"DIY Tiki Torches"

Vicki Rogers
by Vicki Rogers

We have really been enjoying our new patio makeover and the mosquitos have really been enjoying us. I had several old bottles in the garage, and wanted to make those cute glass bottle DIY tiki torches you see everywhere. We took one of each kind to Home Depot to get the right size copper fittings.

These bottle necks took a 3/4" x 1/2" copper reducing coupling, but the wick didn't fit snug, so we also used a 1/2" x 3/8" reducing coupling to fit inside the other one.

We also bought tiki replacement wicks, 1" copper tubing caps to cover the wicks when not in use. My husband wanted to conceal the wicks in the jars, so we bought two 1/2" x 2' copper tubing pieces, type m. He cut them with a tubing cutter. This step isn't necessary for them to work, but I'm glad he thought of it, I like that the wicks don't show in the jars.

First we placed the copper tube into the 3/4" x 1/2" reducing coupling.

Then we pushed the wicks through the tubes and placed the 1/2" x 3/8" reducing coupling inside the larger one over the wick.

We had pea gravel left over from our disappearing water feature project, so I cleaned and dried enough to put into the bottles before adding the oil and copper assembled wicks. They add stability and look good too.

After allowing some time for the wicks to absorb the oil, it was time to try them out. Look how pretty they turned out! a little ambiance to deter those pesky mosquitos!

After you blow them out for the night, you can cover the wick with the copper cap to keep them dry. I also like that we can move them around to other areas of our porch or patio.

I bought these old bottles at a resale shop a few years back for props for roaring 20's murder mystery party we had. I'm happy to have finally repurposed them!

DIY home decor using recycled glass bottles

Check out more fun and easy ways to make DIY home decor using recycled glass bottles here.

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  2 questions
  • Lori Lori on Aug 08, 2016
    These look great. I like the added touch of the copper tubing to house the wicks and the pea gravel. Question: is there a seal between the tubing/wick and the glass bottle? What happens if the glass is accidentally knocked over? Will the liquid spill out?
  • Sharon Sharon on Aug 22, 2017

    Where did you find the copper coupling? I've tried Home Depot, Lowes and Ace.

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