Vintage Planter Citronella Candles
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Thinking about trying your hand at making DIY candles? Perhaps citronella candles to keep those pesky bugs at bay. Well, inexpensive vintage planters (vases and creamers, too!) from the thrift store make for quirky and unique candle holders full of personality!
On my last trip to the thrift store, I couldn't resist these vintage planters and creamers- I knew I could use them in a summertime project!
Why not fill them with wax to make candles?? Candle making is surprising simple! I started off with some beeswax from my local beekeeping store. If you don't want to use beeswax, thrift stores carry all kinds of candle making supplies.
And from the craft store, I purchased wick and wick clips.
I inserted a length of wick into each clip, and glued the clips to the bottoms of my thrifted containers.
To keep the wick taut and centered, I sandwiched the wick between two wooden coffee stirrers, taping the ends together.
To melt the wax, I made a simple (but effective) double boiler using a sauce pan filled with a little water (maybe an inch deep) and a clean tin can I saved from cooking.
When the wax melted, I carefully removed the can from the pan and added some essential oils- in citronella and tee tree scents.
I poured the hot wax into each container and let them cool for several hours.
When they were cool to the touch, I simply snipped off the wick just beneath each coffee stirrer.
And they burn beautifully! Perfect for a mild simmer night, keeping the mosquitoes away!
And I mean, seriously- isn't that the cutest candle ever?
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 of 3 comments
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This is a great idea. Thanks for the instructions.
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Great idea, have lots of those useless things, they are catch alls around here, but this is a great idea, Tks for sharing
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