Make Your Own DIY Citronella Candles for Summer

When I made my first batch of DIY poured soy candles, I didn't add any essential oils because I was addicted to the clean smell of the soy wax.  It was such a nice break from the heavily perfumed candles I had purchased in the past.  But then I made an Earl Grey tea scented candle that had such a fabulously light and delicate scent, so I started thinking about making some other scented candles.  While perusing Amazon, a bottle of citronella oil caught my eye and it dawned on me that I could make my own citronella candles for summer!

Full disclosure: we don't often get a lot of bugs living beside Lake Superior.  So far I've only seen - and been bitten by - one mosquito this year.  We sometimes get a couple of buggy weeks, but usually the breeze from the lake keeps them at bay (pun intended).  Out of habit, I like to light a citronella candle in the evening anyway, largely because I love the smell - it reminds me of summer!  Plus it does deter the occasional mosquito from snacking on us.  Because I tend to...burn through them (I'm on fire with the puns today), I thought it would be fun, and cost-effective, to make my own.

Candle-making requires some precision and patience, but after making a few batches, I have to say that it is incredibly fun!  Being able to turn random, discarded kitchen wares into useful, beautiful candles is really satisfying.  Once you have the supplies rounded up, it becomes easier - and cheaper - to keep churning out homemade candles.

Supplies:

• Soy wax flakes (I bought a 10 lb bag)
• Wicks (I bought these ones, which were easy to affix with a dab of glue)
• Hot glue gun (or wick stickers)
• Double boiler or candle making pitcher (I used an old Pyrex measuring cup in a pot of boiling water)
• Candy or candle thermometer (I used a meat thermometer)
• Stir stick
• Citronella essential oil
• Containers (jars, bowls, tea cups, etc.)
• Oven mitts 
• Newspapers or drop cloth

I won't bore you by repeating the candle-making instructions because my post about the Earl Grey Tea scented soy candle has step-by-step photos and instructions.  I followed those instructions to the letter.  Once the wax had been heated to 185F, I let it cool to about 135F before adding the citronella essential oil.  It's important to let the wax cool because if the essential oil is added when the wax is too hot, it can just evaporate!

I have read that the general guide for making scented candles is about 75 drops of essential oil per pound of wax.  I think that with citronella candles, it's better to be more generous!  I almost doubled that guideline, but you can experiment with an amount that's effective but not overpowering for you.  If you've been underwhelmed by store bought citronella candles before, check the labels.  It turns out that some store bought candles are simply scented with citronella and do not actually contain the essential oil, which is the key ingredient for keeping those mosquitoes away. 

I absolutely love the citronella candles I made because I re-purposed little French Onion soup bowls I found at the municipal landfill and the handles make them perfect for moving them around.  I'm so happy I saves these little bowls from being thrown away!

If you want to make your own citronella candles, check out my tutorial for making soy candles and just swap out the bergamot essential oil (in my tea cup candle, above) for citronella! 

And check out this post about my other batch of DIY poured soy candles for more inspiration for upcycling old glassware into sparkling new candles!

Easy DIY Poured Soy Candles

When I shared the tutorial for my DIY Earl Grey Tea scented soy candle, I hinted that I'd actually made many more.  Did you spot them in Hello Holiday?  Customized candles are such a great handmade gift idea.  The instructions on Hello Yellow are a little more in depth, so if you're thinking of making some poured soy candles as gifts, check out the tutorial.  I used a variety of vintage vessels and that's really the key to making one-of-a-kind candles.

I think this trio is my favorite - I love the gold wheat sheaf design.  I thrifted the set and always hoped to find a fourth, but no such luck.

This grey sugar bowl - with an iridescent glaze and tomato red trim - was actually something I scooped up at from the good neighbor shed.  I had to save it - it was too beautiful to get trashed.

This beautiful gold dish was another thrift store score - I had been looking for more of these for years, hoping to make a set, but I never found another one.  I'm happy I could give it a new lease on life as a candle!  (Now I'll probably find a set of three at the thrifts...)

This set of four glasses just would not sell in my vintage Etsy shop and it was heart-breaking to see them languish on my shelf.  I love how the white candle wax really helps the design stand out now.

This pink milk glass goblet was picked up at a yard sale.

I have used this glass dish all over the house: as a mini planter, as a catch all and now, as a candle.

The matching creamer to this Sadler sugar bowl was broken, so I thought it was a perfect excuse to use it as a candle.

I'd been setting aside potential candle vessels for about year and while I can't say I loved making candles (it takes a long time and is kind of fussy), seeing the beautiful assortment of one-of-a-kind soy candles I created was definitely worth it!  This is such a great way to re-purpose vintage wares that might have otherwise reached the landfill.

I hope these ideas have inspired you to turn some lonely glasses and bowls into gorgeous soy candles!  Don't forget to check out Hello Yellow for all the details and tons of step-by-step photos.

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DIY Earl Grey Tea Soy Candle - Cute Gift for Tea Lovers!

I have been wanting to try my hand at candle making for years, which totally cracks my Mom up.  Have you seen Our Idiot Brother?

 
There's no such thing as an ugly homemade candle.

I recently contributed a whole bushel of fun, holiday-themed crafts for a fabulous holiday gift guide that I can't wait to spill the beans about.  For one project, I used some lovely vintage vessels to make some really festive poured soy candles and they turned out so beautifully.

I had scooped a solid blue tea cup from the Good Neighbour Shed awhile back, but didn't want to use it for the holiday guide because tea cup candles have been done to death.  But darn it - tea cup candles are so cute and I wanted one for myself.  My Mom had some bergamot essential oil and it dawned on me that I could make a candle that smells like Earl Grey - my absolute favorite tea!  At the last minute I sprinkled in some real, loose leaf Earl Grey, just for show (it doesn't contribute to the scent), and it turned out so adorably.

Candle making is quite the science and everything - from the temperature of the wax to the temperature of the room - can impact the success of a poured candle.  I'd love to keep practicing to perfect my technique, but even my first few tries resulted in successful candles.  Although they lack the smooth as glass surface of commercial candles, they burn really nicely!

Supplies:

• Soy wax flakes (I bought a 10 lb bag)
• Wicks (I bought these ones, which were easy to affix with a dab of glue)
• Hot glue gun (or wick stickers)
• Double boiler or candle making pitcher (I used an old Pyrex measuring cup in a pot of boiling water)
• Candy or candle thermometer (I used a meat thermometer)
• Stir stick (an old wooden spoon or paint stir stick will do the trick)
• Bergamot essential oil
• Tea cup!
• Pinch of loose leaf tea (optional) 
• Oven mitts 
• Newspapers or drop cloth

Steps:

The first step is to measure out the wax.  According to Candle Science, you can divide the volume of your container in ounces by 16 to figure out how many ounces of wax flakes you need to use for one container.  For this candle I used about 200g of wax flakes.  It shrinks quite a bit once melted down and while I was making a whole bunch of them, I would just melt as much as I could in my Pyrex cup.  Then, once it melts a bit and there's more room, I would add more flakes and keep melting.

With the wax measured, I started heating it up in my "double boiler".  I filled the pot with a few inches of water, which I brought to a boil and kept simmering the whole time.  The wax needs to reach 185F and that took about 30 minutes in my experience.  I stirred it occasionally and although some lingering chunks took awhile to melt, eventually it all melted and resembled olive oil. 



While I waited, I used a hot glue gun to affix the wick.  You can also buy "wick stickers" but I wanted to keep costs low and I had a glue gun on hand already!

Once the wax heated to 185F I let it cool to about 135F before adding the essential oil.  Add it too early and it will just evaporate!  You can also purchase specialty candle fragrances.  Generally folks tend to use approximately half an ounce of oil per pound of wax.  If you're buying a fragrance designed for candle making, there will be a usage guide on the label.  I've read a little bit online about essential oils and candles and there is a lot of disagreement about the amount required for a good scent throw.  Some essential oils are stronger than others, so you might need to experiment a little (and let me know how it goes!). 

Once it cooled to about 125F, I poured the wax into my cup, added a pinch of tea to the top (it sunk in a little bit) and then let the candle sit overnight.  I poured mine somewhere where it could be left, undisturbed, until it hardened.  The wax starts to harden really quickly, turning from a yellow oil to a solid white substance, before your eyes (if you're patient).  To keep the wick upright I created a grid with tape across the top, which trapped the wick upright but didn't keep it as taught as I would have liked.  A better solution is to use a clothespin to clamp the wick end, and then place that across the top - but I didn't have long enough clothespins (mine aren't the wood kind).  Some candle making guides say to warm up the vessel beforehand, but I skipped that step.  Once the soy hardened completely, I trimmed the wick to 1/4".  

I didn't add any dyes so it looks like a really milky cup of tea, but you could easily tint it tea-coloured with dyes made for candles.  Add any dyes while the wax is at 185F so it can melt and mix completely.

Adorable, right?



I can now check "candle making" off the bucket list, although I was telling Hubby that it would be fun to really get into candle making: take some time to perfect the craft and make them for sale.  He seemed horrified, because I occupied the kitchen for two whole afternoons, swearing over my steaming makeshift double boiler, and we ate sad leftovers both nights because the kitchen was covered in wax and there was no way I was cooking!  So, yeah, "candle maker" probably won't be added to my resume, but I respect the people who make these for a living!  It's pretty straightforward to make a basic poured soy, but to make a perfect one (mine are lovably imperfect) and to customize with scents and colours definitely takes skill!

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