DIY Citronella Candles in Coconut Shells
I hope you’re as excited for the summer as I am! The season has started where we live so I’m sharing my new DIY citronella candles made with coconut shells – to ward off any mosquitos trying to put a damper on your summer nights!
I always keep citronella candles on hand to keep the mosquitos away because they seem particularly attracted to my freckles… In the spirit of upcycling, I tried making my own by recycling some containers I salvaged, which turned out to be coconut shells!
Find the detailed step-by-step here!
For this DIY idea, you'll need clean coconut shells and simple candle-making material.
Clean the shells with soapy water and sand them smooth with sandpaper to remove the fibers.
Next, shake your acrylic pens well to mix up the paint and draw motifs onto the shells. I used black and white pens but anything goes!
I love coconut craft from Kerala in India so I painted some mandala patterns which reminded me of this.
Select a few wooden beads and paint them with some wood stain or brown marker to darken to a color close to the coconut shells. I used a dark oak stain which was pretty spot-on. Next, glue 3 beads at the bottom of the shells.
Before you melt the soy wax, place a wick in the center of the shells.
Place your wax flakes in a double boiler and melt them. Next, remove the wax from the stove and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of citronella essential oil. Mix well and slowly pour the liquid wax into the coconut shells. Let the wax dry in its own good time, undisturbed.
And voila! Untie the bamboo skewers and cut the wick to leave 1/2″ (1 to 1.5cm). Let your candle cure (ie. don’t light it) for a week or two. Allowing your candles to cure will result in better scent release – and fewer mosquitoes!
Find me on Pinterest for more easy DIY ideas!
Resources for this project:
See all materials
Comments
Join the conversation
-
Wonder if they decorated coconut shells on Gilligans Island? Read the shells used as props sold for big $’s. Honestly very nice paint job. I recall as kid my dad bought two coconuts every year, he loved “fresh” coconuts. Never knew when harvested, she’ll looked old and dry. But it was painful watching him getting milk out then cutting open then getting meat out then three days later when surgery done we kid’s preferred mom’s coconut cream pie or mounds bar. Ended up in trash. Three years in a row we suffered through the ritual!
-
Love this!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Beautiful. But where do you find coconut shells?
So at the risk of sounding stupid or something but how do you open a coconut and then what can you do with the stuff inside of it? Because if there's one thing I hate is wasting thing's.