Running out of firelighters is frustrating and they smell so strongly so we’ve been making our own recently, they’re free and fun to do.

1. Mini-rolls: save up your loo roll tubes and stuff them tightly with newspaper, wood shavings or paper shreddings and leave a wick of newspaper peeping out to light.

2. Old candle stubs

3. Dried citrus peel: a great way to use citrus peel as it isn’t good for composting. Leave them on a radiator to dry out and they’ll give a lovely fragrance. Once dry they burn very well.

4. Cotton wool balls smeared in petroleum jelly

5. Waxed cones: melt old candle wax down and dip dried pine cones in it, then add a tube of tightly rolled paper to light.