.Get a little pan,maybe a small pie plate orshallow tin can like tuna one and put the melted wax in then stick in the pinecone plus a lenth of wicking ,for lighting.Oh yeah,Oil the plate or can so it all comes out of there when hardened.I used leftover wax from candles so it was a recycled product too.

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), December 06, 2000.

instead of putting it on p9ne cones,, you can put a peice of copper wire, right in the fire,,, it'll make the colored flames

-- STAN (sopal@net-port.com), December 06, 2000.

Good point Stan. Some pure metals are a lot less toxic than the metal oxides or sulfates used to produce colored flames. Some of the compounds used are: Strontianite that is used to impart a red color; barium compounds impart a yellowish green color; lead oxide; arsenic and other heavy metals are used. All are toxic, depending on quantity, and probably harmful to the environment. Manufactures and retail stores generally are not concerned about this, however. Some homesteaders are, others are not.

-- JLS in NW AZ (stalkingbull007@AOL.com), December 06, 2000.

I thought pine cones explode in fires.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), December 06, 2000.

I don't know why I did not think that the chemicals would be toxic! I guess I thought it was safe because I have seen it so often before!! Sometimes my "thinker" doesn't work so well! I'll just stick to the "waxcups" on the pine cones!

Dee, I use the pinecones as fire starters and they are wonderful because they burn very hot and last long enough for the other wood to get started!

Thanks,for everyones response!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), December 07, 2000.

I just saw a "recipe" for this...you're supposed to mix one teaspoon of dishwashing soap, one pound of rock salt, one pound of Epson salts and one pound of baking soda or boric acid in a gallon of water. Put your pinecones into the mix (no number specified -- I guess it's whatever will fit in the bucket) and put a weight over them to keep them submerged. Let soak for 24 hours, then set them on newspaper and allow to dry thoroughly.

I'm planning to give my sister a batch of these along with some wax-and-cinnamon coated cones, so I hope they burn as prettily as claimed....

-- Christine (cytrowbridge@zianet.com), December 08, 2000.

I have some old recipes for pinecones like this, using copper sulfate, calcium chloride, copper chloride, potassium chloride and lithium chloride (blue/green,Orange, blue,purple, and red, in that order). It says to avoid using any nitrates as they are dangerous. If there are any chemists on the board, perhaps they could give us input as to whether these are safe or not...or what kind of air pollution they might cause.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), December 11, 2000.

I just saw a "recipe" for this in a friend's current issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. She said to mis Epsom salts (cheap) with water and soak pinecones for 24 hours and then dry and they will burn colors. This should be non-toxic. I'm going to do some today.

-- connie in NM (karrelandconnie@juno.com), December 11, 2000.

My husband makes hand-dipped beeswax candles by the hundreds (once in a while!! ) and when the wax gets kind of yucky in the botom of the ocntainer he uses it to dip the large pine cones. Let them dry and they make really good firestarters. Don't know about colors, at we are burning them in the woodstove.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), December 11, 2000.

i'm trying to do a craft with pinecones. i bought two large pinecones coated in scented red and green wax. i have tried to coat some more pinecones in wax, but the wax coating isn't thick enough. if i let the wax cool, it globs up on the cones and looks terrible. the wax on the two cones i purchased is very thick and rich looking. what am i doing wrong? help me please. pam j in nc

-- pam jolliffe (psjolliffe@hotmail.com), May 28, 2001.