Making campfire or fireplace colors

Add your color to the fire after it has died down a bit. If you add it to a roaring fire, the colorant will be consumed quickly and be washed out by the flames from the logs. The best time to use color is towards the end of the evening when you have a good bed of coals and the fire is low. Just slip a couple of cones in the fire and wait to see the reaction of your guests. This make a wonderful end to an already great evening.

Coating Pine Cones or Corn Cobs with wax. (For deeper colors)

If you're using pine cones, bake them in the oven at 200° F for 20 minutes on a foil-lined cookie sheet. This open the petals to allow a larger surface area.

1. Melt wax (old candles, paraffin from canning supplies, etc) in a double boiler. An empty can in a pot of gently boiling water works well.
2. Tie a stiff wire to the end of the pine cone and dip it in the melted wax. String may work but if your carrier floats, the wire helps you submerge it.
3. Allow the excess wax to drip off. and roll or press the pine cone in your colorant. Watch out for the drips! Hot wax does a fine job of sticking to your skin and takes a while to quit burning.
4. Set on wax paper or other non-porous surface and allow wax to harden.
5. Craft glue will work but does not allow you to add as much colorant.

Coating Pinecones or Corncobs with water.  

1. Pour warm water into a container big enough to wet your "carriers". If you're on a well, you might want to consider using distilled water from the store to avoid adding minerals that might change the color. .
2. Stir in colorant until you can't dissolve any more.
3. Add the pine cones or corn cobs. You can either stir occasionally or use a weight to hold them underwater.
4. Allow to soak at lease overnight to absorb as much as possible.
5. Drain well to remove excess solution and spread out on  wax paper in a warm, dry spot where children and pets cannot play with these.
6. Either dispose of the solution in accordance with local laws or allow the water to evaporate. The crystals left behind can be reused.

• Always read and follow the precautions found on the MSDS sheet for any chemical.
• Clean or discard all utensils or toss them in the fire when you're done.
• To avoid contamination, never mix chemicals or dip a partially coated pinecone in another container.
•  Place a small amount of chemical on newspaper or paper cup and coat your pinecone in this.
• When you're done, wad up the paper as tight as you can and use it in your fire.
•  

  NEVER cook over a fire after adding color. S'mores and hot dogs cooked over metallic compounds are never healthy.

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