You can make a dandy little stove from a discarded tin can; simply punch some holes in the sides all the way around the bottom; if you've got a couple of nails, drive them through the sides about 3/4"up from the holes so that they form a bit of a grate to support the fuel. Throw in some tinder, followed by firewood broken to size, and light from underneath via the holes. Not only does it catch well because your tinder is sheltered, it draws like a chimney and burns beautifully, especially if there's a bit of breeze.

This obviously works better with larger, taller cans; I've had good success with apple juice cans.