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Throw out your tiki torch oil and candles and make your own DIY Citronella Candles!
DIY Citronella Candles
Nothing can ruin a beautiful summer night like those pesky mosquitoes, am I right? Not to mention they are tiny vectors of disease (Malaria, West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever) but I digress…
To my dismay, those store bought citronella candles do NOT seem to work. The scientist in me decided to research this annoying conundrum and I found the problem! Guess what? They use citronella scented oil, not citronella essential oil.
Want to Learn How to make your own DIY Homemade Citronella Candles?
- Mason Jars
- Soy candle wax
- Citronella essential oil
- Candle wick
- Hot glue gun
- Microwave safe container
How to Make Homemade Citronella Candles
- You need to prepare your wick. I bought waxed wicks with metal bottoms.
- Apply hot glue to the bottom of the metal. Place in the mason jar (center as best you can – I used a candy stick to press it into place. Set aside and allow the hot glue to cool completely.
- Fill your microwave safe container half way.(Patience is a virtue but it is not one of my stronger traits. Therefore, I decided to microwave the wax instead of using the stove.)
- Depending on your microwave, melt the wax in 30 – 60 second intervals. It took about three minutes to melt the wax down.
- Now your wax should be melted. Carefully, remove the bowl from the microwave. The wax will look like olive oil.
- Using an eyedropper, add the citronella oil to the hot wax (about five drops). Stir oil into the wax.
- Wrap the wick around the candy stick to keep the wick centered.
- Pour the wax into your mason jar.
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Allow to cool and the wax to solidify. This took about two hours.
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Once the wax is cool, cut your wick to size.
They turned out wonderful! They smell really good and they actually work! I actually sat outside taking pictures for 30 minutes last night and did not get a single mosquito bite! I love a successful craft project!
If you are looking for fun and practical craft ideas, here are a few more favorites:
- DIY Candle Melts
- DIY Citronella Candles
- Garbage Disposal Fizzies
- DIY Eye Mask
- Easy DIY Homemade Lemon Hand Soap Recipe
- Distressed Serving Tray
Whatever it is that are creating, I hope it fills your heart with joy (and chases those pesky mosquitos away!!)… that’s what creating is all about!!
