Mason Jar Ambiance/ Mosquito Repellent

TANGLEWOOD HOMES
by TANGLEWOOD HOMES
6 Materials
$10
30 Minutes
Easy

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 to keep mosquitoes away.

Mason Jars, wire and hangers

Best mason jars!

Make your own insect repellent with these mason jars that Amazon reviewers swear by!


Getting all your supplies ready

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.

Making a loop

Wrapping the Wire Around The Jar

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.

Make Wire Loops on Both Ends

Repeat the Wire Loop on Opposite End

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.

Cut the Hanger and Bend

Cutting the Hanger

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.

Attach the hooks from the hanger into the wir

Attaching the Hanger

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.

What You'll Need

What you'll need to make your mosquito repellent

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.


Get all the essential oils you need!

Essential oils are great for so many summer pest control DIYs, from mosquito repellents to fly traps. Get a full set for all your needs now!

Cutting up Lemon and Lime

Cutting up some lemon and lime

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.

Drops of Essential Lemon Oils

Adding Essential Oils

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.

Adding essential lavender oil

Adding More Essential Oils

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.

Fresh Rosemary

Adding Fresh Rosemary

I didn't have any fresh Rosemary, but my good neighbour did😉 I added one or two sprigs of Rosemary to each jar.

Add Water

Fill Jars Up With Water

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.

Frozen Tea Lights

Freeze your tea lights

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.

Light it up

Light up your candles

Now you're ready to fight those mosquitoes. Light up your candle and hang your new hanging mason jar anywhere you want.

Enjoy Outdoors Mosquitto Free

Safety First

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.

Enjoy

For another useful mosquito repellant idea read this guide on how to make citronella candles!


DIY Mason jar ideas

For more creative ways to repurpose empty glass jars, discover Hometalk's best DIY Mason jar crafts here.

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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 23 questions
  • Patt Patt on Apr 14, 2022

    Are the candles for ambience or do they help deter bugs?

  • Ellie Ellie on Apr 14, 2022

    Would the battery operated tea lights work or is the flame needed to attract the mosquitoes?

  • Sherry Sherry on Aug 03, 2023

    I'm not sure I understand why the tea lights go in the freezer?

    Thk U.

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