I go to all those cute little tourist trap shops near where I camp and they all have these little fire starters for sale for $1 each. Gasp! Why pay that much each when I can make my own fire starters, mostly by using things I have around the house.
I'm going to give three easy examples here.
I usually make my fire starters outside, but if I have to do it inside, I always make sure to protect my table. I have two beach towels folded in half on top of each other. ( free) I have seen heat mar the finish, so this protects the surface from the heat. In addition to protecting from the heat, you want to protect the table from the actual liquid wax you'll be using. I have an old vinyl table cloth that would have been thrown out because it has holes, but I can keep it for protecting my surfaces from wax. You could always use old plastic grocery bags if you don't have an old table cloth. ( free again).
The next step is to collect old cardboard egg cartons either from yourself or your friends ( free). I'm only using 6 for this example, but I've been known to make 25 at a time. ( I don't use them all myself, I share my starters with friends). Make sure the cartons are cardboard, not foam! Once you have your table protected and your cartons collected, get a good pair of sheers ( hopefully you have or can borrow these). I then cut along the hinge for the lid and remove the lid. Then I cut along the hinge of the clasp portion so all that's left is the cup section of the egg carton.
If you had good sheers and your hand doesn't hurt yet, you can cut the clasp parts into small pieces and they can be used to help fill up the cups too. If you have sheers that already hurt your hand, don't bother and put the scraps in recycling.
Line the egg cup portions closely together so that it makes it easier to fill the cups and less material ends up on the table between the cups. I like less clean up.
I'm adding the little pieces I cut from the clasp portion into the cups. 
The first example I suggest is not my favorite, but it's free and easy to get. Save your dryer lint. I added dryer lint and pressed it firmly into the cups, adding more as necessary to make the cups full.
My second alternative filling material is the paper out of your shredder. You really have to pack this in firmly and keep adding shreds until it's full and firm. If you leave a lot of air between the shreds, it will take a lot more wax for fill these and it makes it a lot more expensive than it has to be.
I press it down with my fingers , add more shreds, then press it again, then add, until the cups are tightly filled with the shreds. Again a free material.
My third alternative, and my personal favorite, is to use either sawdust from doing work around the house ( free) or if I have to buy shavings for a pet, then I use those. My friends suggest to be more cost effective to use "used" litter in your fire starters, but I don't like the idea of using dirty shavings in fires I want to cook over. If it's just a bonfire for enjoyment or heat I guess I wouldn't mind, but shavings are so cheep I don't bother using "used" shavings.
You have to have a way to melt your wax. With so many people having those wax pots for their hands and feet, you may have one of those. Or you might find one at a yard sale or on craigslist. Unfortunately, I believe they take about 2 hours to preheat and melt the wax. I can't plan that far ahead and they usually are filled with expensive scented waxes. I use an old double boiler. This was originally used to melt wax for topping and preserving homemade jams, but it's basically the same thing.
Add your wax to your choice of melting devices. The wax I used here is left over from a 5 pound block that I got at a craft store from the candle making section. I get 40% off coupons and on a good day there is an additional 20% of your total purchase. You can also buy wax by the pound in the section of stores that sell canning supplies like Walmart. Be careful working with melted wax, it's hot and can be flammable.
Pour the melted wax over the filled cups. The wax will soak through the cups. See how the cardboard is darker in some areas on the bottom of the cups? That's where the wax has soaked through. (Thanks table protection).
My finished fire starters. I just let them sit to be sure they solidify thoroughly. If you find the materials in the cups aren't holding in place, you can always go back and add more wax.
I like to store my fire starters in cardboard boxes. I find Girl Scout Cookie boxes work really well. This box is for the Samoas. It's a little longer and it leaves me space to store a lighter or box of matches in the end of the box. To get the fire starters in the box, you have to alternate sides. The box is handy because it keeps them snug and prevents them from breaking apart and spreading their fillings all over. Plus the box can be burned when your done.
When it's finally time for you to use your new fire starters, you just tear off an egg cup. Depending on the quantity, quality, and dryness of your tinder and kindling, you may need more than one. I tend to think of one egg carton as 12 fire starters, but I have seen people use a whole carton. When it's time to light the fire, light the cardboard edge of the fire starter and have your tinder on top and ready to go and you'll have a nice fire in no time!
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