Use empty mason jars, any size will do. I had smaller ones that had candles in them before, and I am all for reusing. You will need some wire. I used wire for hanging pictures on walls. I always have so many hangers , so I used old hangers to create the handle for the jars. The only tools needed were a needle nose plier and cutters.
Mason Jar Ambiance/ Mosquito Repellent
These hot summer days have been really nice, but the evenings bring far too many mosquitoes. I was looking for a way to create something that was a natural mosquito repellent. I used what I already had at home and came up with something really cute, natural, pretty and serves as a repellent.
You're going to need enough wire to get around the jar and to wrap a loop on both sides of the jar. Making a loop by twisting the wire. The loop should be large enough to fit the hangar through it.
The wire is very flexible and easy to twist to make a loop. Just make sure that you have a big enough hoop that a clothes hanger wire can fit through.
It's up to you how much to cut the hanger. It depends on how much you wanted to hang, at whatever height. I cut my hangers so they hang approximately 8 inches. Then, use a plier to bend the ends of the hanger (see pic above) to fit through the wire loops you made around the jar already.
The next step is attaching the hooks you made from The Hanger into the wire Loops that you created. You can then use a plier to squeeze them tight.
To make the mosquito repellent you will need lemon essential oil, lavender essential oil, lemon slices, (lime slices are optional), fresh Rosemary, and tea light candles.
Your next step is to cut up slices of lemon and lime. You could do wedges, but I sliced them up thin because it not only fit betterinto the small jars, but it also looks nice.
Since my jars were fairly small, I only added about 6 to 8 drops of essential lemon oil. You could add more if your jar is larger.
I searched up many natural mosquito repellent recipes, some called for lavender and others did not. Since I love the smell of lavender I decided to add it. I only added three drops to each small jar.
I didn't have any fresh Rosemary, but my good neighbour did😉 I added one or two sprigs of Rosemary to each jar.
Almost done, now you can add water to fill the jar to the top. Only add to the brim of the jar, since you need to still add the floating candles.
So here's a little trick to pop the tea lights out. When I tried to pop them out of the aluminum, I ended up squishing the tealights and cracking them. So I put the tea lights in the freezer for about 15 minutes. After that I gave it a little squeeze and they popped right out. And here's a little side note, I've replaced the ingredients several times already, and you can also put the tea lights in the water with the aluminum and they will still float.
Now you're ready to fight those mosquitoes. Light up your candle and hang your new hanging mason jar anywhere you want.
Although these hanging mason jars look beautiful and create a beautiful ambiance and fight off mosquitoes, please beware of safety. Only use these when you are close to the candle and can keep an eye on them. Always practice common safety with any type of flames/ candles.
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Join the conversation
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- TANGLEWOOD HOMESon Aug 18, 2020
That's great. Glad you like it
- Cheyrl Gardeneron Sep 10, 2020
Thank you. Love this idea. Bulk Apothecary also sells essential oils at good prices. love some you have listed. Some are sold on Amazon.
Have a question about this project?
How long does each jar last? Hours? Days? Does it need to set in the jar for any period of time before it is effective?
I'd love to know the answer to this too. Something is wrong with the site - whenever I try to see the answer already posted, all comments above it disappear - just a blank page.... :(
I'm probably the only person in the states that knows nothing about essential oils or where to get them. Is it an essential part of the mosquito repellent or can it be substuted with something else? Maybe peppermint or lemon from baking section of the store??
The flavorings in the baking aisle are not the same as essential oils. As an added precaution, if you use essential oils in a diffuser inside your home, be very careful with pets. Some of the essential oils can be dangerous or even toxic for dogs, cats or birds. Google essential oils and pets for a list of what to avoid. Make sure your pets can move to another room or area of the house when using a diffuser.
The hangers should be metal ones right?
Yes 😊