If your iron has a little disc opposite the spot where the cord exits the handle, and you don't like where the cord comes out, change it. Just remove that access plate we were talking about before, pull the disc out, put the cord in the hole left by the disc then put the disc where the cord was. Put the plate back on and that's it. Newer iron cords exit the center and better still, some are now cordless. There are a number of chemicals that can be added to the material being burned to create different colors.
Copper sulfate creates a blue flame and who knows what evil that produces.
If you want colors in your fireplace, pitch one or two pine cones in there. They burn in all colors - not more than one or two at a time since they also burn quickly. A dirty chimney is a fire hazard. The heat from a chimney fire sucks in more air, making a bigger fire, which sucks in even more air and building until it sounds like a shuttle is being launched out of your fireplace. The creosote melts, starts to fall, then is picked up by the updraft and launched out of your chimney.