Hi, my sweet friends.
I am still in recovery mode after my surgery last week and still feeling a little
on the puny side, so I am sharing another Oldie but goodie with you today.
I am still using my DIY Citronella Candles this Summer. I added them to
a more colorful flower-filled basket this year. These are so, so easy to
make you will want several to have extra on hand.
I hope you enjoy this Summertime project!
EASY DIY CITRONELLA CANDLES
……………………………………………………………
I have a love/hate affair with Summer.
I love the fact that we can enjoy the goodness of our
garden; plant gorgeous flowers and fill our home with
vases of beautiful blooms.
I love that I can wear flip-flops.
But…
I hate the bugs.
I am highly allergic to mosquitoes.
Just a few bites and I am running into the house
fevered and covered in huge whelps.
This Summer, I am filling our back deck
with layers and layers of these…
DIY Citronella Mason Jar Candles
I made these last year, but I used recycled glass jars such as spaghetti
sauce jars and olive jars. That worked fine, but I decided this year to use
some “fancier” Mason Jars.
I wanted the lids of the jars to look more like metal,
( I will explain why later) – so I headed to my leftover spray
paint shelf in the garage and found this…
A few light coats of spray paint did the trick.
The next task was tapping a small hole into the lid so the wick could be
pulled through. The Hubbs helped me out so I could take a pic. 🙂
We used a hole punch that was slightly larger than the wick. Just a few
taps with a hammer pushed it right through. Make sure you tap the
hole from the bottom to the top, because this will actually prevent the
wick from falling back through into the jar. I purchased a package of Soy Wicks,
but any kind of wick will work.
Then, it was just a matter of pulling the wick through the punched hole.
Thanks again, to the fabulous Hubbs for being my model.
😀
I filled the jars with citronella oil…
Then stood back and marveled at how perfectly beautiful they were.
Mason Jars, Blue Oil. Perfect for Summer!
I love how the spray paint made the silver lids look more like a brown metal.
I made about a dozen of these. We have a large deck. We also have a lot of skeeters.
And trust me, here in Eastern NC – these skeeters have fangs. I’m pretty sure of that.
😀
I decided to use four of the Citronella Mason Jar Candles and create something
for the center of our patio table. Remember that I said I wanted the jar lids to look more
like metal? That’s because I wanted them to match the metal of this basket.
I grabbed this basket from the pantry where it had been holding packets of
instant oatmeal. I made a quick trip to Lowe’s, and purchased a few small plants –
two types of fern and vinca.
First, I lined the basket with some plastic bags.
{Recycle, recycle, recycle!!!}
Then, I added a layer of my specially mixed potting soil.
Then, I added the plants all around the outer edge, leaving the inside open.
Finally, I nestled the four citronella-filled mason jars in the center of the basket.
I love the idea that it is a “living” centerpiece and does double duty fighting
off the dragon skeeters. I could have easily stopped there, but me being me…
(the Queen of More is More- haha!) I added some moss.
I could say that I love the added texture. And, that I love the extra punch of
bright green. But, honestly – I simply love moss.
😀
My sweet granddaughter insisted on adding her own little touch, too…
I couldn’t resist nestling in a small chalkboard sign, for all of those
advanced skeeters who learned to read.
And this is what I ended up with…
This gorgeous burlap-lined Skeeter Fighting Basket.
I love how the ferns look lush and Summery.
I am hoping these Citronella Mason Jars do the trick and I am able to
enjoy a little more of Summer than usual. Whelp-free!
And I love how they help add candle-lit ambiance to the back deck at night.
If you liked this idea…check out these other
porch and patio posts…
10-Budget Friendly Deck-orating Ideas!
If you would like to save this project
for future reference, please PIN
these images to your favorite Boards.
Thank you for spending a few minutes
of your day here with me.
You can also follow along with me at:
xxoo, Barb
Emily says
These mason jar candles are a great idea, and I love the planter too. Thanks for linking up with Merry Monday.
View CommentTB says
Great idea for citronella mason jar candles. What brand of blue citronella oil did you use & where can it be purchased?
View CommentBarb says
Hi I used a standard citronella oil I found at Lowe’s. I loved that it was blue, though. 🙂
View Comment