Anyone know how to make your own citronella candles?
Answers:
Ward Off Mosquitoes with Easy, Home-Made Citronella Candles
Here's how to make your own inexpensive batch of mosquito-repelling candles on your stovetop, in your oven or even outside over a fire.
You'll need:
-- candle bits
-- wicks, wick sticky and tabs
-- glass and metal containers
-- tongs, hot pads, oven mitt
-- essential oils, such as citronella, mint, thyme, geranium, cloves and eucalyptus
-- a pencil or Popsicle sticks
-- wooden long-handled spoon
-- waxed paper.
1. Gather your collection of candle ends, stubs and burned-downs. Fill the bottom of the double boiler halfway with water, and plop a few candle ends into the top after you've made sure they're clear of wick-tabs and other residue. Start cooking over medium heat. You'll use this first batch of wax to prep your wicks.
2. When the wax is sufficiently melted in the pot, start dipping your wicks into the pot to completely coat the wick. You'll want to trim the wick to various lengths to suit whatever containers you're using for candles. Let the wicks relax in the wax for about five minutes and make sure they're saturated inside and out.
3. Remove the waxed wicks to cool on a sheet of waxed paper. You'll know they're "done" when you can squeeze them in the wax mixture and no air bubbles escape. When they've cooled, attach the wick tabs that will steady the wicks in the containers, and use the wick sticky to secure them in the center of each container. Use the pencils or Popsicle sticks to hold the wick centered while you prepare the candles.
4. Add more wax and candle ends as needed to the mixture, and add whatever essential oils you're using. I like to always use a base of citronella, then add a few drops of either peppermint, cloves, thyme, orange, eucalyptus or geranium.
5. As the wax liquefies, remove it from the heat source and keep stirring. Let it cool just slightly, then use your oven mitt to pour the liquid carefully into your candle containers, one at a time. Remove the Popsicle sticks first, then affiliate them after you've filled the container.
6. Continue the process until you've made as many candles as you need or you run out of candle ends (we never seem to run out!)
7. Allow the candles to cool indoors for a day or so, away from drafts, until they're completely solid. Then simply take them outdoors with you next evening, light them up (safely!) and let them go to work!
Other answers:
Will the water in a water fountail stay cool?