One of the best things about warmer weather is throwing parties outside! I love cooking on the grill and spending as much time as possible outdoors during the spring and summer months, but there is one thing I have little tolerance for: bugs. Particularly mosquitoes. I tend to shy away from using insect repellant, because I hate the smell and having it on my body. I prefer citronella candles to keep the bugs away – citronella oil is plant based and non-toxic, so you don’t have to feel bad about harming the environment. These candles also very easy to make at home! Plus this way you can put them in whatever type of container you want and make large batches of citronella candles for summer parties.
What you need: Wax (I used soy wax for two candles and I also used the remainder of my block of wax from this project – both from AC Moore), candle wicks, containers for your candles, Krazy glue, and citronella oil. I ordered the citronella oil from here, and I also picked up some eucalyptus oil to mix in. If you don’t want the citronella scent to be too strong, I recommend mixing in a second oil.
Start by adhering the wick to the bottom of your candle containers with Krazy glue. Melt the wax in a pot over the stove at a low heat – I recommend having a dedicated pot for stuff like this. Remove the wax from the heat as soon as it has fully melted, and at this point mix in your essential oils. I used about ten drops of the citronella oil and five drops of eucalyptus. Pour the wax into your containers and place them in the refrigerator or freezer – they’ll harden in just a few hours!
This is a great way to re-use old mason jars!
The addition of eucalyptus makes these smell much better than store-bought citronella candles, and they’re far prettier too! I’m sure I’ll be making lots of these for the summer months ahead :).
More DIY projects from the BLDG 25 Blog.
This is awesome, thank you for sharing!
I’ll have to make these soon! :)
If you want a nice-smelling bug spray though, try the one from Burt’s Bees. It has a great herbal scent and doesn’t smell like a typical bug spray at all!
Love that you used soy wax… vegan candles FTW :)
These are WAY prettier than the ones you buy at the store.
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Very good way to reuse mason jars. Great way to light the garden for summer time.
Such a good idea! These candles wouldn’t only help ward off mosquitoes, they would also create a lovely ambiance.
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Your candles would be perfect for the patio – thanks!
So fun! Do you have any tips for cleaning the pot you melt the wax in?
A good bug spray is Lavender essential oil and water in a spray bottle. Lavender is a natural bug repellent.
A good way to clear out candle jars is to warm up the glass in the oven. The wax turns soft and poof! it’s super easy to scoop out :) I always keep the jars from my candles and use them as storage or as a jar for a homemade candle!
Great pics Julia, very well done. Where did you get the Krazy glue, and citronella oil from?
Going to give it go :) These would love great in my Garden in the summer. I’ve got some spray instead of the oil, that could work.
Sarah Midland
Can you color the wax? If so, what would you use, food coloring? Where is an inexpensive place to purchase essential oil scents?
I found citronella oil at whole foods!
RhaunDel,
I haven’t made the candles yet, but I have looked into it and some other sites have recommended using real Crayola crayon chips for added color. You just melt the chips with your wax – the more crayon you use, the deeper the color. Like I said, I haven’t tried it, but it might work.
There are wax dyes, etc at Hobby Lobby. Citronella oil is available at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Hobby Lobby.
I love this idea! I can’t wait to try it. I actually just posted a DIY tip about how to make your own gel candles. You guys should definitely check it out and share more of these great tips at tipmine.com. http://www.tipmine.com/tips/6946
To clean pots after use or candle containers place in fridge for about 1/2 hour and push wax out with a old butter knife. Wash pan but only use it for melting wax it won’t be good to use it for anything else. Thank you all for the great ideas
I am in love with this blog! What about a post on making a wind chime?
I would like to make these with beeswax and have the perfect mold. How many drop of citronella oil do you use per ounce of wax. Thanks
We use the candle outside when partying at night
Thanks for this inspiring content. I really enjoyed it lots.
What you have done is actually pretty inspirational.
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This is really great content. I would like to use your style to better
my own content on my website.
Where did you get the soy wax and wicks?
It’s really interesting, I would like to know how to proceed from making candles the raw one. Thanking you.
I also make my own citronella candles. I order my oils from Nature Garden Candles or Candle Science though, it’s much cheaper than Amazon! I also use wax and such from AC Moore and MIchaels too when I am in a pinch and don’t have any wax left from my online supplier. Great tips and info. I love the Citronella Candles. I make mine with Citronella and Lime! Makes the Citronella much stronger. Just thought I’d share. I am going to try it your way with the Eucalyptus Oil and Citronella too!
Hate to throw a wrench in the works, but soy is horrible for us! Yes, you are not ingesting the candle however, when it burns you are breathing in whatever burns off in the air. Just an FYI. Also, you can use old candles to make new ones! Put them in a coffee can, put that in a pot of water over a low flame and as it melts, you can pick any debris out. Much cheaper than buying wax as you can always get candles at thrift stores. You can also use a heavy cotton thread or yarn as a wick. Tie a small washer to the end and drop it into your container. So many great ways to do DIY projects much more cheaply than buying new products!!!!