A few important things were left off. When you begin to stack your logs on the grate, start with the smallest first, which will catch fire first. Sticks from your yard, then pieces of bark that fall off and small split wood, then some full sized logs. Also, the single most important ingredient of a fire is OXYGEN! Get a bellows to blow more oxygen while the fire is getting going, but nothing replaces the blowing power of your lungs. It works miracles.

Hear hear. Isn't this 2 articles? #1 dress up your mantel. #2 how to make a fire. . .unless you're going to put your fire-making tools on the mantel *HA*. Even if you're going for the propped-up picture look, I'd still put a hook behind the picture. Nothing's worse than have a big picture slide off the mantel and smash on the hearth.